No Other Difference.

Tonight I went to the Alumni House because they were hosting a free showing of the Shah Rukh Khan film, My Name is Khan. For me MNIK beats Slumdog Millionaire hands down. Minus the bad Presidents' impersonators they had going, it was just great. I would say a 21st century Forrest Gump. In fact, yes that exactly what it was and the talent that Bollywood has that Nollywood lacks is that ability to draw inspiration from a film without copying it word for word. Asian people- with most things I think- can take one's idea and make it so much more relevant to an audience (which is why India and China are fast emerging economies) but that's all beside the point.

Any Asian readers will probably be able to list me a plethora of Asian film that they believe top the list of greatest-so-far and it could obviously be my lack of expertise in the Asian  film industry but I think SRK is the best there is (in any film industry). If you haven't seen the film yet I won't spoil it, but if you want to know what it's about I can only say it's about a man not wanting him and his family to be treated any different post-9/11. I can only strongly recommend it.. you must watch it for yourself if you haven't already it's been almost a year since the film came out I know I'm late!

It also made me think you know. So many times, especially whilst I've been out here I've had these conversations about how inconvenienced we've all been because of 9/11 in terms of airport/airline security and violations of what I deem my basic human rights, but there are tonnes of people out there - and I know the film is fictitious but there's much truth in it - whose lives have almost been turn upside down because of 9/11. Really changed, like the people in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Muslims across the world who constantly suffer the stares and suspicions of people and people who can't get easy pass of way at border control because their country is predominantly Muslim. They have to buy a visa when all their friends walk through like genuine citizens of the world. These things annoy me. And that's all that was going through my head on the 15 minute walk back from campus.

Razia Khan: Remember one thing, son. There are only two kinds of people in this world. Good people who do good deeds. And bad people who do bad. That's the only difference in human beings. There's no other difference. Understood? What did you understand? Tell me. Tell me 
Rizwan Khan: Good people. Bad people. No other difference. - My Name Is Khan