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Friday 12 February 2010

My Name is Khan - a review

My Name is Khan - a review

Movie: My Name Is Khan
Director: Karan Johar
Actors: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol


A movie which I went in with lots of expectation after the recent debate and action created by political and film personalities.

Shah Rukh Khan playing the lead role “Rizwan Khan” and Kajol as his partner.

Screenplay by Shibani Bhatija is interesting, however at times lagging and a test of patience.

The movie touches the 9/11 myths and tries to capitalise from the anti-muslim agenda emanating against all peace loving Muslims world-wide. Shah Rukh Khan in this movie, I believe is trying to project himself as a character actor and tries to justify the mannerism of patient with autism. He succeeds in it, and may be this is one of the projects where he tries to display a serious role oriented performance than his usual touch of humour here and there. After watching it, I felt, is this an attempt to project himself over Amir Khan as who is the best expressive actor in the field.

Kajol as Mandira, gave a graceful self and bring back the golden touch of beautiful presence and calibre of our beautiful actors of yester years. Her come back is really marvellous and classy.

The child artists Yuvaan Makaar who played as their son Sam (Sameer) played a commendable role in the movie and at times scored even better than both of them. Kudos to this little talent. Tanay Chadda as young SRK also did a great job.

Zarina Wahab as his mother in her short role was superb.

Nice music, especially the background scores and the Tabala beats for the songs Tere Naina, outstanding. It has also a well choreographed dance scene in which SRK trying to dance with his autism disabilities and the emotions projected throughout are excellent.

Sabu Cyril’s set created an outstanding effect of the flood and devastation scenes. However, it could have been a bit more realistically captured by thoughtful camera presentation.

Overall, the movie provides an interesting viewing although it does require lots of patience to sit through certain stages of it. Those who go to movies for pure entertainment purpose may stay out of it. This is a serious stuff and do convey messages to the society and the world around that human beings should not be treated according to religion and topographic orientation. Daring attempt by Sharukh Khan and Karan Johar for trying out something different this time than their usual projects.

Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi
11 Feb 2010

Thursday 4 February 2010

A saviour from overseas

A saviour from overseas

Asha PrakashFirst Published : 03 Feb 2010
Rev Linse cannot pronounce words like ‘Irinjalakkuda’ or ‘Annamanada’ properly. But that doesn’ t stop him from speaking animatedly about his life mission - to serve the poor, the sick, the physically and mentally challenged and the homeless in India.


It was a chance meeting with a priest from Kerala in 1972, who told him about the scenario in India, that made Monsignor Rev Rolfe Linse, a native of Duisburg, Germany, chart the entire course of his life. 38 years and 24 visits to India later, Rev Linse has been responsible for funding 52 charity institutions spread over 10 states in India, among which are vocational training institutes, schools, orphanages and medical clinics.

The All Saints Centre, Pullur, Pratheeksha Bhavan, Irinjalakkuda and Asha Bhavan, Annamanada, are some of them. And where does he find the enormous amount of funds needed for maintaining these institutions? He generated 70 percent of it by himself, incredible as it seems, by selling spices, tea etc from India in the open air markets in Germany.

His work has inspired a group of students to take up the cause and help him, but even when there is none, Rev Linse can be found pressing passersby to buy something, say his coworkers, even in cold winter days. At times he collects waste paper, used books and other materials to sell or conducts charitable walks. The funds collected thus have crossed a whopping 15 crore in Indian rupees so far.

But what makes him so passionate, to the point of being obsessed, about the cause? “Because I’ve experienced hunger first-hand,” he says, showing white marks on his feet, remnants of past malnutrition. Rev Linse had to flee from home with his mother and brother during the II World War when Germany came under the attack of Britain. They had nothing with them but the clothes on their back and had to spend 11 years in misery. Both he and his brother later entered the Ministry and before long, Rev Linse started charity work.

A feature of Rev Linse’s work is that his focus is always on making the poor and the deprived self-sufficient, whatever their disability.

The children at the homes funded by him are trained to be tailors, blacksmiths, welders etc.

Rev Linse is now 76 years old and retired but has no plans of retiring from his work. “Given a choice, I would like to settle in India, I have nobody in this world but my brother. But here they don’t need my hands, they need only my finances.” But the poverty levels in India are so huge and despite the staggering number of people he has rehabilitated, isn’t it all just a drop in the ocean? “When you are in a desert, even a little greenery is welcome.

That greenery is what I try to achieve,” he says. For details about Rev Linse’s work, or to donate, look up www.indienhilfe-bottrop.de

by ashaprakash@expressbuzz.com

To read it in original, please visit, A saviour from overseas

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