New York:
'My Name Is Khan' has set a new record. The film has become SRK's top-grossing film in North America with total sales of over 3 million dollars.
Members of advocacy groups in the US who have been working with issues of racial profiling and discrimination on the South Asian community post 9/11, say the film resonates with their experiences post the world trade terror attacks.
Mohammad Razvi, Community Organizer, said, "At certain scenes I had to turn away as I was sitting and watching it with my wife. I was like--oh my god, this brings back all the memories of all the hardships the community was going through."
"Just like in the movie he was detained because of his name ... there were people here ...... who were detained for months without any allegations... These were the cards that were left in their homes.", he added while displaying visiting cards left by FBI and INS officers.
"The discrimination that he encountered with his child. Here are hundreds of cases of community members who encountered the same. A ten-year-old girl's complaint said--I was walking and this lady called me a terrorist and made a killing sign . Did you report it? No, I was too frightened to tell any one.
One of the other scenes they showed was how the sister in law had her scarf pulled off. That scene brought back personal memories ..for my own family. My daughter was at that time around 10 or eleven-years-old. Her scarf was pulled off in school. She was kicked down the steps and cursed at. She did not inform me. Even my own daughter was afraid to let me know about it.", Mohammad said.
NDTV: Did she see the movie and what did she think of it?
Razi: It brought back her own experiences.
NDTV: Did she like it?
Razvi: Both my daughters were crying. It moved them so much. They kept telling me that dad you have to watch this movie.
NDTV: So do you think that the community when they watch this film do they feel that Bollywood or somebody understands what they were going through and is telling their story.
Razvi: Absolutely, absolutely. All the South Asian community members from India Pakistan, Sri lanka , Punjab, Indonesia.... it resonates because it did not make a difference whether you were Muslim or not . all that mattered was the color of your skin and you were attacked.