Being an Indian American myself, I was personally affected by the 9/11 attacks very strongly. They were a powerful psychological blow to myself as an American and the justification for a great deal of discrimination I experienced following the attacks.
Therefore, when a film about the event comes out from an alternative perspective, I'm always very intrigued about the possibilities of what's being depicted. New York explores the effect of 9/11 upon three individuals, all Indian college graduates from a faux American university located in NYC (although I'm not entirely sure if Katrina Kaif's character is Indian...); two of them have grown up in the United States from their childhood (including John Abraham) and the other came to the USA for schooling. All three of them love the United States and Sam, the American-born Muslim, considers it his home. A love triangle forms, but the third member of their group, Omar, leaves after 9/11 occurs, disheartened by his unreciprocated love and the difficult situation that has been made for Muslims.
Years later, the FBI picks him up in Philadelphia, after planting guns in his trunk; as it turns out, it's a ruse for him to spy on Sam, who has married the girl he loved, Maya, and is now a suspected terrorist. In complete disbelief, Omar discounts this, as the Sam he knew loved his country more than his own life. However, when he agrees to find out what Sam is up to, he finds out to his horror that Sam has started working against the United States alongside a number of known terrorists towards an unspecified plan that is only revealed at the film's climax. Having been captured and tortured for months shortly after graduating from university for "suspected terrorist activities" he is arrested under the PATRIOT act and only released after there is no evidence of his connection to terrorist activities.
The film goes through some pretty unspeakably awful things to depict what is done to break the prisoners. Sam proves no different, breaking as well, but of course not being a terrorist, has nothing to reveal. He's mentally scarred after being released and marries Maya, but unable to find comfort, he follows a cryptic message given to him by another inmate who leads him to a terrorist cell in NYC. Omar, upon realizing that the US government is indirectly responsible for turning him into a terrorist, realizes that there is hope for him still, and tries his best to work with the FBI while attempting to get Sam to recant.
Although you don't sympathize with what Sam becomes as you see what he was put through, you can still see that it was done to him, and not a function of his own choice. Omar's character is played well and is a strong counterpoint to Sam. The film's main weaknesses lie in its completely absurd depictions of American college and suburban life, but this is more or less a function of it being a Bollywood movie... they aren't really known for researching anything beyond an American stereotype when making these kinds of films as most of those scenes are thrown in as rickshaw-driver crowd pleasers. The other weakness is Katrina Kaif's character, Maya, who aside from being a boring and stolid middle-of-the-triangle character, is also an awful actress. I've never understood this Indian obsession with her; I don't find her all that attractive and I can think of many other actresses who could have fit the bill, were equally attractive, and could actually act worth their own salt.
On the other hand, the main purpose of the film, to portray Muslims in Americas' lives before and after 9/11, both succeeds and fails. Yes, Muslims were not really as persecuted beforehand; on the other hand, they're really not all that persecuted now. I realize Kabir Khan is making a more allegorical film, but he would do well to recognize that he's drawing up an artificial distinction. Before 9/11, the US still had racial and religious tensions, and little has changed afterwards, if at all. The effect of 9/11 was temporary, and while it certainly changed my view forever, the way it's depicted in the film is almost completely ridiculous. Indians, before they became more prolific in the American media and public life, usually kept their heads down; I certainly did. We were quiet contributors to society and are generally white collar workers who would spend time at college, uh, studying, not playing the class clown. I find it a little irritating that again, as usual, the Indian director in question, Kabir Khan, did not bother to do his research by interviewing real NRIs and first-generation Indians here. Of course, it's likely he was just making a popcorn flick in the guise of a sociopolitical film, so it hardly matters.
The thing that probably bothered me the most is the depiction of how people reacted after 9/11. They looked at the TV set where the twin towers were falling.... and kept watching. Really? Let me give you my personal story. I was in middle school at the time. My classmates kept talking about the "Muslims blowing up the twin towers", and myself not being a Muslim but being an Indian, I didn't think they would target me. Then I get a call from my mother to pull me out of school for the day for fear that there could be a retaliation against me - and she was right. I didn't attend school for three days because my parents were afraid if we stepped out of the house, we would get shot in retaliation for attacks they had nothing to do with, simply because of our brown skin. THAT is the real effect of 9/11.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who's interested, in any case; just take their cultural depictions with a grain of salt.
Therefore, when a film about the event comes out from an alternative perspective, I'm always very intrigued about the possibilities of what's being depicted. New York explores the effect of 9/11 upon three individuals, all Indian college graduates from a faux American university located in NYC (although I'm not entirely sure if Katrina Kaif's character is Indian...); two of them have grown up in the United States from their childhood (including John Abraham) and the other came to the USA for schooling. All three of them love the United States and Sam, the American-born Muslim, considers it his home. A love triangle forms, but the third member of their group, Omar, leaves after 9/11 occurs, disheartened by his unreciprocated love and the difficult situation that has been made for Muslims.
Years later, the FBI picks him up in Philadelphia, after planting guns in his trunk; as it turns out, it's a ruse for him to spy on Sam, who has married the girl he loved, Maya, and is now a suspected terrorist. In complete disbelief, Omar discounts this, as the Sam he knew loved his country more than his own life. However, when he agrees to find out what Sam is up to, he finds out to his horror that Sam has started working against the United States alongside a number of known terrorists towards an unspecified plan that is only revealed at the film's climax. Having been captured and tortured for months shortly after graduating from university for "suspected terrorist activities" he is arrested under the PATRIOT act and only released after there is no evidence of his connection to terrorist activities.
The film goes through some pretty unspeakably awful things to depict what is done to break the prisoners. Sam proves no different, breaking as well, but of course not being a terrorist, has nothing to reveal. He's mentally scarred after being released and marries Maya, but unable to find comfort, he follows a cryptic message given to him by another inmate who leads him to a terrorist cell in NYC. Omar, upon realizing that the US government is indirectly responsible for turning him into a terrorist, realizes that there is hope for him still, and tries his best to work with the FBI while attempting to get Sam to recant.
Although you don't sympathize with what Sam becomes as you see what he was put through, you can still see that it was done to him, and not a function of his own choice. Omar's character is played well and is a strong counterpoint to Sam. The film's main weaknesses lie in its completely absurd depictions of American college and suburban life, but this is more or less a function of it being a Bollywood movie... they aren't really known for researching anything beyond an American stereotype when making these kinds of films as most of those scenes are thrown in as rickshaw-driver crowd pleasers. The other weakness is Katrina Kaif's character, Maya, who aside from being a boring and stolid middle-of-the-triangle character, is also an awful actress. I've never understood this Indian obsession with her; I don't find her all that attractive and I can think of many other actresses who could have fit the bill, were equally attractive, and could actually act worth their own salt.
On the other hand, the main purpose of the film, to portray Muslims in Americas' lives before and after 9/11, both succeeds and fails. Yes, Muslims were not really as persecuted beforehand; on the other hand, they're really not all that persecuted now. I realize Kabir Khan is making a more allegorical film, but he would do well to recognize that he's drawing up an artificial distinction. Before 9/11, the US still had racial and religious tensions, and little has changed afterwards, if at all. The effect of 9/11 was temporary, and while it certainly changed my view forever, the way it's depicted in the film is almost completely ridiculous. Indians, before they became more prolific in the American media and public life, usually kept their heads down; I certainly did. We were quiet contributors to society and are generally white collar workers who would spend time at college, uh, studying, not playing the class clown. I find it a little irritating that again, as usual, the Indian director in question, Kabir Khan, did not bother to do his research by interviewing real NRIs and first-generation Indians here. Of course, it's likely he was just making a popcorn flick in the guise of a sociopolitical film, so it hardly matters.
The thing that probably bothered me the most is the depiction of how people reacted after 9/11. They looked at the TV set where the twin towers were falling.... and kept watching. Really? Let me give you my personal story. I was in middle school at the time. My classmates kept talking about the "Muslims blowing up the twin towers", and myself not being a Muslim but being an Indian, I didn't think they would target me. Then I get a call from my mother to pull me out of school for the day for fear that there could be a retaliation against me - and she was right. I didn't attend school for three days because my parents were afraid if we stepped out of the house, we would get shot in retaliation for attacks they had nothing to do with, simply because of our brown skin. THAT is the real effect of 9/11.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who's interested, in any case; just take their cultural depictions with a grain of salt.