The serious face of Yash Raj Films, director Kabir Khan, on his film New York, the world after 9/11 and his last name

From Kabul Express to New York. What political statement are you making in this film?
As a film-maker, I shy away from the term “political statement”. It’s pompous to say that out loud. Personally, I don’t like films that exist in a vacuum, without any context of time or space. So, I like to set my films against an active political and social backdrop. I try and tell a human story with a relevant backdrop which has a bearing on the character’s life. The audience is at a liberty to take whatever message it wants to from the film.

What does New York deal with?
It deals with the global issue of terrorism and how it is affecting everybody’s life. In the film, New York is a symbol of the times that we are going through as world citizens. The film shows how, after 9/11, the world has become a victim of prejudices; the way we perceive others has changed forever. Look at the recent racist attacks on Indian students in Australia. In a way, that is also a manifestation of prejudice. After 9/11, we have difficulty trusting people if they are even minutely different from us. The film takes this thread and shows how one event changes three beautiful lives.

Have you faced prejudice after 9/11? Have you included them in the film?
Well, nothing so dramatic has happened to me. But yes, I’ve been checked by the FBI thrice. My passport has visas from Afghanistan and Iran—places Americans don’t like—and my last name,Khan is on their “watch list”. So, the FBI routinely tracks me and asks me all kinds of questions.
Since I’ve met the Taliban during the course of my films, it’s very easy for them to suspect I have compromised and am still in touch with the Taliban. In fact, my visa for the shooting of New York was stuck for two months and we had to engage an immigration lawyer to get it through. When I asked why my visa was not coming through, I was told that it was because my last name is Khan. It didn’t matter that I’d been to New York six times before.
The last day of our shooting coincided with the last day of George W. Bush’s presidency. It felt different walking on the streets of New York knowing that Obama had won. It was very symbolic for our unit and a larger sign that we were reading into. I’ve taken all these personal feelings and presented them in an accessible manner in the film. There is no point in preaching to the converted and I hope those who see the film get what we are trying to say.

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