New York

<p>Sometime in 2008, Omar Aijaz, a young Indian Muslim man living in the , is arrested by the after weapons are found in the trunk of a taxi registered to him. He is interrogated by Agent Roshan, a South Asian Muslim officer who has lived in the U.S. for two decades. Roshan suspects Omar’s involvement with Samir “Sam” Sheikh, a former college friend believed to be connected to terrorist activities. Omar, unaware of Sam’s current life, is pressured into cooperating with the FBI to spy on him. The narrative shifts to a from 1999, when Omar arrived in the U.S. to attend New York State University. There, he befriends Sam and Maya, a fellow student and counselor. The three form a close bond, though Omar secretly harbours feelings for Maya. Over time, Maya and Sam fall in love, prompting Omar to distance himself. Their lives are disrupted by the . Back to the present, Omar reconnects with Sam and Maya—now married with a son, Danyal—under the guise of rekindling old friendships, while secretly reporting to Roshan. He learns Maya is involved in , helping Sam’s employee and former Zilgai cope with trauma from his post-9/11 arrest. Initially, Omar finds no incriminating evidence against Sam, but gradually uncovers deeper layers of Sam’s past. Sam had been detained at for nine months due to and was tortured. Though later , the experience left him emotionally scarred and . A turning point arrives when Zilgai, unable to reintegrate into society, kills a police officer and leads the police on a long chase ultimately ending in his death by ; in the aftermath, Sam appears to abandon his plans for a terrorist attack. However, Omar later discovers the plan is still active. He alerts Roshan, and in the final act, Sam is persuaded to surrender. As he complies, he is shot dead by FBI snipers. Maya, rushing to stop him, is also killed in stray . The film concludes six months later with Omar adopting Danyal. Roshan, now recognised for his service, comforts Omar, explaining that while everyone believed they were doing the right thing, timing and choices shaped their fates. The story ends with a reflection on friendship, trauma, and the . explores the social and political aftermath of the , focusing particularly on issues of , , and the psychological consequences of . In a June 2009 interview with the (IANS), director stated that the film “is based on part of the political canvas of 9/11, but it speaks of prejudices after the great human tragedy.” He added that the narrative “divides time into a pre- and post-9/11 world” to emphasise the long-term global repercussions of the attacks. Khan also noted that the film was supported by the New York Film Commission, describing it as “a very balanced story and not a jingoistic film.” In a separate interview with IANS, actor remarked that , “in its own strange way,” begins where the Pakistani film (2007) ends. He highlighted that both directors—Kabir Khan and —present different interpretations of the experience of legal detainees, based on their respective research and narrative approaches. The film’s storyline has drawn comparisons to ” “, the twenty-first episode of the American television series (2004–2010), due to thematic similarities in exploring detainment, trauma, and ideological conflict. was directed by and produced by under . Khan submitted the script to U.S. authorities for approval prior to filming. He later noted that the production received clearance without objections and described the film as a balanced portrayal of . prepared for his role as an American Muslim of Indian origin by studying the . The cast also included , , and . began in September 2008 and lasted over 100 days. While most of the film was shot in , some scenes were filmed in . was the first Hindi film to have an extended production schedule in the city. The team also shot for three days at with official permission. The soundtrack of was released on 10 June 2009. It was composed by , with lyrics by Sandeep Shrivastava. provided the background score, while Pankaj Awasthi composed and performed the track “Aye Saaye Mere”, written by . A remix of “Hai Junoon,” featured separately as a standalone music video, was sung by and . was selected as the opening film for the , where it was screened on 10 November 2009. Director attended the event and addressed the audience following the screening. The film was also shown at the in October 2009, where , founder of , received the award. The release of took place on 8 August 2009. The edition included approximately 2.5 hours of bonus content, including footage, , and promotional material. Joginder Tuteja of rated the DVD release four out of five stars. opened to strong box office performance, grossing ₹35 million during its first three days in with occupancy rates of 80–85%—the highest since January 2009. It topped the domestic box office in its opening week and earned ₹618.9 million worldwide, later being declared a hit. The film completed a six-week theatrical run in India with a domestic gross of ₹155.5 million. Internationally, performed well in key markets including the , , the , and the United States. It was the , with a total gross of approximately ₹577.5 million. received positive reviews from critics, with praise directed toward its performances, screenplay, and handling of post-9/11 themes. described it as “an important film” that avoids stereotypical portrayals of the diaspora and explores global prejudices with sensitivity. Devansh Patel of the rated it five out of five, calling it “the most thought-provoking movie has ever come up with.” of gave it four out of five, calling it “an extremely taut and highly emotive piece of political drama […] topical, meaningful, and entertaining.” of rated the film four out of five, highlighting the screenplay and cinematography, and calling it “one of the finest films produced by this premier production house.” Joginder Tuteja of noted that the film “has a message and still carries enough commercial ingredients to reach out to masses as well as classes.” Comparisons were drawn to other films with similar themes, such as (1999) and (2007). Jayant of considered the stronger film in execution and impact. called it “an A-list film that gets a straight A,” while praised its balance of realism and drama. wrote that the film “entertains and makes viewers think.”</p>