Made in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the film addressed themes of racial prejudice and islamophobia
Shah Rukh Khan’s character, Rizwan, is an Indian Muslim who sets on an epic journey to meet the USRizwan has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. The film opened up discussions on the portrayal of development disorders in Hindi cinema.The film’s plot drew comparisons to Hollywood classics like Forrest Gump and Rain Man. The template appears back in fashion, with last year’s Bharat and the upcoming Laal Singh Chadha.Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol reunited after a gap of 9 years for MNIK. They had last worked together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, also directed by Karan Johar.Kareena Kapoor Khan was in the running for female lead, but was replaced by Kajol. Kareena and Shah Rukh later collaborated on Ra. One.Earning over Rs. 150 crore at the global box-office, the film was the highest-grossing Indian film to release overseas. It was overtaken by 3 Idiots the next year.While on a publicity tour, Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the US customs for over an hour. The news sparked global controversy, highlighting the issue of racial profiling at American airports.Hollywood director James Cameron praised Shah Rukh Khan’s performance in MNIK. The film’s first look was unveiled at the premiere of Cameron’s Avatar.The Georgia flood sequence was shot in a tank in Mumbai. During the shoot, a snake had reportedly entered the tank, causing panic among the cast and crew. SRK was promptly pulled out of the water.Close to 12,000 litres of water was used for the flood scenes. This caused some outrage as Maharashtra was hit by heavy drought at the time.Jimmy Sheirgill’s house in San Francisco is the same one featured in the American sitcom, Full House“My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist,” the line became a catchphrase in sync with the film’s anti-prejudice themes. Before meeting the president, Rizwan says this to an Indian Gujarati immigrantVarun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra worked as assistant directors on the film. They were later launched in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year (2012).Christopher B. Duncan played the role of then-President elect Barack Obama. The actor also played Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.