"Bollywood is still a genre. It is unfair to call all Hindi films as Bollywood"-Abhay Deol
It is refreshing to watch a Hindi movie that is topical and made with a degree of seriousness. 'New York' is a thoughtful attempt at exploring the psychological impact of post 9/11 clamp-down on Muslims in the United States and also the perception of the country and its policies. The usp of the film is that it makes you debate with it as its characters debate on the above lines.
'New York' centers around three friends who went to NY University together, but drift apart as two of them, Sameer and Maya fall in love and the jilted aspirant Omar is heartbroken. This is around the time of 9/11. Seven years hence, Omar is picked up by the FBI and is forced to infiltrate into a sleeper cell allegedly operated by Sameer, while befriending him again. The plot tries to find out whether Sameer is really a terrorist in the making and if so, is he justified in doing what he is doing and whether Omar can stop him.
Kabir Khan has made a film that keeps you riveted with graphic portrayals of the forced detention of suspects and the torture they go through and its impact on their lives. The principal characters engage in meaningful dialogue with different points of view. There is balance in characterizations with the silent and intense Sameer (John Abraham), counterbalanced by the emotional and reactive Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) with the pivot being the loving and balanced Maya (Katrina Kaif).
The fly on the wall is the cool yet calculative FBI agent (Irrfan Khan) who tries to lend a holistic perspective but does betray gratitude to the 'land of opportunity' that has given him, an immigrant, an opportunity to do what he does. It was heartening to see that Pritam's music and songs were used in the background without interrupting the story line.
Irrfan Khan predictably towers over the cast with a wonderful blend of cool and intensity. He is 'the man'. Neil Nitin Mukesh does a good job of showcasing Omar's journey from being a wide eyed student to jilted lover to helpless infiltrator. John Abraham as Sam and Katrina Kaif as Maya do not score too many points in the acting department. Their roles could have been essayed by higher caliber actors. Their inability to step up makes the film lose a bit of balance despite the characters being well written.
'New York' does stay with you after you leave the hall. You do get the impression that an attempt has been made to explore both sides of the story, but also that the conclusions are in the favor of the Government, despite bringing to light the suffering of the innocent due to the policy. Based on what is shown, the conclusion does not seem well justified. The film could have been better served by ending with a question, not an answer.
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