Karan Johar to make movie on terror

Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) Filmmaker Karan Johar is breaking away from larger-than-life family soaps and fairytale romances. For a change, he will make a reality movie about terrorism called 'Khan' without songs. The movie will star Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Terrorism is too grim a subject to be associated with a Karan Johar movie. But, this time around, the filmmaker has opted for the real world.

Though Johar refused to divulge the details of the script, the buzz doing the rounds in Bollywood says that the movie will be essentially about 'Islamic terrorism' post-9/11.

'Terrorism is a reality of our time. We cannot afford to shut our eyes to it. I am taking this film as a challenge,' Johar told the media.

Shah Rukh will play the role of a peace activist who, after being kidnapped by the terrorists, has a chance to see their 'causes' from their point of view.

Industry sources said the movie is a dream-come-true for Shah Rukh. For this is one role he always wanted to play and he would often tell journalists that he had played all other kinds of roles in movies, but would like to play a terrorist if somebody offered him such a role, a source said.

Shah Rukh had once said he had personally experienced that if one had a Muslim surname abroad, one was looked upon as a terrorist. 'In London's Heathrow airport people recognise me, but when they see my second name, they run an extra check,' he had said in a recent interview.

The movie had earlier been titled 'My Name Is Khan.'