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New York opens around 7 years after the 9/11 attacks with Omar (Neil Mukesh) being wrongly held captive by the FBI. Investigating officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) offers to go easy on Omar if he agrees to spy on old-time friend Sameer (John Abraham) who the FBI suspects to be a terrorist. With a maneuvered reunion, Omar gets entry into Sameer’s house and tries hard to unveil his activist identity but fails every time, much to his relief.
In contrast, Sameer himself narrates his distressing past to Omar of how he was illegally detained and brutally tortured by the FBI for 9 months, immediately after 9/11 and victimized for being a Muslim suspect in New York.
New York opens on an intriguing note with Omar’s attempts to infiltrate into Sameer’s life. The ensuing chemistry between the characters keeps you riveted till the movie takes an interesting (though palpable) twist at the interval point. The terrorism theme comes into picture predominantly in the second half. The physical and mental abuse on innocent Muslims, imprisoned merely on suspicion and their consequent repercussions are effectively portrayed.
But beyond that Aditya Chopra’s story doesn’t work towards the rehabilitation of the disturbed mind that has taken to the wrong path. In a way, the film turns the villain into more of an antihero imparting him no character change. Above that the commonplace climax where the FBI headquarters is held as the terrorist target doesn’t go beyond Fanaa frontiers. The terrorist is terminated but the topic of terrorism it tackles keeps long lingering. The message doesn’t come across compellingly and perhaps that’s why the director preaches with an extended epilogue.
All the three lead protagonists of New York are Muslims affected by the 9/11 episode in varied ways and to different degrees. Sameer turns a scapegoat of the situation; Omar’s identity gets him in trouble, while Roshan’s character (a Muslim investigating on terrorism) offers that ray of hope prevailing amidst discriminating humankind. Unfortunately the scope it had to represent the contrast of the characters isn’t used as distinctly and effectively like in the Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye with similar concerns.
The issue of global terrorism somewhere goes for a toss with the film turning into a human emotion drama. As the victim is released from prison and his atrocities are still fresh in your mind, the intensity of his trauma is diluted with a love song stuffed in. The couple further goes on to make love and start a family. More mush comes into picture as Omar confesses his campus feelings to the married Maya (Katrina Kaif) amidst the pre-climax mayhem. Thankfully the traditional Yash Raj triangle is averted. The side-track of a frustrated Muslim driver (Nawazuddin) committing suicide doesn’t contribute to the plot and could have been avoided.
John does well in his frail characterization which could have been much more convincing, intense and effective. Neil looks rehearsed in some scenes but doesn’t disappoint. Irrfan Khan never misses any punch in his lines and is as expressive as ever. Katrina Kaif doesn’t get the meatier portion and contributes to the sloppy effect.
As the last frame closes amidst the Yash Raj mascot of maple leaves, you just wish the film had a lot more grit, the characters had a lot more depth and the treatment had a lot more sensitivity. Alas New York fails to break new grounds on that note.
