New York (2009)
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Three friends find their lives irrevocably changed by the socio-political fallout of the September 11 attacks.
The story
In 2008, Omar Aijaz is arrested by the FBI and pressured into spying on his former college friend, Sam Sheikh, who is suspected of terrorist ties. The story flashes back to 1999, showing their bond at New York State University, where Omar secretly loved their friend Maya. In the present, Omar reconnects with the married couple under a false pretense to gather intelligence. As he investigates, he discovers the trauma Sam endured during a period of detention and the complex reality of his radicalization, all set against the backdrop of post-9/11 America.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2008, Omar Aijaz is arrested by the FBI and pressured into spying on his former college friend, Sam Sheikh, who is suspected of terrorist ties. Flashbacks reveal their friendship at New York State University in 1999, where Omar harbored feelings for Maya, who eventually married Sam. In the present, Omar reconnects with the couple to gather intelligence. He discovers Sam was tortured and radicalized after being detained at Guantánamo Bay. A turning point occurs when Zilgai, a former detainee, commits suicide after killing a police officer. While Sam initially seems to abandon his plans, Omar discovers the plan is still active. Omar alerts the FBI, and Sam is persuaded to surrender, only to be shot dead by snipers. Maya is also killed in the crossfire. Six months later, Omar adopts Sam and Maya's son, Danyal, as Roshan reflects on the tragic consequences of their choices.
- First release year
- 2009
- Runtime (minutes)
- 151
- Production countries
- India
- Original languages
- Hindi
- Directors
- Kabir Khan
- Writers
- Sandeep Shrivastava · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Abraham · Samir "Sam" Sheikh; Katrina Kaif · Maya Sheikh; Neil Nitin Mukesh · Omar Ajjaz; Irrfan Khan · Agent Roshan; Nawazuddin Siddiqui · Zilgai; Aidan Wagner · Danyal Sheikh; Ali Quli Mirza · Zaheer; Samrat Chakrabarti · Yakub
- Genres
- crime drama; spy thriller; vigilante
- Themes
- racial profiling; civil liberties; psychological consequences of wrongful detention; prejudice; trauma
- Tone and mood
- taut; emotive; balanced; thought-provoking
- Premise and plot tags
- post-9/11; spy thriller; friendship; terrorism; FBI
- Reception
- The film received largely positive reviews, praising its direction, screenplay, and performances. It was a commercial success, ranking as the sixth-highest grossing Hindi film of the year.
- Awards and nominations
- Filmfare Awards · Best Actress · 55th · Nomination; Filmfare Awards · Best Supporting Actor · 55th · Nomination
- Production trivia
- It was the first Hindi film to have an extended production schedule in New York City.; John Abraham studied the Quran to prepare for his role as an American Muslim of Indian origin.; The film's storyline has been compared to the 'The Greater Good' episode of the TV series Lost.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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