It was a relief to be face to face with the big-screen, big-budget pomp-and-show once more.

The other reason why I was keen 
to watch New York was that it is yet 
another display of the pan-Muslim 
identity being under attack post 9/11.  A ‘terror team’ of young Muslim men — from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — try and shake the foundations of New York City. Unlike what happened in the city on 9/11, these men are not 
jehadis; they used to be regular, peace-loving, fun-loving folks who are now seeking revenge; they feel wronged at the treatment meted out to them — by the American establishment, most notably the FBI (at least in this case) — just because they happen to be Muslims.

Gripping enough. Of course, I was somewhat sceptical about the handling: Bollywood does tend to be ham-handed when it comes to presentations of credibility. I wasn’t too badly off the mark there. The bits about the FBI senior officer, for instance, coming across as being the world’s most inane gentleman were eminently avoidable.

I don’t want to review New York in this space; but there were some stray thoughts that went through my head as I watched the drama unfold.

For one, the Muslim-identity-under-attack theme has been dealt with, in 
fits and starts, in smaller Bollywood productions, that were more ‘parallel cinema’ than commercial; New York, however, is unabashedly mainstream, and, more importantly, set in the heart of the Big Apple, the nerve-centre of 
the universe.

The rare Hindi movies that have the starring cast playing Muslims are packed with stereotypes or tokenisms. There is either adhan playing in the background, or some action taking place next to a mosque, or somebody sporting a full-faced beard. 
What stands out in New York is the neutrality of the ‘Islamic’ image — this is probably a first in a Bollywood movie. Both actors (John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh) play Muslims. None of them wear their religion on their sleeves; throughout the movie, there is not a single scene — or sentence — that evokes any strain of religiosity, except when they are picked up by the cops for being Muslims.

The leading lady, Maya (played by Katrina Kaif), is half-American, half-Indian. Her surname is not mentioned; she could belong to any community — and it’s not even relevant in the friendship that she shares with the two Muslim men, one of who she eventually gets married to.

Many media reports had been speculating if New York is about US-bashing. Is it? No, it’s not, though at times it would seem so — particularly the prison torture scenes, and in the way the FBI (and the hapless senior officer) has been projected.

The final verdict is loud and clear: the US is doing what it takes to fortify itself against terrorism. Again, in a departure from tradition, the film adopts an incredibly rational tone while justifying American interests. And it ends with a caption applauding Barack Obama’s decision to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Significantly, the friends I went to watch New York with had returned from New York last week, after a 15-day-
long vacation in the US. “I won’t 
want to sound presumptuous,” one of them remarked thoughtfully after the movie ended.

“But this time, I felt a distinct easing off of tension in the US; things just seemed far more settled... Maybe I imagined it... Anyhow, I really 
believe Obama’s presidency is taking the right steps towards busting 
the Ugly America [spawned since 
9/11] myth.”

It felt rather nice to suddenly associate hardcore Bollywood with developments on the international stage.

Sushmita Bose is Features Editor, 
Khaleej Times. She may be reached at: sushmita@khaleejtimes.com