THE FILM New York tells us - terrorists aren't born, they are made by circumstances – in some cases, a tyrannical ruling regime, in some cases religious fanaticism and sometimes the bitter experiences of life. These are the issues that flash through the mind as we watch the the Hindi flick New York. Though the film is undoubtedly average, it does put some questions before us. It touches on issues that we would normally hesitate to speak up about.

Just when I was about to set out for the film, a friend of mine who happens to be a pandit from Kashmir, advised me to avoid spending money on such a movie. On returning home from the movie, I tried to figure out why my friend hated that movie. Being a member of a community that has been effectively exiled from their homeland, I figured the friend had some reservations about the Muslim population as a whole. I figured that he hated the movie because he felt that it justified terror in some way.

In fact, as I watched the film, the question of justifying terror did occur to me. At first, I took a non-commital stand towards the issue. But as the movie moved on, it became clear that that suffering contempt and disgrace could not be a justification for terror. Terror in any form must be crushed with an iron fist. The film brings to our attention the difficulties faced by a whole religion (as well as race) that has been viewed with extreme suspicion after 9/11.

This Kabir Khan-directed film is yet another reminder of the fallout of the 9/11 tragedy.