Bollywood star to begin filming new role as a person with Asperger's

From the Rediff India Abroad Web site:

Even as the music of Dostana releases worldwide comes the news that the shooting for Shah Rukh Khan (pictured)-starrer, "My Name Is Khan," will begin on December 15 in Los Angeles. In his latest blog update, [the film's director] Karan Johar wrote that SRK's character suffers from Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning Autism) in the film.

'The message that runs right through the film is in strong support of humanity, which at the end of the day is the only way to rise above any of the cultural or religious differences that continue to engulf us," Karan Johar wrote.

"My Name is Khan" is based on a life of a Muslim couple, who face discrimination after the 9/11 attack because of their religion. The film also stars Kajol.

Johar will tackle such a subject for the first time in his career.

'To say, I am nervous is still understating my state of mind because there are some moments in the day where I do feel extremely incapable of handling this complex film. But I suppose venturing into new territory and tapping into the right tone is a challenge I look forward to taking on,' Karan added on his blog.