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Film screening : Midnight's children and The Reluctant Fundamentalist with postcolonial perpative.

When we talk about the literature one of the best way to learn it is movies. Because movies are not just for entertainment but we see that it also best preserver of time and history. Movie shows us that what type of practice are there is society when they released. The movie which are made from any written work of Literature allow that work to reach to more people. Because the people who are illiterate as well as don't like to read much they can come to know that thing from Movie. 

Here we see that the movie Midnight's children is made from Salman Rashdi's book Midnight's children. And the Movie The Reluctant Fundamentalist is shows us the practice of the time as well as the mindset of particular people who lives in that region.

1. Midnight's children : 

The Movie is a Canadian- British adaptation of the Novel  The Midnight's children written by the Salman Rashdi

As I mention that the movie is adaptation of Novel so let me first give some basic information about the Novel. The Novel is published in 1981.   It deals with India's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of British India. It is considered an example of postcolonialpostmodern, and magical realist Literature The Novel has not only win the Booker Price but also win the Booker of Booker Price also.

After this basic information here is my review of movie from postcolonial perceptive. When the movie begin we found that the narrator of the story is Saleem Sinai who is also protagonist of the movie. 


The movie shows the eight decade journey. When the movie begin the year was 1917 and when the movie ends we see that year was  1997.  The story is also of three generations. The story is began with the grandfather of Saleem. The story is began from the Kashmir the India is also began from the India. So here symbolism is also import. In the movie we see Kashmir become.e the place where his grandfather married his grandmother.

As Salman Rashdi has said in his essay that Saleem's vision is fragmentary and  Mera Juta hai japani song can be Saleem's theme song so We found that thing by it's narration that he visited four to five place yet he doesn't have feeling of Nostalgic. This visit is become his life that thing we can see in movie very well that. Though he visited this many place there is some kind of certainty in his life.

We see that after Kashmir the narration went to Agra. The remarkable thing here is that Agra is famous for Tag Mehal but in movie they shows more street then Tag Mehal. This showing of street is against the idea of meta narrative. We see  Here in Agra Saleem's mother Mumtaz has married to his first husband Nadir Khan.  Further in this part we found that he gave divorce to Mumtaz. In this seen We also found symbolism. That by mistake Mumtaz's sister broke the small Tag Mehal. This symbolically reperstation of  that one person dream are going to brake so that others can be fulfilled.

Further we see that Mumtaz marry to Saleem's father whose name is Ahmad Sinai. He letter on give Mumtaz new name Amina. This new name is also considered for new beginning or also for be new Identity.

By this We see that narration change to Mumbai. This is the place which change two persons life. That is Saleem and Shiva. Because we see that nurse Marry change two two child. The child of the Vanita is change with the Amina. 

Marry change the child because in her mind there is saying by Joe who is his boyfriend. That we must make poor Rich and Rich poor. Here we see the Marxist mentality. We see that there are some people who believe that after freedom Rich will remain rich but poor will pay for this. So this thing stirred here. 

This seen has also other way that film' s beginning is also from this tough the full sewn is not shown here but still the fireworks are shown. 

There is also satire on the idea of wrong number. That was the time of landlines so if people don't want to that other family members come to about something that is on phone then they used to say that wrong number.

Mumbai is the place where Saleem come to know about the magical Power he has.  He has the Power that he can call all the children who born on that midnight of freedom. 

But before he explore his full power he was sent to Rawalpindi Pakistan. Here he lives for some year. This is the place where he need his midnight children most because he was alone there. 

The dining table seen is satire on Pakistan. That they feel that to grabs India is that easy. But this scene shows the courage in Saleem that he is kind of child who is ready to face anything.

In the Karachi year 1964 he come to know about his birth truth which he share with one of his Midnight's children friend that is Parvati. Who is a which. By the character of her we come to know about Magic realism in India. She is the friend with whose help Saleem come to India; Delhi. His coming to Delhi is also part of Magic realism. 

The one more thing to remarkable is the name of the character. That Parvati and shive are couple according to hindu religion. But in the movie Parvati loves Saleem. That can be problematics for religious person. So here question is that did Salman Rashdi made concious attempt to attack on religion. Does he want to convey the massage that we must look humanity in human not his or her religion.

In Delhi We also found The Meta narrative. In Delhi we see the slam area near Jahma maschid.  Delhi is the place where we found the picture of two different India together. 
  1. The scientific India with nuclear test.
  2. The India who still believe in Magic with help of the characters if Parvati.
Then the  phase of Emergency is shown. As Salman Rashdi wrote in his essay Imaginary Homeland that writers and politicians are natural rivals here he criticized the Indira Gandhi Who was current priminster of that time. There is also idea of horoscope is shown in the Movie. That if person like priminster believe in such a faith then why about the cilivin. 

There is also dialogue like India is priminster and priminster is India. This type of dialogue shows that if you say something against priminster you will become anti Indian and can also be punished. 


When we see the address to the Nation scene in that we found three is written 0 year of democracy the number which is before 0 is in the black part so that was not visible. This is also symbol that this kind of act will take India bake to the time of freedom. All its growth can be ruined.

The movie ends in Bombay 1997. We see again in the end there was birthday of Saleem and there is fireworks. So this end can be questioned that will this journey of India which we show with symantaneously with the journey of Saleem is began again. Because the journey we show of this much decade was also began from that same seen. Does this end shows that by having a round we again come in the situation from where we began. As we have saying that history repeats itself. 

2. Reluctant Fundamentalism : 



The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a 2012 political thriller drama film based on the 2007 novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. The film won "Centenary Award" at the 43rd International Film Festival of India held in Goa. 

When we talk about the movie we see it is frame narration. We found the story with in story. It is political Spence thriller.  The main character Changez Khan is narrator. 

Changez was belong form Nawabi family. But we we  that at the time when he was pushing his car at that time he say that now new nawabs are coming. That is indication that now who have money who belong from corporate world are new Nawabs.

In the very beginning we found there is criticism of India. When her sister say that she was a bond girl and they watching her on TV at that time his father say that if you want to do all this then you go to India. She was in TV doing things like overacting. According to him drama is natural in India. 

We found that in America he was study on scholarship. So when he went for interview  at that time the CEO of the company asked are you got the scholarship. That thing hurt him because it is question on his dignity.  He also further in movie remarks during his class that they allow you to study, work , living there. But when there is time come they also remind you that you are living on there beneficence

The other thing we see in the movie that he was reach height of his success at that time the case of 9/11 happen. This is the changing point for the life of Changez. After this he was mentally torched by the people who are around him. 

After this we see that when they were on airport the CIA officer come and take him with them. Here in this movie The way of reaction is important. We see that Changez has very calm reaction. This reaction We found in contrast with the movie The New York. In the movie when they take hero for investigation he was shouting even the torched shown in the movie is quite unbelievable. No loud reaction shows the realistic things.

Now we see that post 9/11 Changez life takes turn and Now he is paying for things which he has not done. He is paying for being the part of one identity.  

He also objectified by Erica whom he love. She used him as object for her photography project. In project she wrote I was once with an Pakistani. This also happen after 9/11. So this also become one part where he Morley feels inferior then American.

In this we can also question the love of Erica that her love is not true. That this all is just to show so she can easily make project in that.

After this feeling of inferiority  and humiliation he deiced to return Pakistan and takes the job of proffers. We found that one leader of terrorist group come and asked him to be part of this.

This scene is remarkable because he said they want educated face. But Changez refused. This shows that he is truly educated. Because the person who is true educated will never support the this kind of activities.

There is also one more seen in movie when he was doing his job he went to Israel when he met his client there he say that my father is also poet. That time that client say that you must feel same because you are working here. This shows contacts between two world of corporate and humanities.

This whole story of Changez life and his journey We come to know when he says to journalist Bobby and that is the reason that this story become frame narration. 

The movie become more interesting and realistic because it has no loud reaction, the concept of dignity is not only applying to Pakistani but any of the Asian. This feeling is same for any Asian.

The exaggeration of the feeling we found in movie like New York.  There is also not any unrealistic idea to show Nation superior the way we found the idea in Namste London where Akshay Kumar try to show superiority by the cultural difference. This are some other reason that why this movie is more appealing to literary person.

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