Film Review: Postcolonial Films: Midnight's Children, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, The Black Prince and Victoria & Abdul

Hello Readers !

This blog is part of postcolonial studies and it contains film reviews of films which has reference of postcolonialism. Here, four film reviews are written. It was also guided by Dr. Dilip Barad in his blog that how to write a film review. Click here for more reference. 

Four postcolonial films are reviewed here.

1. Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children

2. Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist

3. Kavi Raz's The Black Prince

4. Stephan Frears' Victoria and Abdul

To watch trailers of the films on colonial history, please click here.

1. Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children

Midnight's Children is basically a postcolonial novel written by Salman Rushdie and then adapted as a film in 2012. The film revolves around the nuances of the event of Indian Independence and the time of the independence. Through the narration of Saleem Sinai, a midnight's child, the film opens up with midnight scene a celebration of Indian Independence and at the same time, Saleem and Shiva are born. Saleem is actually the son of Willy Winky and Shiva is the son of Ahmed Sinai. But, swapping the children is the idea given by the nurse's radical and fanatic lover, who thinks that by doing so, all will be treated as equal, rich becomes poor and poor becomes rich.

Saleem is able to call all the midnight's children through some magical power of his nose. This is magic realism technique also used in the novel by Rushdie.

What is visibly seen in the film that, is a visual critique on the government's policy of implying Emergency, the idea of equality.

2. Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Click Here to read previously written review.

The film Reluctant Fundamentalist holds the event of 9/11 terrorist attack in New York. The film is based on Mohsin Hamid's novel by the same name. Riz Ahmed plays Changez Khan in the film. Being a protagonist, he finds the two different roots of fundamentals. He paves the path to success in USA. He becomes a business analyst in the firm Underwood Samson. He is determined and workaholic attitude leads him to the peak of happiness. Changez recieves a promising token from his head for the surety of the post of Managing Director. As he was happy, he turned on the television and watched the news of 9/11 attack. This incident is well framed by Mira Nair in the film. The subtlety of art of telling a shocking news in such normal and casual way gives a height to the film. The reactions of Changez was mixed. After the attack Changez is not treated the same as he was being treated before. 

It is said for America that When America sneezes, the world catches cold.

(https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/where-does-the-phrase-when-america-sneezes-the-world-catches-cold-originate/) Though the statement refers to the mixed culture of America as the country contains numerous immigrants, but with reference to this film we can see this statement as description of America's capitalist power. America's policy of globalization and open culture attracts many enthusiastic people around the world. 

3. Kavi Raz's The Black Prince

The Black Prince was the second name of Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab State in British India. Duleep Sing's father died during a war against Britishers as they conquered the Punjab State. Duleep Singh at the age of five became the ruler of Punjab state. After growing up, his religion was changed to Christian, he was sent to Queen Victoria in England. His true identity of a warrior is subjugated in England and his is not allowed to communicate with her mother who is staying in India.

4. Stephan Frears' Victoria and Abdul

This film seems an attempt of vanishing the postcolonial readings of history. An Indian servant Abdul Karim who develops accidental friendship with the Queen Victoria. The film is based on the book written by Shrabani Basu.

Thank You.

References:

The Black Prince. Directed by Kavi Raz, 2017.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Directed by Mira Nair, performances by Riz Ahmed, Kiefer Sutherland, Liev Schreiber, Om Puri, Kate Hudson, Shabana Azmi. 2012.

Midnight's Children. Directed by Deepa Mehta, performances by Satya Bhabha, Shabana
Azmi, Rahul Bose, Ronit Roy. 2012.

Victoria and Abdul. Directed by Stephen Frears, performances by Ali Fazal, Judi Dench. 2017.

Image credits:

IMDB-https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4NzY1NTQ1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTM3NTY0MjI@._V1_.jpg

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTNkZWJhNDYtZDhkZC00MGNmLWIzY2YtMDU0YmVhZjBhMDU4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjg1MjM0Njc@._V1_.jpg

https://images.hungama.com/c/1/9d4/ba2/18041603/18041603_1280x800.jpg

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzAzNjg3Mzg1Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTUzNzExOQ@@._V1_.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Midnight%27s_Children_Poster.jpg

The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Movie Review

Welcome Readers !

Fundamentals are the essential driving force of a civilized human being. Having fundamentals is like having everything clear about certain things in mind. What happens when we have everything clear about fundamentals ? Does society allow us to imply them in our life ? Film Reluctant Fundamentalist raises such question in our mind.

Film: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Director: Mira Nair

Release Year: 2012

On 12th October 2019, a screening of this film was organized at the Department of English, MKBU. But as I received the message of film screening,  I watched entire film on YouTube the day before. At first, I liked the music at the opening scene and the parallel event of the kidnaping of the professor. The kidnaping scene becomes more intense as the song goes at the climax. The song name is Kangana.

The story is about a transformation of life of the character Changez Khan. He tells the story of his experiences when he was in USA, and how his life caught up after a terrorist attack on the twin towers of World Trade Centre in New York. People's behavior changed after the attack. When he is strictly checked by the officer at the airport, he was shocked. When his friend Erica uses the word 'Pakistani' in one exhibition, and shares about their relationship in public, Changez gets furiously disappointed. Even being the lover of America he was considered as an outsider citizen.

"During his interview with Lincoln, Changez says he was approached by a terrorist cell to become a mujahid and was tempted to accept, angry and disillusioned by "the arrogance, the blindness, the hypocrisy" of the US. He refused when told about the "fundamental truths" of the Quran, echoing a phrase from Jim Cross during their first encounter, "focusing on the fundamentals." Changez explains that both Islamic fundamentalists and blind capitalists like Underwood Samson similarly simplify and exploit people for their own means." (Wikipedia)

The final dialogue of this movie is really very thought provoking. After the accidental death of his student, Changez conveys the message from the dead student's parents at the scene of cemetery.

"उन्होंने कहा है, की हमारे बेटे के लिए आंसू ना बहाना, ये दरिया आंसुओं से कबका लबरेज़ हो चुका है। उन्होंने कहा है, हमारे बेटे का इंतेकाम ना लेना, इस दरिये में बहोत खून बह चुका है। उन्होंने कहा है की किस्मत को ना कोसना, हमारा बेटा अल्लाह को प्यारा हो गया है।"

"पोंछ लो अपने आंसू, और दुआ करो एक ऐसे मुस्ताक दिन के लिए, जब ज़ामिल और ज़ादिर नहीं होंगे, हमलावर नहीं होंगे, और आओ, अपने हमसायों को साथ लेकर आओ, और ये महरताबा से जाकर कह दो... वो अपनी किरणों को गिन के रख लें, में अपने सहरा के ज़र्रे ज़र्रे को खुद चमकना सीखा रहा हूं।"

It has become one of my favorite films because screenplay, direction, music and the story has the power to hold audience till the end.

Thank You!