Movie Review of The Reluctant Fundamentalist

A Mira Nair Film, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" - Movie Review

      

This blog is part of my classroom activity of Postcolonial Studies: Film Screening: The Reluctant Fundamentalist on 19 September, 2017.

Here is the blog of given task: Click Here 

                          

          This is 2012 political thriller drama film based on 2007 novel, ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’  by Mohsin Hamid, movie directed by Mira Nair, and screen play by William Wheeler , starring Riz Ahmedad and Kate Hudson in lead. This movie is post 9/11 story about the impact of the Al Qaeda attacks on one Pakistani man and his treatment by Americans in reaction to them.(Wikipedia)

           

         Historical events are as canvas like American Dream and 9/11 attack. Techniques like monologue and Frame narrative. One frame is that Journalist and CIA Agent, Boby Linkon is taking Interview of Changez Khan throughout the whole movie. Film starts in Lahore ,Pakistan 2011, introducing with Urdu Literature through function of Qawaali in family of Changez Khan and parallel on other side American colleague Prof. Anse Rainier of Changez Khan in Lahore University has kidnapped. Story of the film is unfolded through flashback technique, told by protagonist and narrator Changez Khan about his struggling past journey in New York (America) because of his identity as Muslim. Idea of Racism is portrayed through dialogue “Looks are Deceiving” which reflects the post colonial aspect of Racism.  Changez Khan was judged by his appearance in so-called equality presented by America.

         

           The film is also known as “Dreams are lost in the melting pot”.   We can see the whole story through flashback technique that everything is going well until the attack on World Trade Center. After this event the life of protagonist Changez Khan (Pakistani) is totally changed that everyone see him as a terrorist only because of his identity as a Muslim. This one attack change his whole life that he insulted a lot, lost his job, visa and returned to Lahore. Then, he start to think about his own land that he says,

"When I was there I have American dreams          
  but now you will help me to create Pakistani dreams"

              He also started this by giving education to students because he knows the power of pen than weapons. He begin to live in present than dream which he has seen in America to make his career. His dream shattered because of his identity and appearance as a Muslim which shows the colonialism is still present in subconscious mind of people in one way or other. The feelings of being ‘Other’ in America became stronger foe Changez when he started keeping beard which make other people sure to blame him as terrorist. So here how outer appearance became controversial this is very effectively present in a movie ‘PK’ , when PK want to prove that all humans are same by presenting the people from different religion and change their outer appearance and ask that saint to identify religious identity of person. This scene became very effective and significant that through outer appearance we can’t identify the real nature of human beings but we have to understand everyone, it is not necessary that all people from same community are similar, some are different.

       Movie has used very significant music and songs according to situations. From  the beginning, during the kidnapping of Prof. Rainier there was loud Sufi music going on parallel. 

हे कंगना हे कंगना हे कंगना हे कंगना

हे कंगना हे कंगना कंगना कंगना

During the meeting of Changez and Erica, there was romantic lyrics like “I want you". When Changez was upset for the mistreatment that he got from America and he come back to Lahore for his sister's marriage and discussion was going on between his father and him  about business  with background song , 

"you say things to burn heart, yet I am smiling”.

 when he left his job, there was contradictions in his mind and he tired of all this and come back his homeland, on the way he pray to God that

मोरी अरज सुनो, दस्तगीर पीर
मोरी अरज सुनो, मोरी अरज सुनो

चंगा शाह बनाई रब सोनिया
पौले खान्दया वार ना औंदी ये
मेनू शाही नाइ चाही दी रब सोनिया
मैं ता इज्ज़त दा टुक्कर मंग्दिया

“Hear me! O Lord, A fine King You made, 

                           I don’t want this kingdom, 

                                    I want the grain of respect” 

        We are introduced to an interesting word ‘Janissaries’ which is used in an ironically here to show how western people use others against their own nation. During the discussion between Changez and his father we can see the clash between literature and capitalism. His father was Urdu Poet for that his pride grow when he come to know that his father’s books have read by western people.  But was much interested in business.

      The end of the film is very significant that when Changez was not involved in the case of kidnapping but Boby misunderstood it and killed Samir, assistant of Changez but after knowing the truth Boby regrets for his crime. This give deep message of humanity that before being anyone, we all are humans and humanity is our religion. The film is worth watching with the perspective of post colonialism, terrorism & literature, terrorism as business and racism still present in mind of people. The whole texture of the film including use of Urdu language , Sufi music, costume etc is very powerful to create an effect of whole movie on the mind of the audiences.

Hope this will help you to understand this film in a post colonial way.

Thank you ,