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

Hey everyone,

While studying postcolonial literature, we saw an another interesting film on 4^th August,2016 at the Department of English, M.K.Bhavnagar University.

This blog is also a part of our academic activity.

                                         

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“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” is a political thriller film based on the 2007 novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” by Mohsin Hamid, directed by Mira Nair. It was released in 2012. The film features Riz Ahmed and Kate Hudson in lead role.

The Historical canvas of this film is the American Dream and 9/11 attack. This film deals with Capital Fundamentalist and Jihadi fundamentalist in a parallel way. Techniques used in this film are Monologue and Frame story. The event in the film was unfolded by using Flashback Technique.

The plot begins with the kidnapping of Anse Rainier, an American professor at Lahore University. After which an American Journalist Bobby Lincoln, a CIA agent comes to interview the protagonist Changez Khan, a colleague of Rainier and a suspect seemed to be involved in the kidnapping. The interview starts with the story of Changez khan and his miserable journey at a small café in Lahore.

We see the story in flashback, but as this film has used Frame story, one frame deals with the past events and the meanwhile going events in Lahore Café is also shown.

The film begins and ends with a dialogue having a deep idea of racism.

                                             “Looks are deceiving”

 This dialogue itself reflects Postcolonial aspect of racism. Most of the time people are judged according to their look, but looks deceives people. In this film, Changez is very much impressed by the American dream and went there to build his career, but he is deceived by the look of so-called equality presented by America. After 9/11, this illusion of American equality breaks down. Suddenly everything changes. His friends, police, American citizens and everyone starts looking at him as if he is a terrorist. He is judged by his appearance.

One if his dialogue was: -

                            “Why do you think I would know?”

It can be compared with Edward Said’s personal experience shared in an interview taken by Sut Jhally. When here is an attack in Ottawa and people questioned him, but the same thing was said by him “How do I know?”

Bobby Lincoln also believed that Changez was involved in the kidnapping of Rainier. Somewhere we as audience also feel the same. This reflects that how our mind is also colonial in thinking.

Another Postcolonial element we see here is the Global colonization. When Changez works at the Underwood Samson, his boss Chris says,

      “We do that by focusing on fundamentalist. This is hypocrite business”

This dialogue reflects how American capitalist exploit people. Changez worked with them, but after 9/11 and specially while valuating a publishing house in Istanbul realises that his own nation wants him more rather than America. We are introduced to an interesting word in the film “Janissaries”. It is used in an ironical way in this film, to show how western people use others against their own nation.

The end of love affair of Changez and Erica reflects the idea of defining something. When we define something/someone, you reduce them to an objective level. That is a postcolonial idea how thing and people are labelled. 

Another can also be highlighted here. Post colonialism questions everything. This story is narrated from the viewpoint of Changez so we can’t totally rely on it.The dialogue between Changez’s father and Changez reflects how literature is anti-capital and on the side of humanity. Changez’s father was an Urdu poet.

Changez was living American Dream but after the mistreatment he returns home. Changez was asked to be Mujahid and after the treatment received in America he was quite ready but the word “Fundamental truths of Quran” changes his mind.

There is no difference in any fundamentalist, it just colonizes people and controls them. And if you are reluctant for any of the fundamentalist, life becomes a threat.

The movie ends with a simple and deep message of humanity. Before being anyone, we are humans and humanity is our religion. 

One of the breath-taking dialogues spoken by Changez to Bobby:-

                “I am Muslim,

                  I am angry with the acts done by your country, but

                  Other than that I am SOMEONE”.

Other than that we all are Humans.

The Sufi music and use of Urdu language give a beautiful texture to this film. The film leaves us thinking. Some part of the movie can be compared with the Bollywood movies like “New York”, “My Name is khan” and “Buddha in Traffic Jam” etc.

It is worth watching film especially for youngsters.

Must Watch!!!

Hope you will enjoy the movie as well as reading this blog.

Thank you...