9th Sept 2018, Department of English has organized the movie screening of 'Midnight's Children' which is based on Salman Rushdie's Novel, Directed by Deepa Mehta, and second movie was 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', which is based on Mohsin Hamid's Novel, directed by Mira Nair.
1) Midnight's Children
'The iconic masterpiece of India that introduced the world to “a glittering novelist one with startling imaginative and intellectual resources, a master of perpetual storytelling”'
(The New Yorker)
"Midnight's children" is the famous novel of Salman Rushdie. It is published in 1981. Midnight's Children, Novel deals with the Indian's transition from British colonialism to independence and the partition of British India. Today this novel has considered as example of Post colonial Literature. The story is told by chief protagonist Saleem Sinai, and is set in the context of actual historical events. The style of preserving history with fictional accounts is self-reflexive.
In the first scene of the Novel, Salman described the class conflict of the India, The Hindu and Muslim. How the children has changed in the Hospital. In this Novel Siva and Saleem have changed in Hospital. Saleem is the Hindu's child and the Siva is the Muslim child. but some how they grow with different culture. Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people–a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight’ s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time.
Magic realism is an essential feature of 20th century's English novel. The word " magic" and "realism" are controversial. They seem to unable of combining with each other. Realism refers to the true stories of life which have happened. Magic is something which is related to fantasy and emotion. Magic realism is the combination of myth and reality. The elements which are magical are presented as true facts of life. In Midnight's Children a lot of historical references are dominated, so using of magic realism is a great technique to make the readers a little bit interesting, because history sometimes becomes boring. In Midnight's Children, Rushdie simply reflects the pictures of reality which he sees during the Pre and post of Indian independence. The use of magical touch in reality makes the novel different from others. That is why, it has been able to achieve a good position in the English literature.
In the first scene of the Novel, Salman described the class conflict of the India, The Hindu and Muslim. How the children has changed in the Hospital. In this Novel Siva and Saleem have changed in Hospital. Saleem is the Hindu's child and the Siva is the Muslim child. but some how they grow with different culture. Saleem Sinai is born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the very moment of India’s independence. Greeted by fireworks displays, cheering crowds, and Prime Minister Nehru himself, Saleem grows up to learn the ominous consequences of this coincidence. His every act is mirrored and magnified in events that sway the course of national affairs; his health and well-being are inextricably bound to those of his nation; his life is inseparable, at times indistinguishable, from the history of his country. Perhaps most remarkable are the telepathic powers linking him with India’s 1,000 other “midnight’s children,” all born in that initial hour and endowed with magical gifts. This novel is at once a fascinating family saga and an astonishing evocation of a vast land and its people–a brilliant incarnation of the universal human comedy. Twenty-five years after its publication, Midnight’ s Children stands apart as both an epochal work of fiction and a brilliant performance by one of the great literary voices of our time.
Magic realism is an essential feature of 20th century's English novel. The word " magic" and "realism" are controversial. They seem to unable of combining with each other. Realism refers to the true stories of life which have happened. Magic is something which is related to fantasy and emotion. Magic realism is the combination of myth and reality. The elements which are magical are presented as true facts of life. In Midnight's Children a lot of historical references are dominated, so using of magic realism is a great technique to make the readers a little bit interesting, because history sometimes becomes boring. In Midnight's Children, Rushdie simply reflects the pictures of reality which he sees during the Pre and post of Indian independence. The use of magical touch in reality makes the novel different from others. That is why, it has been able to achieve a good position in the English literature.
2) The Reluctant Fundamentalist
'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' is the Famous novel of Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid. It's like a Monologue, and it delivered by Changez Khan, he is a young financial analyst. Mira Nair has directed the movie of the Reluctant Fundamentalist. This novel portrayal of relation between east and west and the experience of subordinate diaspora in Britain and north America.It begins with kidnapping of one American, and whole plot is based on the interview of one Pakistani citizen Changez Khan, the interview was taken by Bobby Lincoln. Changez Khan is main suspect of the entire fiction. It is a frame narration, 'story within story'. Changez goes to America for doing job after completing his study. Everything was very nice until the attack, he got promotion, everyone was his friend, he had one girlfriend also, it seems like everything was so good, but after attack of 9/11 everything was charged. People were doubted on him. Even his girlfriend's behaviour was also changed.
During the attack, Changez smiles at once on destruction of building, it symbolises that unconsciously we are wanted that someone take a revenge of our harrassment. But he readily accepts that thing.As postcolonial aspect, one event was very significant, at the airport he has been checked by the cops, it raises the question on his dignity. During all these things he remained silent, but after that he decided to return Pakistan, we can say how he frustrated.
Thus the movie represents that how the American or the other countries has feared for the terrorism. American known for giving opportunity to others, also known as Salad Bowl, but here we need to think that, it actually right or not. In 'New York', which directed by Kabir Khan, it has same aspects of like this movie. John Abraham, played role of Muslim and suffering same kind of harrassment. It has many points of postcolonial study.
