Thinking Activity: Postcolonial theory and Bollywood movies

Watching movies for entertainment and watching movies for study purposes is a very different task. Because the way we are watching it indicates our thinking ability to see any particular matter. So in this blog I'm going to discuss postcolonialism in two Bollywood movies. The first is "Lagaan" and the second is "Rang De Basanti". So let's discuss about it. 

Lagaan

Lagaan is a 2001 Indian epic sports drama film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. (www.wikipedia.com).When we look at from post colonial perspective at that time we find that why people gave much important only Cricket game not any other specially in India, and why we need white man for patch up still today. In this movie also various identity represents. How white man ruled over Indian people.

Storyline

This is the story about the resilience shown by the Indians when they were under the British Rule. They are already taxed to the bone by the British and their cronies, but when Jack Russell announces that he will double the Lagaan (tax) from all villagers, they decide to oppose it. Leading the villagers is a handsome young man named Bhuvan, who challenges them to a game of cricket, a game that is to be played by veteran British cricket players, versus villagers, including Bhuvan himself, who have never played this game before, and do not even know a bat from a piece of wood. As the challenge is accepted, the interest grows and attracts Indians from all over the region, as well as the British from all over the country - as everyone gathers to see the 'fair play' that the British will display against their counter-parts, who are aided by none other than the sister, Elizabeth, of Captain Rusell.

 

Postcolonial study of the film :-

 

When we look at from post colonial perspective at that time we find that why people gave much important only Cricket game not any other specially in India, and why we need white man for patch up still today. In this movie also various identity represents. How white man ruled over Indian people.

Through these movie we can conclude that now we are free, but still our mind are colonizes. White men not ruled physically but they still ruled on us mentally. These all movies made by Indian directors but though how they put black identity or colonial people in margin. And they concentrate on this scene twice or thirst. Their cultures present well not any Asian or African country they used.

The other thing which is pivotal is the character of Lakha and the character of Elizabeth. We can think that we all are good and all Britishers are bad. But it is not so, because there are some good people and things in Britishers and there are bad people and things in Indians also. Like Lakha, he helped the Britishers because he was jealous of Bhuvan.

Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language drama film written, produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and co-written by Rensil D'Silva. The film follows a British film student traveling to India to document the story of five freedom fighters of the Indian revolutionary movement. She befriends and casts five young men in the film, which inspires them. to fight against the corruption of their own government. It features an ensemble cast consisting of Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Atul Kulkarni, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and British actress Alice Patten. 

Postcolonial study in the movie 

The story is about British documentary filmmaker who is determine to make film on Indian freedom fighters based on a diary entries by her grandfather, former officer in Indian Imperial police.

When we look at this film as postcolonial way we find some interesting things.In the movie when British female protagonist She came on Indian airport at that time how Indian people gathered to meet her with excitement, so it’s shows the impact of white person on our mind.

When outsider sees the act of bribe it’s illegal for them but in India, it become normal for us. This scene very well shown in movie and how Sue react on it, camera also focused well.

Sue : इन लोगो ने जान दी थी आज़ादी के लिए तुम्हारे देश कि. 

This dialogue represent that these Indian characters not know anything or they don’t focus on their own country, she came and she try to awaken them for freedom and patriotism.

When Daljit and Pande fight at that time Sue try to patch up them so if we look at  Postcolonial theory it said that why white people required for patch up?why we Indian aren't able to do that?

Sue : अपनी ट्रेडिशन का सम्मान करना ही चाहिए.

The other thing is when Sue speaks Hindi, DJ is shocked, because he thinks that white people can not speak and understand Hindi. This is a single story in our mind also. We think the white people can not speak our language. 

Sunday Reading: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Once again warm welcome in my Blog. Now,I am coming with very interesting author belongs to Nigeria, Africa named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie very radical thinker. Task assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir as the part of Sunday Reading.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, (born September 15, 1977, Enugu, Nigeria), Nigerian author whose work drew extensively on the Biafran war in Nigeria during the late 1960s.

Adichie is Novelist short-story writer and Non-fiction writer. Her way to highlight the contemporary social issues in a very creative and interesting way is unique.

1.Did the first talk help you in understanding of Post colonialism?

The first talk is about the danger of a single story. Adichie explains that if we only hear about a people, place or situation from one point of view, we risk accepting one experience as the whole truth.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "The Danger of a Single Story" Ted Talk, in July 2009, explores the negative influences that a “single story” can have and identifies the root of these stories. Adichie argues that single stories often originate from simple misunderstandings or one’s lack of knowledge of others, but that these stories can also have a malicious intent to suppress other groups of people due to prejudice (Adichie). People, especially in their childhood, are “impressionable and vulnerable” when it comes to single stories (Adichie 01:43). Adichie asserts that media and literature available to the public often only tell one story, which causes people to generalize and make assumptions about groups of people

Adichie shares two primary examples to discuss why generalizations are made. Reflecting on her everyday life, she recalls a time where her college roommate had a “default position” of “well-meaning pity” towards her due to the misconception that everyone from Africa comes from a poor, struggling background (04:49). Adichie also clearly faults herself for also being influenced by the “single story” epidemic, showing that she made the same mistake as many others. Due to the strong media coverage on Mexican immigration she “had bought into the single story”, automatically associating all Mexicans with immigration (Adichie 08:53). These anecdotes emphasize how stereotypes are formed due to incomplete information, but one story should not define a group of people.

Adichie also tackles the effect of political and cultural power on stories. Power not only spreads a story, but also makes its ideas persist. Adichie states that power can be used for malintent, through controlling “how [stories] are told, who tells them, when they're told, [and] how many stories are told” (09:25). Using power to manipulate our understanding of others can be evidenced by Adichie’s trip to Mexico, where she realized Mexicans were not the harmful Americans Western media had portrayed them to be. Additionally, influential western stories have caused people like Adichie to have a limited idea of characters that appear in literature, since foreigners were not part of them. This is why the first stories Adichie had written included white characters playing in the snow rather than things reflective of her life in Africa (Adichie 00:39). Adichie explains how she became enlightened through “the discovery of African writers”, which “saved [her] from having a single story of what books are” and becoming another victim of a biased sample of literature (02:36).

Adichie puts her speech in a nutshell stating that “to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become” (09:25). Her conclusion responds to these misconceptions by reiterating the importance of spreading diverse stories in opposition to focusing on just one. She professes that the rejection of the single story phenomenon allows one to “regain a kind of paradise” and see people as more than just one incomplete idea (Adichie 18:17).

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” TEDGlobal, TED, 23 July

2009, Oxford, UK. Speech.

2.Are the argument in second talk convincing?

Adichie's TED Talk argues that "feminist" isn't a bad word and that everyone should be feminist. She begins with a brief anecdote about her friend Okoloma, with whom she grew up. Okoloma was a great thinker and enjoyed debating Adichie about anything and everything. One day, during a heated debate, he called Adichie a "feminist." She didn't know what the word meant at the time, but understood that it wasn't a compliment. In fact, Okoloma was criticizing her. She never forgot this incident.

Adichie recalls a male friend in her home country of Nigeria calling her a "feminist," clearly meaning it as an insult.

Adichie then focuses on the wage gap and the gendered nature of economic power. In Nigeria, for instance, it's assumed that any woman with money has gotten that money from a man.

Adichie concludes by saying that people do a great disservice to both men and women by teaching them to adhere to strict gender roles.

3.What did you like about the third talk?

We are living in the world of 21st century. Post-modern era in which people are highly sophisticated and love to do Showoff and also putting down their moral values. So, Chimamanda said that telling lies is telling lies to yourself. Making betrayal with self. To get peace, to live happily, to sleep calmly say truth to self as well people also. For that one should be courageous enough to resist and to protest. She said…

" Be courageous enough to accept your life as messy, your life is not always perfectly matching to your ideology."

To do something unforgettable or valuable there is need of Self Doubt and Self Belief. Without Self doubt you become complacent and without self belief you cannot succeed. There is a very nice reference poem by Mary Oliver is also given which…

Whoever you are 

No matter how lonely

The world offers itself to your imagination.

So, to be true to self and faithful to self is more important in the world of post-truth era. 

"Whenever you wake-up

That is your morning, what matters is you wake up.

So, It is very interesting to know about Chimamanda African author with voice of Marginalized people. Presenting very new and fresh thought about feminism and importance of truth in post-truth era. 

Thinking Activity: Shashi Tharoor and Dark Era of Inglorious Empire

Here is my blog, thinking Activity given by Prof. Dilip Barad about Shashi Tharoor, to ponder some of the attractive ideas from his speech and also make critique on his work An Era of Darkness.

1. Write on key arguments in Shashi Tharoor's book - " An Era of Darkness".

● His speeches videos are :- 

1. Speech at Oxford Union.

2. Looking back at the British Raj in India: The University of  Edinburgh.

3. Exclusive interview by Karan Thapar On His book  "An Era of Darkness."

4. About British Colonialism in India in His New Book ' An Era of Darkness'.

1. Shashi Tharoor's Stirring Speech at Oxford Union

In this video Shashi Tharoor ironically speaks against the master narrative and provides a detailed note with figures and sums regarding how the Indian Economy was severely affected by the colonialism imposed by Britain. Shashi Tharoor challenges the prime narrative and sets a postmodern outlook in his arguments. He says that ‘India was governed for the benefit of Britain’. 

The most amazing thing is that Dr. Shashi Tharoor is delivering this speech at Oxford Union in front of white people against their narrative and they are appreciating! This indeed seems so wonderful to hear. As far as my opinion is concerned, I really appreciate the views of Dr. Tharoor, as genuinely it sounds so appealing to hear someone speaking for the minor or colonized people in front of the colonizers.

“Colonialists like Robert Clive brought their rotten boroughs in England on the proceeds of their loot in India while taking the Hindi word loot into their dictionary as well as their habits. And the British had the gall to call him Clive of India as if he belonged to the country, when all he really did was to ensure that much of the country belonged to him.

By the end of 19th century, the fact is that India was already Britain's biggest cash cow, the world's biggest purchaser of British goods and exports and the source for highly paid employment for British civil servants. We literally paid for our own oppression. And as has been pointed out, the worthy British Victorian families that made their money out of the slave economy, one fifth of the elites of the wealthy class in Britain in 19th century owed their money to transporting 3 million Africans across the waters. And in fact in 1833 when slavery was abolished and what happened was a compensation of 20 million pounds was paid not as reparations to those who had lost their lives or who had suffered or been oppressed by slavery but to those who had lost their property.Dr. Tharoor further makes a quotable statement which sounds so well-

“No wonder that the sun never set on the British empire because even god couldn’t trust the English in the dark.”

The next video is on a lecture delivered by Tharoor at The University of Edinburgh

2) Looking Back at the British Raj in India: The University of Edinburgh 

At the University of Edinburgh, Tharoor gave an excellent speech on looking back at British Raj. He talked about his PhD and most importantly about the academic rigor which is must required for writing any thesis or paper. This was very relating to the students of literature, especially who are doing their graduation and post - graduation. In a nut shell, Tharoor talks about how Britishers and other colonizers looted India. All the colonizers came to this country and robbed all the useful things. India was capable enough to produce textile and steel, and in agriculture also India was producing much organic and nutritious crops. But the drawback for India was new machinery and technology was not easily accepted. Otherwise India was potent enough to rule all over the world and govern the highly prestigious culture. In some manner it can be stated that the submissiveness of Indians was also the result of this colonization. Not a single empire would have dared to enter this country if the three watch words Liberty - Equality - Fraternity were applied among the princely states and provinces of India

(3) Interview on his book "An Era of Darkness"

In this video Tharoor talks about his book An Era of Darkness. Britain transformed India from the richest country in the world to the poor country. Taxation, economy and many things were made weak. He says that how Britishers attacked the Indian economy by increasing tax. People, who were unable to pay the tax, were whipped, tortured and harassed, treated very cruelly by the Britishers. India was rich in many industries also, such as steel, textile, hand loom etc. These colonizers made Indians weak enough that Indians lost the courage to strike back, and raise the voice. By taking the advantage of this weakness, Britishers kept on looting and sucking the prosperity of India for 200 years.

(4) Another Interview on his book with Suhasini Krishnan

(5) Interview with Vishnu Varma

In the later 3 videos on the book written by Tharoor, he throws light on various aspects by attacking the British colonies and it's influence which lasted for 200 years. Indeed this book will be of a worth reading. None other than Tharoor have talked about Indian economy with such deep historical sense, and after having a close introduction to the book, if we try to write a brief critique on it, it stands as an individual talent with the parameters of T. S. Eliot's essay, Tradition and Individual Talent.

2. Write critique on both the films with reference to Postcolonial insights.

The Black Prince' is the tale of subjugation of the last Sikh king of Punjab, Maharaja Duleep Singh, the son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh directed by Kavi Raaz. The dilemma in the entire film is over identity. The identity crises, the belongingness, the religious conflicts play a very vital role in shaping the future coarse of the black prince who has been giving the throne at the age of five upon the death of the father and has been abducted by the British government at the age of fifteen.  

"What you seek is all gone now, my black Prince"

This is a chronicle surrounded over the identity and the fate of the last king of Punjab who loosens the throne and was never allowed to return. It is surrounded around the kingdom exploring relations with Queen Victoria. It is about the story lost in history and the colonial rule have never narrated it, the postcolonial way of looking to the subjects is the narration of the film. It unveils the whole new chapter of Indian History - from the prince's lost kingdom to his journey of being converted to Christianity. Hence, the narrative highlights the things and oppressions which the British have done to the subjects.