Movie Review: Midnight's Children - directed by Deepa Mehta

Hello Readers,

This blog is a part of my classroom activity of Postcolonial Studies: Film Screening: “Midnight's Children”.

Here is blog link of given task: 

Midnight children movie is

                                       Directed by Deepa Mehta   

                                                 Writer – Salman Rushdie                                 

                                      Screenplay by Salman Rushdie

                                      Based on Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

                                     Starring – Shabana Azmi, Ronit Roy, Shriya Saran, Satya                           

                                                        Bhabha

Here is full movie 

“Midnight’s Children” novel is by Salman Rushdie. It was published in 1981 after independence. He uses abrogation language in his novel. In the novel Salman Rushdie shows pre independence and post independence India. In the novel shows the partition of the British India. It is considered an example of postcolonial literature and magical realism.

The movie deals with such a historical event like partition of India, Birth of Bangladesh, and Emergency of 1975 by Indira Gandhi a. In the movie memory also narrated very well. Story was narrated through the perspective of narrator Saleem Sinai. He starts from the marriage of his grandfather and grandmother, and also includes his mother’s life. He and Siva both are born at stroke of 14^th August Midnight. Both are swapped by the Christian nurse named marry. Both are born when exact India becomes Independence. Both are belong to different classis, one belongs to high class and another belongs to lower class. Who were born at the 14^th august midnight, they all have some kind of magic power.  

In the movie we have see so many post colonial perspective. In which some are below.  

At the begging of the movie show the scene of Kashmir it was shows the political thing. In the movie we have see the women are marginalised by the man. Character of Vanita is exploited by British Government William Methwold. So we can say that she colonized by the man. 

When Siva and Saleem both are born at that time one Christine nurse Marry was swapped both and change the fate for their purpose. So poor become rich and rich become poor. Here Marry symbolizes for superiority of Christianity over other religions.

In the scene of school, teacher show the painting of white man William Macaulay and say that “this man who brought the civilization to savage”. It shows that India is Savage and it become civilized because of the white man. So here White man is superior and Indian people become inferior. We also read this, that the education is suffering and it depended upon the white people. 

In the movie we find hybridization of religion. For example, Saleem is belonging to Islam, Shiva belongs to Hinduism and Marry belong to Christianity. Saleem and Shiva first not knew the real truth about their life but when they known at that time Shiva get the power and Saleem become victim. Shiva become superior and Saleem become inferior. Shiva become rich and richness always shows the power, so here we can say that poor always exploited by the richer person and always become victim of something. 

In the movie also used the poster of ‘Mother India” in background when Saleem’s mother Mumtaz is going to meet her lover. It reflects the political concern of that time.    

Thank you.