The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-5-0
Post Colonialism and Hindi movies Megha Trivedi Master of Arts ( English Literature ) MK Bhavnagar University Email Id – [email protected], Mobil Number – 9408524037 As per Oxford Dictionary, it is a theoretical approach in various disciplines that is concerned with the lasting impact of colonization in former colonies. ‗Post colonialism continues to unite historians and literary scholar‘. (htt1) Post colonial studies is very vast field and this term is the subject of an ongoing debate, because it is connected with the decline of colonialism and colonial identity. Through this study we can identify the effects of colonialism on culture and society, especially on ―Third world‖ countries by a European nation. Postcolonial identity is connected and depended on „Hybridity‟. They struggle a lot for their rights. Under this theory many theorists gave their views regarding this, for example- Edward Said, Homibhabha, Gayatri Spivak, Salman Rushdie, etc. These aspects are represented in Hindi Film in a good way. The study focuses on these films - Lagaan , Rang De Basanti, English Vinglish, Queen. Through the help of this ‗lens‘ we can find that how movies worked on this kind of subject and portraying which is very well interwoven with cultural, political and literary perspective. Through these movie we can identify that how human subconscious mind works toward the black and white people, because our minds are conditioning. That‘s why the Postcolonial studies are already outdated but still even more necessary, because still when we look from the margin, we find that „Whole World is postcolonial‟. Key words – Post colonialism, Lagaan, Rang de basanti, English Vinglish, Queen. The word Colonialism, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, comes from the Roman 'Colonia' which meant ' farm' or ' settlement', and referred to Roman who settled in other lands but still retained their citizenship (Loomba). Colonialism involves unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous peoples. Timing of the colonial period was 16th to mid 20th century, during this time European powers came on rule and they established their colonies in Asia, Africa and America through mercantilism. (www.wikipedia.com) To understand the colonial effects in more deeper way the term ‗Post colonialism‘ is very worth to know. Post means after colonialism, so from 1970s the term has been used by literary critics to discuss the various cultural effects of colonization on cultures and societies (Bill ashcroft). Because post colonialism theory is a tool, through this we can find out the loose point and we can study it very well. Postcolonial theory is outdated but now has an even more necessary role to play in making these links visible in the contemporary time. Because our mindset are still colonial and that‘s why one or another way we continuously sing a song of white person or the white world and we feel privileged. Here is a study of Hindi movies in which postcolonial themes and concepts are presented well. Generally, shooting of the most of the movies is done in the foreign country of white people rather than African country. For example, most of the bollywood movies shoot in the foreign country of whites than Africans which may misinterpret the image of India to the people who don‘t know anything about India. ( 1 ) Queen : - Queen is 2014 Indian comedy – drama film directed by Vikas Bahl. Kangana Ranaut ( Rani ) played a lead role and Rajkumar Rao ( Vijay ) is playing supporting role. (www.wikipedia.com) Rani, an under confident Punjabi girl from Rajouri, Delhi, her fiancé
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The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-5-0
denies to marry her, before two days of marriage, because she is very simple girl. On the other side she had dream that she will go to Paris and Amsterdam for her honeymoon. But after breaking her marriage she decided to go Paris for honeymoon by herself. She went for Banker and said that,
यानी - जफ भै १७ सार की थी ना तफसे भेया ड्रीभ है की भै अऩनी पेवयेट जगा जाऊ हनीभून के लरए .
फℂकय - गोवा
यानी - नई, पॉयेन कंट्री , ऩेरयस, ऩेरयस भेयी पेवयेट जगा है . औय उनकी एम्स्ट셍डभ . (Kangana Ranaut) So, we all have a dream to visit foreign countries, not any African country, it shows our inner desire for the white world. When she reaches, Paris, she meets one girl named Vijaylaxmi. Vijaylaxmi : Where are you from? Pakistani? Rani : No I am from Rajouri, India. (Kangana Ranaut) It shows our fear when we think about Pakistani or Muslims. It is called „Islamophobia‟. Muslims are regarded as people who can never successfully assimilate into Western societies, or who are culturally conditioned to be violent. Recently China declared that don‘t use anti- Muslims words on social media. (Loomba) Vijaylaxmi introduces herself that –I am a mix Hindi, French, Spanish. Mother French Spanish, father Hindi. (Kangana Ranaut) The character of Vijaylaxmi is represented as a Mulatto. Mulatto is a term specifically of one white and one black parent and those child born are known as Mulatto identity. Vijaylaxmi also had one white baby boy named Riky, he came from her boyfriend not from her husband and she is a single parent. So it symbolically represents the crave for white life partner.
दादी : वहा कोई गोया भ ं셍ा स ं셍ा ही लभर जामे. (Kangana Ranaut) It has pointed out our deep desire to choose a white groom. This point Frantz Fanon also said in his work „Black Skin White Mask‟. When Rani is roaming around the Eiffel tower at that time she is frightened from the black person, because this black man‘s identity is portrayed in a very frightfull way. He sells little Eiffel towers. Time and again this frame, works in a different way. In hotel, she sleeps outside and one black man came to just inform her that sleep inside and at that time she is frightened and shouting , at that time other two persons came to protect her. So it is “Xenophobia”, means fear of the unfamiliar, but here, not from the white persons but fear only from the black man. Rani also permits this Oleksander ( white man ) to stay with her in room and not the other two named Taka from Japan and Jerry from French. So it‘s shows that she had trust only of that white man and not any other. During the cooking competition this black man tries to help her but she is frightened and hides herself behind the white man. So it shows Racial discrimination. This black man, portrayed as beggar, he played piano, sings a song and earns money, so it is the misinterpretation of African identities. So here one question arises that, ―Are human being essentially the same or different?”
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The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-5-0
And all the problems of Rani are solved in the Paris and Amsterdam not in India, movie portrays their culture so good, even the characters like Rukshar and Vijaylaxmi. ( 2 ) Rang De Basanti : Rang De Basanti is a 2006 Indian Drama film written, produced and directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The literal meaning of the title can be translated as ‗Paint me with the colors of the spring‘. The story is about British documentary filmmaker who is determined to make a film on Indian freedom fighters, based on a diary entries by her grandfather, former officer in Indian Imperial police. It‘s like a play within a play narration, and a framed narrative, artistically edited in black and white sequences of history and present situation. They don‘t take it seriously but after experiencing that emotion and feeling of patriotism by living in rural Punjab, acting became more effective and lively. Rang De Basanti celebrated violent path and the Gandhian path breakers like Azad Bhagat Singh, Bismil Khan and Durgadevi. (Shahedapuri) The film is rich for both colonial as well as post colonial critics to unearth the meanings. Somehow, it seems that the colonial hangover is more powerfully captured than post colonial awareness. When we look at this film as postcolonial way we find some interesting things but for that we have to open our eyes and think critically, then and then we can observe at micro level. In the movie, when British female protagonist came on Indian airport, at that time how Indian people gathered to meet her with excitement, it shows Indian mindset and the impact of white person on our mind. There are two point of views to look this movie Outsider and Insider. When outsider sees the act of bribe, it‘s illegal for them, but in India, it becomes normal for us. This scene is very well shown in movie and how Sue reacts on it, camera also focused that well.
Sue : इन रोगो ने जान दी थी आज़ादी के लरए त म्सहाये देश कक. (Mehra) This dialogue represents that these Indian characters don‘t know anything or they don‘t focus on their own country, she comes and she tries to awaken them for freedom and patriotism. Without her they can‘t.
Sue : अऩनी ट्रेड셍शन का सम्सभान कयना ही चाहहए. (Mehra) This is outsider‘s view towards the India. When Dj and Pande fight, at that time, Sue tries to solve it, patch up them so Postcolonial theory said that why white people are required for patch up? ( 3 ) English Vinglish : English Vinglish is a 2012 Indian comedy – drama film, written and directed by Gauri shinde. (www.wikipedi.com) The central character of this film is Shashi Godbole, she is a house wife and she makes ladoo and sells than. But she don‘t know English, that‘s why her own husband and children make fun of her time and again. Then she went to New York to attend marriage of her sister Manu‘s daughter. At that time, their excitement visit New York, represents inner desire to visit white world, not African countries. When Shashi travels in aero plane, at that time Amitabh is besides her and very satiricalles, he speakes that ―only one channel is Hindi, fifty‘s are English‖. Then she joins English class to learn English, at that time many other persons also came to learn English from Pakistan, Madras, Paris etc. So in this class, one black man is also there but from starting point he present well through camera work and very silent. This black man sits alone always in class in one corner, that‘s how he is portrayed . All the students talked to each other or introduced also, at that time he don‘t speak. But his silence speaks a lot more than words.
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The Journey of Indian Languages: Perpectives on Culture and Society ISBN : 978-81-938282-5-0
Ramamurthy : Khadoos fellow (devi) People use this kind of label for black man. Another black person is portrayed as a watchman on station, so how this Black identity is used in movies, that is the big question specially in European world. Once, all the classmates seat in a circle and talked about their sir and that time camera focuses on this black man behind the circle, and this frame is symbolically represented. This black man is portrayed as a gay. At the end he speaks about himself at that time all are surprised and Rama said: He talks also! (devi) Racism is there. In ‗ Imaginary Homelands‟ Salman Rushdie also wrote on racist discrimination in his essay “ The Empire within Britain” that “ I want to suggest that racism is not a side-issue in contemporary Britain; that it‟s not a peripheral minority affair. I believe that Britain is undergoing a critical phase of its post- colonial period, and this crisis is not simply economic or political. It‟s crisis of the whole culture, of the society‟s entire sense of itself. And racism is only the most clearly visible part of this crisis, the tip of the kind of iceberg that sinks ships”. (Rushdie) (4) Lagaan : Lagaan is a 2001 Indian epic sports drama film, written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. (www.wikipedia.com).When we look at post colonial perspective, at that time we find that why people gave much importance only to Cricket game, not any other, specially in India, and why we need white man for ‗patch up‘ still today. In this movie also, various identities are represented, how shouring how white man ruled over Indian people. So, through these movies we can conclude that now we are free, but still our minds are colonized. White men not only ruled physically, but they still rule on us mentally. These all are movies made by Indian directors, though they put black identity or colonial people in margin. And they concentrate on this scene twice or thirice. Their cultures present well not only Asian or African country they used, these movies present the “Sandwich identity”. Works Cited
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