Review of Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Respected sir,

The second movie is “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” directed by Mira Niar and written by Mohsin Hamid. Writer himself comes from Pakistan so depiction of history of Pakistan and it relation with U.S we find in the movie plot. The movie deals with American history and 9/11 attack here we also find politics that the impact of al -Qaida and its connection with attack on twins tower. And story revolves round around Pakistan and Changez Khan. Symbolically if we try to look at the things that Pakistan consider as terrorist country and Changez represented Muslim identity. We know that story of Changez Khan begins in the year before terrorist attacks on the world trade centre.

Here we find two locations in the film that one is Lahore and second one is New York. Political backgrounds we find in the history of both country that I like to put here, prior to attack on world trade centre. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were supporters of Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan was on the other side of the Afghan border. And as we know that at that time U.S supports Taliban, but later they take away their support. After attack happened on WTC Pakistan’s general Parvez Musharraf under pressure from the United States and he joined War Of Terror. But he fails to convience the Taliban to hand over Bin Laden and other members of AL Qaeda. Then Pakistan provides the U.S a number of military for its attack on Afghanistan. Till 2001 they caught so many Al-Qaeda members and handed them to the United States.

Movie based on different themes like ‘Identity and perception’ that journey of Changez from the beginning to the end as a Reluctant fundamentalist raises so many question about identity. We can clearly see through movie that in the beginning he feels something special because of success he got in the multinational company in the land of America. But after 9/11 this identity brings crisis in his life that he realized that he has changed he looks himself with the eyes of a foreigner and entitled them as unsympathetic American. But if we try to look at from different perspective that we find that it is not about outsider who lives in America but also for insider that lives in America. Best example of it is Erica who lives in America and a daughter of upper class family. That she is also searching for her identity- who she is after the death of Chris. Second one is ‘conflict and culture’ as we know that identity also leads culture. 9/11 attack brings culture clash. We find Culture clash between the Islamic east and christan west. Another one is ‘Power and Status’ Changez is lover of America he begins from Pakistan to Princeton. For him dream come true. For changez status is more important. Status and Power offer Changez a chance to ‘transform’ himself from an outsider to an insider. It is a sign of finding himself is an outsider in a foreign country. It comes from the feeling that his country is powerless in the world. Underwood Samson is representation of power. Despite the power of where he works, Changez, ultimately feels powerless he is angry at the weakness of Pakistan. Throughout the movie he seeks to be in the most powerful position.

When the movie begins we find Anse Rainer, an American professor at Lahore university is kidnapped. And Bobby Lincon an American journalist and another side he is a CIA informant in Pakistan, he arranges interview with his colleague Changez khan. According to him changez is suspected and involved in the kidnapping. In the café interview held and he told interviewer his background start with Pakistan and then progress in America. How he was happy with his job and position at top. And also tells that how WTC attacks takes place and ruin his life. When Changez was in Manila on business, and when he returns to the USA. He is strict checked in airport. After being mistakenly arrested in the street as he just left Underwood Samson. After this incident his attitude towards the USA seems to change. As his relationship with Erica is also get affected when she invites him at opening of art show and in that show she had used intimate details of their relationship without knowledge, which he took as a betrayal of WTC attack. When he was in Istanbul for evaluating a publishing house. Changez find his father’s poems that is translated in Turkish. At that time he realizes that the company has preserved culture that is something that cannot be measured by money. And he connects this with his job that his desire of success and his sense of loyalty, and between the way he saw himself and the way he was now treated. Changez finally resigned from Underwood Samson. He finds two groups in Underwood Samson one is Islamic fundamentals and one is capitalist economy.

Finally he returned to Lahore. Here, director uses flashback technique very well. While Lincon and Changez talk in the café, protestor gathered outside and Lincon gets pressure from the CIA operatives who are working with Lincon. For Lincon, Changez becomes suspicious when he was texting. No doubt that he was sending text message to her sister. But at the same time he was text when Lincon receives picture of Rainer dead. Attempts are made to keep the crowd stable but things get worse and at that time Lincon falls his gun goes off and hits Sameer(one of Changez’s student). And for taking revenge another student fires at Lincon from a balcony. Lincon then finds out that Rainer was dead earlier and that Changez had indeed rejected working with mastermind behind kidnapping, Mustafa Fazil; he also told the truth about text message. At the end Lincon recalling Changez’s words when he was listening to the speech of recording of interview- “looks can be deceiving. I am lover of America.. although I was raised to feel very Pakistani.”

We can say that a Pakistani man wants to achieve corporate success on wall street. However, he finds himself embroiled in conflict between his dream and his belief. The reluctant fundamentalist is a story about conflicting ideologies where perception and suspicion have the power to determine life or death.

Thank you.