post colonialism and films

7/29/2019 Post Colonialism and Films

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POST COLONIALISM AND FILMS

In order to describe Post-Colonialism it is significant to comprehend Colonialism first. Colonialism is the

development and expansion of a nations dominion and independence over foreign lands in the course

of violent and forceful occupation.

These colonial powers were involved and concerned with growing their own supporting as well as

political power and they when colonize oppress and demoralize the colonies resources. The majority of

the native and original populaces of colonial territory was demoralized and confined by the occupying

power.

At times, they were even killed or deported from abundant land to create room for new arrangements.At the same time, they were required to give up their rich cultural heritage and to take into the

colonizers traditions.

This approach, which is also acknowledged as cultural colonization. This is hypothetical made to

influence and control the colonized natives psyche. The powers takers thought that a colonized state,

which adopted and accepted Western culture, would no longer refuse to accept the colonizers

professions and traditions.

In the British settlement, the colonized people had to change their religion to Christianity; they are

forced to learn English language and English literature in school, which were controlled by the ruling

powers that were foreigners at that time.

As an outcome, the people who were living on the land, which is occupied, they take on Western

principles and traditions, and this helps the colonizers and eventually they were able to rule by approval

relatively than violence.

However, this integration could never be whole, as one cannot entirely forget their own natural and

ethical norms. Usually, local people who were persuaded and brainwashed wanted to be look upon as

an associate and a part of the high culture. In this way, they thought they will get this chance but they

by no means got an option to get this aim since their racial and ethical background is different from the

colonizers.

They were looked upon as inferiors. Colonial powers always argued that third world countries were

inferior and needed Western help and assistance in order to gain moral integrity and economic wealth.

Thus, the concept ofOrientalism at first in which one can see the difference of the east and west can be

seen here. Natives were presented as unsophisticated and unculturedbarbarians. These racist labels of

colonial discussion can still be found in disciplines like sciences, historical writing, literature, and mass

media.


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The Post-Colonial course was shaped as countries that were colonized became independent and self-

governing. Nowadays, feature of Post-Colonialism can be found not only in history, literature and

politics, but also in aspects of culture and identity - of both the countries that were colonized and the

colonial powers. Post Colonialism can take the colonial time and the time after Colonialism into

consideration .In a literal sense, Post-Colonial refers to the time after Colonization.

The western imagination of the third world states tends to be not objective descriptions but

constructions that serve the colonizers interests. Because of present day global migration and

multiculturalism, there are many interactions between people from different ethnic backgrounds.

However, the old labels still exist in some parts of the world.

In several Western civilizations, settler or the colonist minorities are still regarded as less cultured and as

less capable than the white population that were the local habitant of the place which colonize. This

practice of regarding Western culture as more valuable than other cultures is calledEuro centrism.

Even if a colony gains its political dominion, the impact of the colonial power cannot simply be

neglected. The full recovery of national and cultural identity of a former colony will most likely never be

possible.

As these citizens are torn between two cultures that were entirely opposite if, we talk about the Indo-

Pak subcontinent. The culture of their ancestors and the culture of their former occupiers were mixed in

each other making it difficult to guess what was original. They often have a double or a fusion of their

identities; it is the case with the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Colonizers who try to integrate into the culture

of their adopted country are faced with the same problem.

As it is mentioned earlier that these countries and the foreign people makes certain impact on the states

they colonize. This has an impact on their literature and culture. The effects of colonization alsoinfluence the film industries of these countries. As the literature is affected the most at that time. One

can see the separation of the cultural practices that take place here.

When we talk about the film industry of Pakistan and India they are getting a lot of influence until now

form the western world.

Khuda Kay Liye is a 2007 Pakistani Urdu-language drama film written, directed and produced by Shoaib

Mansoor, starring Shaan, Iman Ali, Fawad Afzal Khan and Hameed Sheikh.

Most of the film was shot on location in Chicago, Illinois in the United States and Lahore and the Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The critical response was generally positive, though there was somereligious traditionalist criticizing the film and called for a ban in Pakistan. Overall, there was curiosity

around the film due to the presence of big names.

The story is about three different people from different continents have problems that relate to South

Asian culture and the succeeding misunderstandings of Islam in Pakistan's society as well as in foreign


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land. The story revolves around two brothers who wanted to become singers later one gets the goal and

went abroad to get the musical education. whereas the second one goes in the company of Taliban(

which is a western term for those who want to follow Islam not talking about those who are working

against the norms and teachings of Islam especially focusing on those who are teaching, the right

knowledge of Islam). Those who made him the way they brain washed the people working for them.

The third role is of a girl who lives in England, and is a westernized British Pakistani girl in love with a

British boy. Her hypocritical father disapproves, and sent her for a trip to Pakistan, which is a trap. While

touring FATA, he has her against her will married.

Here one can relate this to the cultural, gender and national identities. The culture of the place is

depicted as it is considered in the colonized time. There still is a separation between man and woman

and this separation is maintained even if they have to apply it forcefully. This is the same way in which

the teaching that the molana is convening and the method he is using is very old brain washing. As by

the colonizers this technique was being used that is make people work according to your wish, in the

film it is depicted that the bombers are ready to blow the city as per the command of the head, which is

fully against the teaching of Islam.

When we talk about Islam there is a wide change in the thinking of people who after the attacks of 9/11

made it worst. They consider the Islamic teaching and religion as a sign of destruction that is due to the

mindset that is present in them. It makes a wide difference between the people who are locally there

and those who are Muslim by religion.

The concept of Orientalism comes here in a very modern approach but the meaning remains the same.

The natives of these countries now consider the people that belong to the three standard living and are

almost treated as barbarians.

In the film, the depiction of the scenes in which one of the two brothers was taken in the custody and is

tortured as per accused by some drunken person and the police arrested him, as he was a MUSLIM.

This also have a very wide affect on the culture. As there are no preferred opportunities, in the country,

people often want to travel to these countries and they therefore adopt their ways and traditions. as

they used to do in the older times to get their desired position but this never happens although they fit

for some time but their origin remains the same they are Muslims and have to face if any such incident

occur in the surrounding.

This thing of cultural and religious differences that were created can be seen in an Indian film that was

named as New York, it is a 2009 Indian thriller film directed by Kabir Khan. The story covers the time thatbegins in 1999 and ends in 2008, the story line of the film tells the narrative of three students studying

at the fictional New York State University whose lives are changed by 9/11 and its aftermath.

Same cause and the life and behavior of the people changes toward them even though they are a part of

that society even though they have to face all these circumstances that resulted due to the 9/11

incident


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9/11 is a bad day that the United States of America faces. A large number of people died in this accident

and thus this gave rise to 'War against Terror'.

Other than the religious differentiations, there are a few other factors that define the line between the

colonized and colonizers. This line may be occurring as they both belong to different cultural

backgrounds. Many cultural defenses are present between the western culture and Muslims or Indianculture.

Both of the above mentioned films shows the impact of this war against terror and their effects on

Muslims as well as how it is affecting the their cultural practices.

In the movie Khuda k, Liye the writer describes the way the females are treated in that part of the

country. They are degraded and are treated in a very bad manner. No proper rights are given to them in

the name of Islam, which have a bad effect on the society and the thinking of others about the way we

live in this region. This is becoming a part of the culture of the area in which women are suppressed and

are generally forced to obey what the male say even if she is not willing to do so. In this way, the society

and the traditional practices are affected.

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