Worksheet: Film Screening—Deepa Mehta's Midnight's Children

This blog was assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad. It is about the film Midnight’s Children directed by Deepa Mehta, based on the novel by Salman Rushdie.For further information Click here.

Salman Rushdie :-

Salman Rushdie is a British Indian novelist and essayist, known for his works that often blend historical fiction and magical realism, exploring themes of migration, cultural identity, and the complex relationship between East and West. He was born in Bombay, India, in 1947, and his writing career took off with the publication of Midnight's Children in 1981, which won the Booker Prize. A major controversy erupted with his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses (1988), leading to death threats and a fatwa issued by the Iranian government. 

Basic information about the Novel:-

          Midnight's Children" is a 1981 novel by Salman Rushdie, known for its blend of magical realism, historical fiction, and postcolonial themes. The story centers on Saleem Sinai, born at the exact stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, the moment of India's independence. He and other children born during that hour, the "midnight's children," possess special abilities and are intricately linked to the nation's history. 

About the Movie – Midnight’s Children :

      Midnight’s Children is a 2012 movie directed by Deepa Mehta, based on the famous novel by Salman Rushdie. Rushdie also wrote the movie’s script and narrates the story himself. The film mixes real history with magical elements to tell the story of India from the time it became independent in 1947 to the political Emergency in the 1970s.

       The main character, Saleem Sinai, is born at the exact moment when India becomes free — midnight on 15 August 1947. At the same time, another boy named Shiva is born in the same hospital. A nurse secretly switches the two babies, so they grow up in each other’s families. This one act changes their whole lives and becomes a symbol of how India’s identity is also a mix of different cultures, classes, and histories.

      As Saleem grows up, he discovers he has a magical power — he can talk in his mind to all the other “Midnight’s Children”, who were also born in that first hour of independence. Each of these children has a special ability. Through Saleem’s life, we see India’s joys, struggles, wars, family drama, and political changes.

    The film also deals with postcolonial themes like hybrid identity, the influence of language, the clash between tradition and modernity, and the idea that history is shaped by those who tell it.

Pre - viewing  Task :-

1. Who narrates history — the victors or the marginalized? How does this relate to personal identity?

        Most of the time, history is told by the victors  those who win wars, hold political power, or control education. They decide what gets remembered and what is left out. This often means the experiences of the poor, minorities, or defeated groups are missing from official records.

     

         This links to personal identity because the way history is told shapes how we see ourselves. If only the winners’ voices are heard, many identities are erased. Saleem’s life being switched at birth between rich and poor families shows how postcolonial identity in India is complex, layered, and made up of many influences, not a single, pure origin.

2. What makes a nation — geography, governance, culture, or memory?

          A nation is more than just its physical land or its government. Geography defines boundaries, and governance runs the state, but a nation’s true heart lies in shared culture, traditions, and collective memories.

     

         This shows that a nation is not only about political systems or maps. It is built from the emotional and cultural ties that connect people, even across new borders. Memory plays a big role  shared experiences of joy, suffering, and history keep the feeling of the nation alive.

3. Can language be colonized or decolonized? (English in India)

        Language can be colonized  during British rule, English was used as a tool of power. Those who spoke English fluently had access to better jobs, education, and social status, while others were excluded. This made English a symbol of authority and control.

        However, language can also be decolonized. After independence, Indians began using English in their own way, mixing it with local words, cultural references, and storytelling styles. Salman Rushdie calls this “chutnification of English” like making chutney, where many different flavours combine to make something new.

       In the film, although the narration is in English, it is full of Indian imagery, rhythms, and cultural style. This shows that English has been transformed from a colonial tool into a language that expresses Indian identity and experience.

Connections to the Reading List Concepts

Hybridity (Homi K. Bhabha): Saleem and Shiva’s swapped identities represent the mixing of religion, class, and culture — a symbol of India’s hybrid postcolonial identity.

Nation as a Eurocentric Idea (Partha Chatterjee): Instead of one official national story, the film shows that a nation is made up of many personal, diverse stories.

Chutnification of English (Salman Rushdie): English is reshaped by Indian culture, making it a tool for self-expression rather than colonial control.

2. While-Watching Activities

Opening Scene — Nation and Identity Together

         The film opens with Saleem Sinai’s voice telling us he was born at exactly midnight on 15 August 1947 the moment India became free from British rule. This is not just an interesting coincidence; it’s a deliberate symbolic choice. His birth represents the birth of a new nation. As we watch the film, we see that Saleem’s personal journey mirrors India’s national journey. When the country faces moments of unity, division, or transformation, Saleem’s own life reflects those changes. His relationships, struggles, and even his sense of self are deeply connected to what is happening in India. This beginning sets the tone for the whole film, showing that an individual’s identity can be shaped by the history and politics of the place they live in.

Birth Switch of Saleem and Shiva — Mixed Identities

      One of the most important events in the story is the switching of two newborn babies in the hospital. A nurse named Mary, influenced by political and personal ideas, decides to swap them. Saleem, the biological son of a poor Hindu woman, is given to a rich Muslim family. Shiva, the biological son of that rich family, is handed to the poor mother. This single act completely changes both children’s lives. Saleem grows up in a wealthy household, receiving education and comfort, while Shiva is raised in poverty, dealing with daily struggles and hardships.

     This switch creates hybrid identities for both boys  biologically they belong to one background, but socially and politically they are shaped by a completely different one. In a larger sense, this mirrors India’s own hybrid nature: a land where many religions, languages, and social classes coexist, sometimes in harmony and sometimes in conflict. It shows how identity is not fixed but shaped by circumstances.

Saleem’s Narration — Trust and Metafiction

      The whole story is told by Saleem himself, which means we see events from his point of view. But Saleem is not a perfectly reliable narrator. He openly admits that his memory is faulty  sometimes he mixes up dates, changes the order of events, or adds magical elements to what happened. This style is called metafiction, because the story makes us aware that it is a story, shaped by the person telling it.

         This is important because it reminds us that history is not always an exact record of facts. It is often a mixture of reality, memory, and imagination. By blending political history with his personal life and magical realism, Saleem creates a version of the past that is emotional and symbolic rather than purely factual. This makes us question not just Saleem’s truth, but also the nature of storytelling and history itself.

The Emergency Period — Freedom Under Threat

       The Emergency of 1975–77 is shown in the film as a dark time for India. The government, led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, takes extreme measures:

People are arrested without fair trials.

Newspapers and media are censored, meaning they cannot speak freely.

Slum areas are destroyed in the name of “progress.”

Poor men are forced into sterilization programs to control the population.

            For Saleem, the Emergency is personally devastating. His special group of magical “Midnight’s Children” children born at the same moment as him, each with unique powers is broken apart. The sense of hope and unity they represented is crushed by political control. This period in the film warns us that even in a free country, democracy can be taken away when leaders misuse their power.

Use of English, Hindi, and Urdu — Language as Identity

      Language is an important symbol in the film. The narration, spoken by Salman Rushdie himself, is in English, but the characters often speak a mix of English, Hindi, and Urdu. This switching between languages feels authentic to India, where people often blend tongues in everyday conversations.

      Rushdie calls this “chutnification of English”  a playful term for taking English (the language of the former colonizers) and mixing it with local words, expressions, and rhythms until it becomes something uniquely Indian. In the film, this blending of languages reflects India’s complex identity: part colonial history, part indigenous culture, and fully its own. Just as the language is a mix, so is the nation’s identity  and so is Saleem’s own story.

Post-Watching Activities :-

Group discussion:-

Hybridity and Identity :-

    In Midnight’s Children, Saleem and Shiva’s lives are deeply shaped by hybrid identities. They are both born at the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947  the moment of India’s independence but their identities are switched at birth.

           Saleem, biologically the child of a poor street performer, grows up in a wealthy Muslim family.

      Shiva, biologically from the rich family, grows up in poverty.

This swap makes them hybrids in multiple ways:

Culturally — They live in environments different from their birth heritage.

Religiously — Saleem’s upbringing places him in a Muslim household though he has Hindu parentage; Shiva grows up Hindu but with Muslim biological roots.

Politically — Both are tied to the fate of post-independence India but represent different class and ideological positions.

        According to Homi K. Bhabha’s “Third Space” theory, hybrid identity is not just confusion it’s a space where new cultural meanings are created. The film shows this through Saleem’s journey: he does not belong fully to any single group, but his in-betweenness allows him to see India’s diversity and contradictions. This suggests hybridity can be a possibility for understanding and connection, not just a source of conflict.

Narrating the Nation :-

         The story rewrites the history of India through Saleem’s personal memories. Instead of a purely political timeline, the film blends national events (Partition, wars, Emergency) with intimate family stories.

      This challenges the Eurocentric model of nationhood  which sees the nation as a fixed territory, a unified culture, and a linear story of progress. In Midnight’s Children, history is shown as fragmented, emotional, and subjective.

        Partha Chatterjee argues that Indian nationalism developed differently from Western models: it combined modern political structures with deep cultural and religious traditions. In the film, this is visible in how the idea of “India” is both a political dream (freedom from colonial rule) and a cultural puzzle (multiple religions, languages, and memories competing).

Timeline: History & Saleem’s Life

1. British Colonial Rule (Before 1947)

History: India under British control; European ideas of nationhood dominate.

Saleem’s Connection: Born at the stroke of midnight on 15 August 1947, but his life is tied to colonial legacies — his parents live in a society shaped by British class divisions, education, and politics.

2. Independence & Partition (1947)

History: India becomes free; Partition divides India and Pakistan; mass migration and violence occur.

Saleem’s Connection: Switched at birth with Shiva — a symbol of how identities in the new nations are unstable and accidental. His family’s move mirrors the dislocation millions faced.

3. Wars between India and Pakistan (1965 & 1971)

History: India and Pakistan fight wars; Bangladesh is created in 1971.

Saleem’s Connection: He loses memory in war, becomes part of the army, and experiences the destruction that political decisions bring to ordinary lives.

4. The Emergency (1975–1977)

History: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspends democracy, arrests opponents, and enforces strict control.

Saleem’s Connection: Midnight’s Children are hunted down and sterilized — representing how political power suppresses diversity and freedom.

 Chutnification of English :-

        Salman Rushdie is famous for “chutnifying” English  mixing it with Indian words, idioms, and rhythms to make it reflect Indian life. In the film, this appears both in narration and in dialogue where Hindi/Urdu words are blended with English.

      Chutnification is not just adding spice  it’s a political act. It challenges the idea that English must remain “pure” and shows how it can become an Indian language. Rushdie uses words like “pickling” as a metaphor: just as chutney mixes and preserves many flavours, his English preserves the mix of colonial and local cultures.

      Chutnified English can carry emotional and cultural meanings that “standard” English cannot fully express.

Conclusion:-

In Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children and Deepa Mehta’s film adaptation, Parvati-the-witch represents magical realism and connects to themes of love, politics, and destiny, though the film condenses or alters events for cinematic flow. In the novel, Parvati falls in love with Saleem, marries Picture Singh, and later dies in the Emergency; the movie keeps her magical powers and her key role in Saleem’s life but simplifies her political involvement and the depth of her inner struggles. Her significance lies in how she symbolizes ordinary people’s vulnerability in turbulent times, the blending of personal and national histories, and the endurance of magic and belief amidst political repression. Both versions show her as a bridge between the mystical and the real, though the novel offers richer detail, while the film focuses on visual storytelling and emotional impact.

Reference :-

• Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Routledge, 1994.
• Chatterjee, Partha. The Nation and Its Fragments: Colonial and Postcolonial Histories. Princeton University Press, 1993.
• Hutcheon, Linda. A Theory of Adaptation. Routledge, 2006.
• Mehta, Deepa, director. Midnight’s Children. David Hamilton Productions, 2012.
• Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children. Jonathan Cape, 1981.