Thinking Activity:- Articles on Postcolonial Studies

 Hello readers,

This Blog is a Part of  Thinking Activity on Postcolonial Studies assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad Sir.

ARICLE 1:- GLOBALIZATION AND THE FUTURE OF POSTCOLONIAL STUDIES

Introduction

In This Article explores the intersections of globalization, geopolitics, and postcolonial critique. He examines how events such as 9/11, the rise of the "New American Empire," and the intensification of global capitalism reshape the conditions under which postcolonial thought operates. Drawing on theorists like Thomas Friedman, Hardt and Negri, Joseph E. Stiglitz, and Noam Chomsky, Barad situates postcolonial studies at a critical juncture: it must grapple with both the promises and the violences of globalization. This article pushes us to ask whether postcolonial critique remains relevant in an era when global flows of capital, media, and military power transcend national boundaries.

Postcolonial Critique of Globalization

Postcolonial studies historically concerned itself with the legacies of European colonialism: racial hierarchies, epistemic domination, and cultural displacement. However, globalization complicates this framework by introducing new forms of power. Multinational corporations, digital technologies, and supranational institutions exert influence in ways that echo colonial domination but also demand new forms of analysis. For instance, the global spread of consumer culture creates homogenization, while at the same time fostering resistance and alternative cultural expressions in the Global South.

In the article highlights how 9/11 and the "Global War on Terror" became turning points where globalization’s rhetoric of interconnectedness masked a deeper militarization of international politics. From a postcolonial perspective, this recalls Edward Said’s Orientalism, where the West constructs the East as threatening, irrational, and in need of control. The War on Terror revived such narratives, justifying interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq while presenting the U.S. as a global hegemon safeguarding civilization.

Films & Literature as Illustrations of Globalization and Postcolonial Dynamics

Several creative works—both novels and films—help visualize the abstract critiques raised by Barad, showing how globalization reshapes identity, culture, and power.

Mohsin Hamid – The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Hamid’s novel (and its film adaptation) follows Changez, a Pakistani man who thrives in the circuits of elite global capitalism—Wall Street finance—only to find himself alienated and securitized after 9/11. His journey captures the paradox of globalization: it promises cosmopolitan belonging but quickly collapses under the weight of racial profiling and geopolitical suspicion. This narrative aligns directly with Barad’s focus on the 9/11 moment as a turning point where the glamour of global capital collides with the violence of securitization.

Mira Nair – Mississippi Masala and The Namesake

Nair’s diasporic cinema probes hybridity and cultural belonging in transnational settings. Mississippi Masala portrays migration from Uganda to the U.S. and the racial hierarchies shaping South Asian lives in Black–white America. The Namesake stages generational negotiations over identity through Gogol’s name and cultural ambivalence. Together, these films embody Homi Bhabha’s "third space" and Appadurai’s "scapes," revealing how markets, race, and migration combine to shape diasporic subjectivity.

Aravind Adiga – The White Tiger / Slumdog Millionaire

Adiga’s novel presents Balram, an anti-hero who seizes entrepreneurial opportunity in neoliberal India but only through corruption and violence, exposing the dark underbelly of liberalization. In contrast, Slumdog Millionaire dramatizes a rags-to-riches myth that global audiences consumed eagerly, though critics note it glosses over systemic inequalities. Together, these texts mirror Barad’s economic critique of globalization: capitalism generates both aspiration and exploitation, offering mobility through ethically compromised routes.

Broader Implications for Postcolonial Thought

The key question raised by Barad sir is whether postcolonial studies can remain relevant in the face of globalization. I would argue that it must not only remain relevant but expand its analytical scope. Globalization intensifies older colonial logics under new guises:

• Economic imperialism through neoliberal policies imposed on developing nations.

• Cultural imperialism via Hollywood, digital platforms, and the dominance of English.

• Political imperialism in the name of democracy promotion or counter-terrorism.

At the same time, globalization creates new solidarities. Transnational activism, from environmental movements to feminist campaigns, often originates in or includes voices from the Global South. Postcolonial critique is crucial for ensuring these movements remain attentive to inequalities rather than replicating Eurocentric models of change.

Conclusion

Globalization and the Future of Postcolonial Studies demonstrates that the field must evolve to address not just the residues of colonialism but also the new structures of domination emerging in a globalized world. A film like Slumdog Millionaire shows how cultural production embodies both the opportunities and exploitations of globalization. Ultimately, postcolonial critique remains indispensable because it reminds us that globalization is never neutral—it is always embedded in histories of power, representation, and inequality. In today’s world, where global crises like migration, war, and climate change dominate headlines, postcolonial studies offers tools to uncover whose voices are amplified, whose are silenced, and who profits from the storylines of globalization.

ARTICLE 2:- GLOBALIZATION AND FICTION: EXPLORING POSTCOLONIAL CRITIQUE AND LITERARY REPRESENTATIONS

Introduction

The article Globalization and Fiction: Exploring Postcolonial Critique and Literary Representations examines how literature and cinema act as crucial sites for reflecting on the realities of globalization. It argues that fiction not only mirrors global processes but also critiques them, offering perspectives that challenge dominant economic and political narratives. By analyzing novels such as Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis, Robert Newman’s The Fountain at the Center of the World, Ian McEwan’s Saturday, and Indian works like Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost Happiness and Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger, the article highlights how global forces are narrated, contested, and reimagined in cultural texts.

Fiction as a Critical Lens on Globalization

Globalization is often celebrated as a process of interconnectedness and opportunity, yet fiction complicates this triumphalist story by exposing its contradictions. DeLillo’s Cosmopolis depicts the alienation of a billionaire financier whose life is governed by speculative markets, while Adiga’s The White Tiger lays bare the moral compromises demanded by neoliberal India. These works foreground the human cost of global markets, dramatizing issues of inequality, alienation, and corruption.

Here, literature works in tandem with economic critiques by figures such as Joseph Stiglitz or Noam Chomsky but does so in a more experiential way. Rather than focusing on abstract systems, fiction embodies globalization through lived realities, placing marginalized voices at the center of critique.

Film Example: The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Mira Nair’s adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist offers a compelling cinematic example. The protagonist Changez thrives in the world of U.S. finance but is later racialized and distrusted after 9/11. His trajectory embodies the paradox of globalization: cosmopolitan belonging is possible, yet precarious, collapsing under geopolitical suspicion.

This narrative vividly illustrates how globalization produces identities that are both empowered and vulnerable, exposing the fragile line between inclusion and exclusion in a securitized world.

Comparative Reading: The White Tiger and Slumdog Millionaire

Adiga’s The White Tiger critiques neoliberal India through the rise of Balram, whose entrepreneurial success is achieved through deception and violence. His story reveals how global capitalism fosters opportunity while normalizing corruption and exploitation.

By contrast, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire presents a rags-to-riches fantasy where Jamal escapes poverty through a global media spectacle. While globally celebrated, it has been criticized for glossing over structural injustice and commodifying poverty for Western audiences. Together, these texts highlight the dual face of globalization: dazzling mobility alongside deep inequality.

Diasporic Negotiations: Mira Nair’s Cinema

Diasporic narratives further illuminate globalization’s cultural dimensions. Nair’s Mississippi Masala portrays the migration of an Indian family from Uganda to the United States, exploring how race, economics, and cultural belonging intersect. The Namesake examines the intergenerational negotiation of identity through Gogol’s struggles with heritage and modernity.

These films resonate with Homi Bhabha’s concept of the “third space,” where hybrid identities are constantly reshaped, and Arjun Appadurai’s notion of “scapes,” where global flows of people and culture reconfigure subjectivity. Such texts reveal how globalization is not only economic but deeply cultural, producing new forms of identity and belonging.

Theoretical Resonances

The article places fiction within broader theoretical debates:

Edward Said’s Orientalism resonates in post-9/11 narratives where Muslim identities are surveilled and stereotyped.

Bhabha’s hybridity appears in diasporic films and novels where cultural identities are continuously negotiated.

Appadurai’s scapes are dramatized in migration stories that depict dislocation and re-rooting.

Through these frameworks, postcolonial critique reveals globalization not as a neutral process but as an ideological project that privileges certain voices while marginalizing others.

Broader Implications for Postcolonial Thought

Globalization must be understood not only as an economic system but also as a cultural and ideological formation. Fiction plays a central role because it foregrounds the lived experiences often overlooked by policy or theory. By dramatizing displacement, inequality, and cultural negotiation, literature and film help to question globalization’s dominant narratives and imagine alternative possibilities.

In an age where digital media and cultural industries shape perception as powerfully as markets, fiction becomes a crucial form of resistance. It critiques the myth of globalization as a universal good and foregrounds those left behind or reshaped by its forces.

Conclusion

Globalization and Fiction demonstrates that literature and cinema are indispensable to understanding the global condition. Works such as The White Tiger, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and The Namesake dramatize the paradoxes of globalization: opportunity versus exploitation, cosmopolitanism versus exclusion, hybridity versus alienation. By situating these cultural texts within postcolonial critique, the article reaffirms that storytelling is not merely entertainment but a vital means of interpreting and resisting globalization.

ARICLE 3:- POSTCOLONIAL STUDIES IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: BRIDGING PERSPECTIVES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Introduction

The article Postcolonial Studies in the Anthropocene: Bridging Perspectives for a Sustainable Future addresses one of the most urgent intersections of our time: the relationship between colonial legacies and ecological crisis. The Anthropocene, understood as the epoch in which human activity has become a dominant force shaping the planet, cannot be separated from histories of empire, extraction, and exploitation. Postcolonial critique thus becomes vital for unpacking how globalization and environmental degradation are intertwined. By drawing together ecological humanities and postcolonial theory, the article highlights how literature and cinema offer imaginative resources for rethinking sustainability and justice in a globalized world.

Postcolonial Critique in the Anthropocene

Colonialism was not only a political project but also an ecological one. Large-scale plantations, resource extraction, and industrial exploitation reshaped landscapes in ways that continue to affect global South communities today. The article emphasizes that climate change is not evenly distributed: marginalized nations and populations, often former colonies, face the harshest consequences despite contributing least to the problem.

Postcolonial studies therefore ask critical questions: Whose voices dominate global climate discourse? How do narratives of “development” continue patterns of exploitation under the guise of progress? Fiction, film, and cultural theory provide an entry point into these questions by making visible the connections between environment, power, and identity.

Literary Example: Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide

Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide offers a striking case study. Set in the Sundarbans, an ecologically fragile region, the novel explores the collision between conservation policies, local livelihoods, and global discourses on the environment. It dramatizes how communities in the global South are caught between the imperatives of global ecological preservation and the need for survival.

This aligns with the article’s argument that postcolonial critique exposes the uneven burdens of environmental crisis. The Anthropocene is not a universal condition; it is shaped by historical inequalities that fiction can vividly illustrate.

Film Example: RRR and Environmental Resistance

Although often discussed for its political and cultural themes, S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR can also be read through an environmental lens. The film’s portrayal of tribal resistance against colonial exploitation resonates with the idea that resource extraction and ecological domination were central to empire. The appropriation of tribal heroes reflects how postcolonial narratives reimagine resistance not just politically, but also environmentally—challenging extractive systems that continue under globalization.

By connecting such cultural texts to Anthropocene debates, the article underscores how postcolonial film analysis expands our understanding of ecological justice.

Theoretical Frameworks

Several theoretical perspectives enrich this dialogue between postcolonialism and the Anthropocene:

Rob Nixon’s “slow violence” describes the gradual, often invisible forms of environmental harm that disproportionately affect marginalized communities. This is visible in narratives about displacement, floods, or industrial pollution in the global South.

Dipesh Chakrabarty’s call for planetary history reminds us that climate change forces a reconsideration of human history beyond national boundaries while still acknowledging colonial inequalities.

Edward Said’s critique of imperialism continues to resonate in environmental contexts, as global development discourse often reproduces the paternalism of colonial rule.

By linking these frameworks to cultural texts, postcolonial critique situates the Anthropocene as both ecological and political.

Broader Implications for Postcolonial Thought

The article suggests that sustainability cannot be pursued without addressing the inequities inherited from colonialism. Climate change debates often assume a shared planetary destiny, but this obscures the uneven vulnerabilities of the global South. Postcolonial critique insists on climate justice: recognizing that historical responsibility and current suffering are unequally distributed.

For today’s globalized world, this has profound implications. It means that literature and film are not simply aesthetic forms but crucial voices in environmental discourse. They dramatize what policy documents often overlook—the lived experience of ecological displacement, the silenced histories of indigenous resistance, and the need for more inclusive futures.

Conclusion

Postcolonial Studies in the Anthropocene: Bridging Perspectives for a Sustainable Future demonstrates that environmental crisis and colonial history are inseparable. Works such as The Hungry Tide and films like RRR show how cultural texts illuminate the intersections of ecology, identity, and resistance. Postcolonial studies thus expand the Anthropocene debate by foregrounding justice, responsibility, and alternative ways of imagining human–nature relations.

In a globalized era marked by ecological uncertainty, such critique reminds us that sustainable futures must be built not only on scientific solutions but also on ethical reckoning with the legacies of empire. Fiction and film, as the article argues, remain indispensable for bridging these perspectives and inspiring more equitable responses to planetary crisis.

ARTICLE 4:- Heroes or Hegemons? The Celluloid Empire of Rambo and Bond in America's Geopolitical Narrative

Introduction

The article Heroes or Hegemons: The Celluloid Empire of Rambo and Bond in America’s Geopolitical Narrative explores how cinema operates as an ideological tool in shaping global perceptions of power. Through iconic figures such as James Bond and John Rambo, the article argues that Hollywood films extend America’s geopolitical influence, projecting national identity as global destiny. These characters are framed as “heroes,” yet their narratives often reveal underlying structures of cultural domination, militarism, and Western supremacy. By analyzing the global reach of such films, the article positions popular cinema as central to postcolonial critique, showing how entertainment functions as soft power.

Postcolonial Critique of Hollywood Power

Hollywood blockbusters are not merely stories but cultural instruments. They naturalize Western authority, normalize military intervention, and frame the U.S. as the protector of global order. Postcolonial critique exposes this ideological function: films that appear to celebrate individual heroism often mask structures of imperial dominance.

Bond, for instance, embodies British sophistication but functions in later decades as a proxy for Western capitalist and military hegemony. Rambo, on the other hand, emerged during the Cold War as a hyper-masculine figure who reasserted American strength after the Vietnam trauma. Both figures suggest that cinema does not simply entertain but participates in constructing geopolitical myths.

James Bond: Glamour and Empire

The Bond franchise, with its global locations, stylish gadgets, and cosmopolitan villains, dramatizes a world where Western intelligence and morality always prevail. Villains are often racialized or linked to non-Western spaces, reflecting what Edward Said describes as Orientalism—the construction of the “other” to reinforce Western superiority.

While audiences are drawn to Bond’s glamour, the underlying narrative reinforces a worldview where Western intervention is justified. This aligns with postcolonial critique: the hero is not just an individual but the embodiment of empire disguised as cosmopolitan charm.

Rambo: Militarism and American Trauma

Rambo presents another version of hegemonic cinema. Emerging in the 1980s, the franchise reframed the Vietnam War not as defeat but as an opportunity for redemption through hyper-violence. Rambo’s body becomes a metaphor for American resilience, rewriting history by portraying the U.S. as the ultimate savior.

In films set in Afghanistan or Southeast Asia, Rambo’s battles reflect America’s geopolitical concerns. The enemy is often dehumanized, while American power is sanctified. This is precisely where postcolonial analysis intervenes: such films erase local agency, turning entire regions into backdrops for American heroism.

Comparative Lens: Indian Cinema and Counter-Narratives

Contrasting Hollywood hegemony, Indian films like Lagaan (2001) or RRR (2022) offer counter-narratives. In Lagaan, colonized villagers resist British exploitation through cricket, reclaiming dignity within the colonizer’s game. RRR mythologizes resistance against colonial power through tribal heroes, dramatizing agency from the colonized perspective.

By comparing these films to Rambo and Bond, one sees how cinema can either reproduce or resist imperial ideologies. Hollywood often universalizes Western dominance, while postcolonial cinema foregrounds local struggles and cultural pride.

Theoretical Resonances

The ideological function of Rambo and Bond resonates with several postcolonial frameworks:

Said’s Orientalism explains how villains are racialized or geographically “othered.”

Gramsci’s hegemony is reflected in how cinema manufactures consent for U.S. or Western dominance by presenting it as natural and heroic.

Spivak’s question, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” becomes relevant in films where non-Western characters are silent backdrops, denied voice except as foils for the Western hero.

These frameworks reveal how film operates as a cultural arm of geopolitical strategy, shaping the imagination of global audiences.

Broader Implications for Postcolonial Thought

The article suggests that cinema’s soft power is as significant as military or economic might. In a globalized world where films circulate widely, Hollywood narratives contribute to shaping political consciousness. For postcolonial studies, this means interrogating not only literature or history but also popular culture as a key site of ideological production.

At the same time, the rise of global cinema—from Bollywood to Nollywood—provides alternative stories that challenge Hollywood’s dominance. These counter-narratives remind us that film can also be a weapon of resistance, reclaiming agency for communities historically silenced by empire.

Conclusion

Heroes or Hegemons demonstrates that James Bond and John Rambo are not simply cinematic icons but cultural symbols of Western power. Their global popularity extends beyond entertainment, shaping how audiences understand geopolitics, war, and identity. Postcolonial critique unmasks the hegemonic ideologies embedded in these films, showing how cinema perpetuates empire under the guise of heroism. At the same time, counter-narratives from postcolonial contexts highlight the possibility of reclaiming storytelling as resistance.

By analyzing such cultural texts, postcolonial studies affirm that the battle over global imagination is as significant as the battle over territory. Film becomes both a site of domination and a space for reimagining freedom.

ARTICLE:- 5 Reimagining Resistance: The Appropriation of Tribal Heroes in Rajamouli's RRR

Introduction

The article “Reimagining Resistance: The Appropriation of Tribal Heroes in Rajamouli’s RRR” examines how cinema engages with history, identity, and postcolonial politics by adapting real tribal figures into a fictionalized spectacle. The film RRR (2022), directed by S.S. Rajamouli, draws on the lives of two tribal revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, but reworks them into a hyper-masculine cinematic narrative of friendship, resistance, and nationalism. The article raises important questions about how marginalized communities—particularly tribal groups—are represented within mainstream nationalist discourse and how their struggles are appropriated for broader ideological purposes.

Postcolonial Critique of Representation

From a postcolonial perspective, RRR can be read as both a celebration of anti-colonial resistance and a problematic reconfiguration of tribal voices. Tribal leaders like Komaram Bheem historically resisted oppression not only from colonial powers but also from internal structures of caste and class domination. However, Rajamouli’s film blends their lives into a nationalist epic where their tribal identities are subordinated to a grander story of Indian unity against the British Empire.

This reworking reflects a common pattern in postcolonial discourse: the marginal is often absorbed into the center, where subaltern histories are reinterpreted through nationalist lenses. Gayatri Spivak’s question—Can the subaltern speak?—resonates here, because RRR transforms the subaltern hero into a cinematic spectacle that speaks the language of nationalism rather than tribal particularity. In doing so, the tribal resistance is aestheticized and repurposed for an urban, global audience.

Spectacle, Masculinity, and Nation

The film’s emphasis on hyper-masculinity, choreographed violence, and grandeur turns anti-colonial struggle into entertainment. While visually compelling, it risks reducing historical trauma to visual spectacle. Both Raju and Bheem are shown not only as freedom fighters but also as mythic warriors capable of superhuman feats. This kind of representation aligns with a cinematic logic that prioritizes heroic masculinity and unity over the messy realities of tribal resistance.

From a postcolonial angle, this transformation echoes what Homi Bhabha describes as the ambivalence of nationhood. The nation often relies on mythic narratives of unity, but these narratives erase difference. In RRR, the tribal hero becomes part of a homogenized nationalist vision, where the fight against colonial power overshadows internal struggles against caste and local oppressions.

Application to Other Films

This pattern of appropriation is not unique to RRR. Bollywood and regional cinema frequently use marginalized figures as symbols of broader resistance. For instance, films like Lagaan (2001) and Manikarnika (2019) similarly merge local struggles into national allegories. In Lagaan, peasants resist colonial taxation, but the caste differences within the village are minimized in favor of a united Indian identity. Likewise, RRR collapses tribal specificity into a larger nationalist narrative.

Another useful comparison is Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), where Guillermo del Toro reimagines resistance during the Spanish Civil War through fantasy. Unlike RRR, however, Pan’s Labyrinth foregrounds the suffering of marginalized voices (children, women) rather than subsuming them under a singular heroic vision. The contrast highlights how RRR leans toward myth-making while other films maintain sensitivity to subaltern perspectives.

Broader Implications for Postcolonial Thought

The appropriation of tribal heroes in RRR reflects broader dynamics in postcolonial societies, where marginalized voices are celebrated symbolically but excluded materially. Tribals in India remain among the most disadvantaged groups in terms of education, healthcare, and political representation. By transforming their historical leaders into nationalist icons, cinema risks erasing the ongoing realities of tribal marginalization.

In a globalized world, RRR also demonstrates how postcolonial narratives are marketed internationally. The film’s global success, especially after winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song (Naatu Naatu), suggests that postcolonial struggles are now being packaged for a transnational audience hungry for spectacle. While this visibility is valuable, it raises the question: whose story is being told, and for whom?

Conclusion

The article on RRR highlights how cinema can both celebrate and appropriate subaltern resistance. Through its spectacular reimagining of Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, the film transforms tribal heroes into nationalist symbols, aligning with broader postcolonial critiques about erasure, appropriation, and the commodification of resistance. As viewers, recognizing these dynamics allows us to appreciate RRR’s cinematic brilliance while also questioning the silences it creates. In doing so, we engage with postcolonial thought not merely as an academic framework but as a critical tool to interrogate how power, identity, and history continue to be negotiated in the cultural texts of today’s globalized world.

Reference

Barad, Dilip. “Globalization and Fiction: Exploring Postcolonial Critique and Literary Representations.” ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376371617_GLOBALIZATION_AND_FICTION_EXPLORING_POSTCOLONIAL_CRITIQUE_AND_LITERARY_REPRESENTATIONS.

Barad, Dilip. “Globalization and the Future of Postcolonial Studies.” ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376374570_GLOBALIZATION_AND_THE_FUTURE_OF_POSTCOLONIAL_STUDIES.

Barad, Dilip. “Heroes or Hegemons? The Celluloid Empire of Rambo and Bond in America’s Geopolitical Narrative.” ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383415195_Heroes_or_Hegemons_The_Celluloid_Empire_of_Rambo_and_Bond_in_America%27s_Geopolitical_Narrative.

Barad, Dilip. “Postcolonial Studies in the Anthropocene: Bridging Perspectives for a Sustainable Future.” ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376374708_POSTCOLONIAL_STUDIES_IN_THE_ANTHROPOCENE_BRIDGING_PERSPECTIVES_FOR_A_SUSTAINABLE_FUTURE.

Barad, Dilip. “Reimagining Resistance: The Appropriation of Tribal Heroes in Rajamouli’s RRR.”ResearchGate,https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383603395_Reimagining_Resistance_The_Appropriation_of_Tribal_Heroes_in_Rajamouli’s_RRR.