Smruti's Blog

Between Story and Society: Adichie’s Lessons for Our Times This blog has been written as part of a Sunday Reading activity assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad sir , whose instructions encouraged us to engage critically with the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The task involves watching and reflecting upon three of her influential talks- " The Danger of a Single Story" , " We Should All Be Feminists" , and " On Truth, Post-Truth & Trust" . The objective of this assignment is not only to summarize the key ideas and rhetorical strategies used by Adichie but also to analyze how her storytelling, tone, and cultural framing shape the audience’s understanding. By doing so, the blog seeks to connect Adichie’s insights with wider social and academic contexts, offering both critical appreciation and personal reflection.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist:  From Text to Screen This blog is written as part of an academic task assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad. It focuses on The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), an American political thriller drama film directed by Mira Nair and starring Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, and Liev Schreiber. Based on Mohsin Hamid’s 2007 novel of the same name, the film explores the post-9/11 world and its impact on one Pakistani man, highlighting how the terrorist attacks altered his identity and how he was treated by Americans in their reaction to those events. For background reading, here is the link to Dr. Barad Sir’s “ Worksheet ”. The Reluctant Fundamentalist Theatrical release poster Directed by Mira Nair Screenplay by William Wheeler Story by     Mohsin Hamid      Ami Boghani Based on The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid Produced by Lydia Dean Pilcher Starring Riz Ahmed Kate Hudson Liev Schreiber Kiefer Sutherland Om Puri Shabana Azmi...

The Play of Power and Meaning: Symbolism, Oppression, and Narrative Experimentation in ' Midnight’s Children' This blog is written as part of a literature study under the guidance of Prof. Dilip Barad , exploring Salman Rushdie’s ' Midnight’s Children' through multiple critical perspectives. The purpose of this study is to examine how Rushdie employs symbols, narrative hybridity, and political allegory to represent the postcolonial condition of India. The discussion focuses on three interconnected dimensions-  erasure and oppression as political motifs , symbolism within a post-structuralist framework , and hybrid storytelling as a mode of resistance and reinterpretation . By analyzing the novel’s intricate play of meaning and its challenge to authoritarian narratives, this blog aims to demonstrate how ' Midnight’s Children' becomes both a deconstruction of history and a creative act of reclaiming identity through language, memory, and myth.

Fractured Identities, Pickled Language: Why the Nation's Birth Was a Chaotic, Comic, and Crucial Event   This blog post  is written as a response to a film screening of Deepa Mehta's 2012 adaptation of the novel- "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie . It was composed as a reflective exercise following a worksheet assigned by Professor Dilip Baradsir . The primary goal of this reflection is to critically engage with postcolonial themes like hybrid identity, the politics of English language, and how a nation's story is narrated . By analyzing the film's narrative strategies and its relationship to Salman Rushdie's novel, this aims to explore how personal memory and magical realism can serve as powerful tools to challenge and deconstruct official historical narratives . Midnight's Children Theatrical release poster Directed by Deepa Mehta Screenplay by Salman Rushdie Based on Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie Produced by David Hamilton Dou...

A Group Reflection on Rachna Joshi’s Leaving India This blog has been written as part of our classroom activity on group discussions of assigned poems , conducted under the guidance of Prakruti Bhatt ma'am. The objective of this task was to enhance our critical understanding and analytical skills by exploring the thematic and critical aspects of selected poems. Our group (Group Members: Khushi Goswami , Sanket Vavadiya , Manasi Joshi, Dhruvika Gohel, Mita Jambucha) specifically focused on Rachna Joshi’s poem Leaving India and prepared detailed answers through collaborative discussion. This activity helped us develop clarity, teamwork, and deeper literary insight . Step 1: Based on the poem assigned to your group, discuss the thematic and critical aspects, and prepare one long and one short answer from the question bank. "Leaving India" by Rachna Joshi: Main Idea: The poem reflects the conflict between modern life abroad and deep cultural roots at home , exploring them...