An Analysis of Postmodernism in the My Name is Khan Movie

    

A. INTRODUCTION 

Movie is a work of literature that becoming popular nowadays, not only because of the actors or actress but also because of message value. The message value or moral value from one movie is important, because can influence the audience’s perspective. Understanding and analyzing the moral message of My Name is Khan Movie is interesting. My Name is Khan (MNIK) is an Indian movie directed by Karan Johar in 2010.

                                       

Karan Johar is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter and television host. H e is established himself as one of the very most successful directors and suppliers of Bollywood. My Name is Khan is adopted extremely politicization over the events of 9/11 and the subsequent global war on terror between Muslim and American. India is one country that plural in religion (Matthew, 1999:81). When a country is pluralism in religion, it becomes close to make conflicts.  Karan Johar took differences of race, class, gender and especially religion as the point of view in this movie. Soliman assumes that points of view, non-Western films that subvert, contort, or re-position the point of view away from the dominant cultural group have garnered critical acclaim.

My Name is Khan Movie is one example of postmodernism, it because represents about socio-cultural and historical development. It can be seen in specific way/specific reason. The movie shows crisis of identity of human being (ethnic, religion, social and cultural). The movie also tells about some critics emphasize political and ideological aspect. It can be seen when all Muslim in America become target the America government, it because they give stereotype that Muslim is a terrorist. The purpose of MNIK is making the reader/the audience aware of historical 9/11 even that represent into this movie.

B.     ANALYSIS

Postmodernism is the passage from “solid” (stable) times to “liquid” times (Bauman 2007). It is the end of traditional structures and institutions, and complete the modern era. Postmodernism can defined as a broad category designating the culture that historically extends from the late 1960s to the early 21 century. Postmodernism addresses a whole range of material conditions that are no longer consonant with the dominant rationality of modernism. Generally, there are 3 differences between Modern and Postmodernism.

No.	Modernism	Postmodernism
1	Lament fragmentation	Celebrate fragmentation
2	Minimalism	Asceticism
3	Celebrate high-culture distinction	Reject high-low culture distinction

         

           Based on My Name is Khan Movie, here is the analysis of postmodernism:

·         In the beginning, “There are only two kinds of people in this world. Good people who do good deeds, and bad people who do badly. That is the only differences in human beings. There is no other differences.” Said Rizvan’s mother

            The setting when is happening of turbulence between Hindu and Islam in 1983.

            Her explains that no differences between Hindu and Islam, and also the other religion. All religions taught about goodness and tolerance. In postmodernism, knowledge and facts always relative to particular situation (James Fleming 2016). For example, when Rizvan met with Mama Jenny and her son in Wilhelmina, Georgia. They are black America. The majority of civilian is Christian, but Rizvan as a Muslim give speech about 9/11 event in the Church. He persuaded the audience to understand about “two kind of people in this world”.And his kindness shows cultural relativism. It proves that everyone in the world supporting for what he did. Rizvan became popular because of his kindness. He did not realize that America has space of solidarity between white and black America.

·         After Sam dead, Mandiraasked Rizvan to leave her. Then Rizvan asked one question to Mandira “When should I come back?” and Mandira answered “30.000 population in Banville and each one of those 30.000 people hates you, tell all of them that you are not a terrorist and tell every person in America. In his anger Mandira asked Rizvan to meet President of United State and said “Mr. President, my name isKhan and l'm not a terrorist” so he can tell all of these people that my Sam was not the terrorist son of a terrorist Father. She was feeling regret to marry Rizvan who is a Muslim. Mandirasaid to Hanira (her sister in law), “love will weaken me, hate will help me fight this battle.” It means that she is egoist. In this era, mostly people assume that human being is not an object, but as a subject. Mandira was not consider who Rizvanis fully. She only saw that Rizvan(her husband) is a Muslim that was hated by American. It would be better if she is living without him. Mandiraused her emotional than rational. Postmodernism tends to present fragmented view of human subjectivity and history (Dr. Mary Klages 2012).

·         Abdul Workshop says to Rizvan“Go home and kill your time!” Abdul’s opinion that Rizvanis should be play and spend his time at home, not in father’s work. In postmodernism, people express in hyperbole/asceticism. Abdul used “kill time” to represent “spend time”. In scared Rizvan going home and ask her mother “how to kill time?” his mother shocked and said “ls that what the devil told you?”  Then she taught him with give a hug, Rizvan felt calm when his mother hugs. Postmodernism is about language, how it controls, how it determines, and how we try to exert control through language.

C.    CONCLUSION

American’s perspective about Muslim as a terrorist it has been happening before the 9/11 event. The condition became worse; Muslim became unsafe in America after terrorist attack on New York City (9/11, 2001). Robert Spencer in Islam Ditelanjangi:Pertanyaan-pertanyaan Subversif Seputar Doktrin and Tradisi Kaum Muslim explain islam is infidel, and Muhammad is a human who likes do wars. In this movie Rizvan (Shahrukh Khan) justifies that all religion is about conviction to God. The human being’s identity no longer see from the ethnic, race, class, social, cultural and religion.

This movie opens crucial spaces of solidarity building amongst racialized others (Black America) of America society. They are living in suffer and  The main actor, Rizvan repeats stereotypes about two kinds of people in the world, “good/bad” Muslims. He taught to be a good people for those they are in needs, not taught about “jihad” or become a terrorist.

Finally, postmodernism of MNIK movie is concerned with questions of the organization of knowledge (self questioning), all religions are valid-valuing inclusive faiths (no wrong, no right), and rejecting between high-low distinctions. It can see at the end of the movie, America has a new president who is a black America, and also Muslims can be safer than before, life in peace and not again hide in other appearance. They all become true their selves.

Bibliography

Bauman, Z. (2007). Liquid time: Living in an age of uncertainty. Cambridge UK: Polity Press.

Duignan, B. (2014). Postmodernism Philosophy. Britannica , 2.

Geyh, P. E. (1998). Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology. New York: W.W. Norton.

Marshall, B. (2013). Teaching the Postmoderbism. New York: Routledge is an imprint of taylor and francis, an informa company.