Orientalism, terrorism and Bombay cinema

Bibliographic Data

ID2178664
AuthorsKaren Gabriel, Prem Kumar Vijayan (0000-0001-5570-0387)
Year2012
Volume48
Issue3
Pages299-310
Publication date2012-07-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Postcolonial Writing (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1744-9855 • E-ISSN: 1744-9863
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17449855.2012.678744
OpenAlexW2078152862
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited8

This paper critically assesses the usefulness of the “new-Orientalism” thesis in understanding the discourses around the idea of “terrorism” and of “the terrorist”. It observes that critiques of “new Orientalism” provide important insights into the ways in which “Islam”, “the Muslim” and “terrorist” have come to be constructed. However, it also argues for the importance of the density of historical context and specificity of locality in understanding how these categories are formulated. The case of Bombay cinema is particularly instructive here. The paper argues that Bombay cinema – which has engaged with these concerns in some form since its inception, and is going “global” in unprecedented ways – exemplifies both the play of these two distinct discursive tendencies and also the tensions that arise because they are not identical. Post-9/11 films like Aamir (2008) and New York (2009) manifest these discursive mechanics and the tensions that result from the play between “new Orientalism” and the local

Aesthetics · Art · Art history · Context (archaeology · Islam · Islamophobia · Linguistics · Literature · Locality · Media studies · Movie theater · Muslim world · Orientalism · Political science · Sociology · Terrorism · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · South Asian Cinema and Culture · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence · History · Law · Philosophy

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