Midnight's Children (film)

Plot

The film opens with narrator Saleem Sinai describing his birth at the exact moment of Indian independence. The story then moves to 1917 Kashmir, where his grandfather Dr. Aadam Aziz visits the Ghani mansion to treat the landlord's sick daughter Nasim, whom he later marries. In 1942 Agra, Saleem recounts his grandfather's support for politician Mian Abdullah, who is assassinated; his secretary Nadir Khan flees to Dr. Aziz's home and hides in the cellar.

Aziz and Nasim have three daughters: Alia, Mumtaz, and Emerald. Mumtaz secretly marries Nadir, but the marriage ends when General Zulfikar discovers Nadir. Mumtaz then marries wealthy entrepreneur Ahmed Sinai, moves to Bombay, and takes the name Amina Sinai. At their villa, an accordionist named Wee Willie Winkie and his wife perform; the wife carries the child of the previous owner, William Methwold.

Amina is also pregnant. Both women give birth to boys on 14 August at the moment of India's independence. A nurse, Mary, switches the name tags of the two infants, altering their fates. Mary later becomes Saleem's ayah out of guilt.

Saleem, raised in privilege, faces family pressure and his father's alcoholism. He discovers he can hear and control the voices of other Midnight's Children born in the first hour of independence, each with special powers, including Shiva and Parvati-the-witch.

Production

In 2008, Deepa Mehta and Salman Rushdie agreed to collaborate on a film; Mehta initially wanted to adapt Rushdie's novel Shalimar the Clown but chose Midnight's Children instead. Rushdie spent two years condensing the 600-page novel into a 130-page script and sold the film rights for $1. Casting began in early 2010. Mehta wanted Imran Khan for the lead but his salary exceeded the budget; she cast Satya Bhabha after seeing his performance in a play.

Kangana Ranaut and Rani Mukerji were originally cast as Emerald and Amina but were replaced due to scheduling conflicts. Irrfan Khan withdrew because of conflicts with Life of Pi, and Nandita Das left after having her first child. Rahul Bose, previously slated to play Saleem in an aborted BBC adaptation, was cast as Zulfikar; Shabana Azmi played Naseem. Principal photography began in February 2011 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, due to fears of protests by Muslim fundamentalists and Indian political loyalists.

Cast members had secrecy clauses in their contracts. Production design was handled by Dilip Mehta, who imported Delhi-style furniture, props, and costumes from India. The working title was Winds of Change. Filming lasted 69 days from February to May 2011, using 800 extras.

Release

Its Indian premiere occurred on 10 December 2012 at the 17th International Film Festival of Kerala. After the premiere, Indian National Congress leaders objected to the film's portrayal of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and other leaders, leading to the cancellation of further screenings at the festival, which drew criticism. Distribution rights in India were acquired by PVR Pictures, and the film was released on 1 February 2013 with minimal cuts, achieved through careful casting and script treatment by Mehta, who avoided drawing attention to the actress playing Mrs Gandhi.

Critical reception

Nishi Tiwari of Rediff.com gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it a must-watch for those wanting to experience Rushdie's storytelling in a more accessible format. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 41% rating based on 59 reviews, with the critical consensus noting that while the film is beautiful and poignant in spots, the script is indulgent and the direction fails to cohesively bring the story together. Claudia Puig of USA Today described it as having beautiful moments and decent performances but ultimately failing to engage emotionally. Liam Lacy of The Globe and Mail called it watchable without feeling essential.