Slumdogs and superstars: negotiating the culture of terror

The War on Terror has brought about a transformation of the cultural sphere as the US-led coalition propagated Islamophobic narratives, identifying Muslims as a threat to the security of nations. This article examines the blockbuster film Slumdog Millionaire (Boyle/Tandan, 2008) as an instance in this War, revealing its cultural politics. Beginning with an examination of the key (trans)national issues raised by the film, I analyse Slumdog's representation of its two Muslim protagonists. The article ends with a discussion of how two Bollywood superstars, A.R. Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan, have publicly negotiated their Indian/Muslim identities in relation to the film. The article draws attention to the centrality of the national in constructions of the global in the culture of terror.