Filmmakers often replace certain motifs that are included in a novel. In the adaptation of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the motifs, symbols, and allusions are downplayed. These changes might have been made to move the story in one direction and to emphasize a more important theme. It is up to the filmmaker to decide whether each element to make the film will match up with what the author intended or whether it will be altered to fit one specific theme or plot. In The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the geography, the allegorical meaning of Chris, and Changez’s beard are all motifs, symbols, or allusions that are included in the novel and film.
In the novel, Chris had a more important role in Erica's life and was a key part in her downfall, more so than in the film. Chris represented nostalgic Christianity as an allegorical symbol. The filmmaker, Mira Nair, does not include how Erica might have committed suicide because of her nostalgia for Chris because it might have been a distraction from the main plot that she had in mind. It is more evident in the novel that Chris represents more than who he is and has more than a face value. Nair does not emphasize enough the allegorical meaning behind who Chris is and the significance he had for
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In the film, the beginning scene starts off with Qawwali singers and takes you into the culture of Lahore, which is brought out through food, community, and architecture. Lahore is very much downplayed in the novel but is brought to life through the Pakistani culture. Geography also consists of resources and Lahore was being affected by having low resources, especially money. Lahore’s geography was being affected by bigger industries like Manila and New York throughout the flashbacks that were included in Changez’s story. New York offered more for Changez than Lahore and the audience can see this motif better in the film than the reader can in the