An interesting mix of facts and fiction is the highlight of Mohammed Hanif’s latest novel, Rebel English Academy. This style of storytelling, however, is not new to Hanif’s readers. His 2008 Booker-longlisted novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes and his 2010 novel Our Lady of Alice Bhatti also explored themes that are part history and part fiction.
A well-crafted satirical commentary on religiosity, patriarchy and military authoritarianism, Rebel English Academy reads like a whodunnit. Set in the fictional OK Town, the story begins with the execution of the ousted leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by General Zia-ul-Haq. An ISI officer named Captain Gul is posted in OK Town to get Bhutto’s supporters arrested, who are self-immolating in protest.
Hanif writes, “All prisoners but one are asleep in their cells, restless, dreaming of their victims or their loved ones, which in most cases are the same people. The Rawalipindi sky is clear and full of stars; all the talk about omens is rubbish: there are no meteor showers, no storms brewing on the horizon, the sky is not going to shed tears of blood, the earth is not about to split open and swallow its wretched inhabitants and their grief.”
The story quickly transitions into a movie-like plot somewhat similar to the 2026 Oscar winner One Battle After Another. Following Bhutto’s execution, the narrative shifts towards a washed-up revolutionary, Sir Baghi, living as a teacher in OK Town and running the Rebel English Academy. Hanif writes, “Baghi had wanted to do many things in life: bring a violent revolution, make the rich suffer, give all the peasants’ children a world-class education. But right now he was content doing small courtesies.”
The setting adds layers to the already twisted plot as Baghi (rebel) is an atheist and runs his academy inside a mosque. Baghi’s brother-friend Molly, who also happens to be the maulvi of the mosque, brings a young woman named Sahiba Bano to Baghi’s academy. Thus follows a whirlwind of incidents that entangle every character in a web following Bhutto’s execution.
Sahiba is the daughter of a trade unionist who disappears after his renowned photo with Bhutto comes out during the post-Bhutto era. Her character faces immense brutality and sexual violence at the hands of most of the male characters in the novel. Sahiba’s PT teacher rapes her. She marries a much older man who sells male enhancement snake oils and exploits her. There’s a weird equation she shares with Molly, who tries to pursue her despite being married. Then comes Captain Gul, who is attracted to her and wants to be a messiah without her consent. Sahiba is seen suffering repeatedly throughout the novel. Hanif writes, “Sahiba has heard men before who claim they were in love with her when all they wanted was to see her with her clothes off.”
Hanif’s words come as an attack on the authoritarian military leadership in Pakistan. He effortlessly marries myth with reality and questions history written by the powerful. Hanif’s writing style reminds you of French philosopher Roland Barthes definition of myth. According to Barthes, myth is not just a story but a clever move. It presents an individual perspective as a universal truth. In this case, it is that version of reality that is twisted and turned by the State to its own convenience, and presented as reality to the common people. This forms the central theme of Rebel English Academy.
Hanif’s critique of the socio-political structure in Pakistan has been quite loud in his writings. The corpus stylistics analysis of his novels also suggests that words that have been repeatedly used by him in his novels are ‘Zia’ and ‘men’. It tells you about Hanif’s interest in understanding and questioning the psyche of power and patriarchy. Another factor that makes his books popular is their ability to transcend time and space. There is an eerie similarity with the current socio-political structure in Pakistan.
There are no heroes in Hanif’s stories. His characters are sketched on a grey canvas. They have layers of good, bad and ugly. He doesn’t write a man of religion or an atheist as perfect or imperfect. The childhood sexual encounter between Molly and Baghi in the book can be a good example of this analysis. Hanif writes, “Molly stood up, drew the curtains, picked up a large round satin-covered pillow that Abba used for his bad back, put it between his thighs and started riding it shamelessly. Baghi could never remember at what point he started riding that pillow horse from the other side.”
Hanif’s writing, however, can be bleak and filled with hopelessness at times. It is dark and can leave the readers with a sense of heaviness. If you’re looking to find hope, Hanif’s writings may not be for you. But if you’re looking to understand power and authoritarianism, laced with humour that screams, Hanif is definitely your go-to guy. Maybe a rebel with a cause.