Zahid R. Chaudhary

Zahid R. Chaudhary is an Associate Professor of English at Princeton University, located in McCosh Hall. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and focuses on postcolonial studies, visual culture, and critical theory. His research explores the intersections of colonialism, media, and political theory, with notable works including Afterimage of Empire: Photography in Nineteenth-Century India (2012) and Paranoid Publics: Psychopolitics of Truth (forthcoming 2025). Chaudhary investigates topics such as impunity, neoliberalism, and the cultural effects of political polarization through interdisciplinary lenses.

His research spans colonial photography, psychoanalytic theory, and contemporary media studies. Recent projects analyze the global dimensions of impunity across legal, economic, and aesthetic frameworks. Chaudhary has also held a membership at the School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study (2023-24).

Teaching interests include British literature, film studies, and postcolonial theory, with courses such as Psychoanalysis and Postcolonialism and Mimesis. His scholarship engages with thinkers like Walter Benjamin, Frantz Fanon, and Jacques Derrida, emphasizing the ethical and political dimensions of cultural critique.