Slumdog Millionaire

Hi friends. How are you? I am writing again after a long gap. I hope you are fine and had a safe Holi. On that note belated happy Holi to all of you.

Well today’s blog is something that I thought of writing ever since I saw t

he controversial movie by Danny Boyle- Slumdog millionaire. Therefore, I did a bit of research work. I followed all kinds of discussions on this movie in print media and different news channels. Our movie stars are putting forward their 

opinion. Forget film stars and all big shots even my little sisters, my parents, my aunts each has a take on this movie. Seriously speaking this is the first time in my life I am seeing so much discussion on a film in India. Does Slumdog Millionaire portrays the true India –the India that is shining? Everybody has his or her own opinion.

My stand on it is a simple YES. It represents the true India. The life of the slum that has being shown is meticulously portrayed. Whatever be our slogan India shining incredible India etc but the fact is that we are far from reaching that level. I simply have no problem in seeing India’s underbelly because take case of any ‘developed’ country; they all have gone through phases where their poverty was portrayed in forms of art  and what’s wrong in calling a spade ‘spade’.

Now coming to the content of the movie. The movie depicts a story of a boy-as aptly put in the movie’s tag line-who is born to loss and destined to win. Very true. Lost his innocence due to the tough life he came across, lost his mother in a Hindu Muslim riot at early age but at the end, what he achieves is something, which he seems to be destined for. I believe more than destiny it was because of cause and effects. Since he was a street smart, exemplarily sharp boy, he managed to pull of the historic win in the show.

Now as the movie has won Oscars the question that is being raised all over India is whether we should be so fanatic about it as it is made by a Briton. 

Well it is a question, which I feel, cannot be answered with a blatant YES or NO. To start off with the talent that is showcased by Indian film industry people like Gulzar Sahab,A.R. Rahaman, Resul Pookuty, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan and many more technicians- created a share magic on the screen- is simply exemplary. I see this movie acted as an excellent bridge between the west and east style of filmmaking and gave our country the brilliant opportunity to proof ourselves in the world’s stage. Oscar, Golden Globe and Bafta and many more to come is a validation that our technicians are at par with the rest of there peers all across the globe. As a movie lover, this gives me immense pleasure and makes me hope that some day an Indian produced and directed movie will get this kind of world recognition.

However, in the movie’s other side I see an ignorant director who tries to show the world the India that they love to believe. If a British kid do not know anything about India and watches this movie, I believe he/she will perceive our country as a piece of land where its inhabitants are uncivilized, illiterate and insensible, a country where human rights are given the least importance. Well am sorry to say Mr. Boyle got everything wrong about India. We are a country, which gave the world the number zero; we are country where education was flourishing while rest of the world was sleeping in the Dark Age. We are country where civilization and sensitivity to fellow beings and nature got it meaning.  I know you must be thinking why am I telling you all these. Friends these facts are not meant to be in the general knowledge books. These facts needs to be remembered always and felt proud off. And when an ignorant person like Mr. Boyle makes mistakes we must stand up and point him out where he went wrong and also hurt our sentiments.

The movie is an adaptation of a book called Q&A by Vikas Swarup. I feel whenever a director decides to do a adaptation he needs to have respect for the author.

 To make the thing better director can look into the story from the author’s eye’s also and find out his point of view. After seeing, the movie and know

ing some facts about the book I have serious doubt whether Danny ever felt like consulting with the author forget about look at his point of view. He just took the theme and decided here is a story line through which he can vent his obnoxious opinion about India. Had he discussed with the author and had respect for we Indians he would not have given the film a communal overtone by given the name of the protagonist an Islamic name Jamal Mallick. In the book, the author intelligently gave the name of the same character Ram Mohhamed Thomas so that none feels targeted. Moreover, in the book, Ram Mohhamed Thomas was shown as an orphan but in the movie, Jamal had mother so that she could be shown killed by the Hindus who senselessly goes after kill the Muslims. What point Mr.Boyle tries to drive home is I hope is clear to you all. Apart from these, showing a vengeful Lord Rama was one of the many other intentional assaults that Mr.Boyle has done to the Hindus and has brutally mocked at our idea of secularism.

Now after seeing all the award shows, I have serious doubt in the intentions of the film making fraternity of the west. Is this there business strategy to enter our film market in a big way and tap our cheaper resources and mammoth market? I do not know. Time will tell it but history shows that the same strategy was undertaken by the cosmetic industry year ago by awarding many not so worthy and some worthy women with the beauty pageants.