Recently got an opportunity to watch the current craze "Slumdog Millionaire". First of all let me have the pleasure of congratulating the entire cast and crew for making waves in "Hollywood" and winning oscars.
I am neither a film critic nor a trident wielding nationalist. But with the senses of an ordinary Indian citizen I found the film "Offending" to say the least.
Let me first delve into the reasons for this film becoming such a huge hit.
The westerners are a developed lot. Of course they have achieved success and prosperity on their own and I truly appreciate that. But sadly, they don't have something which we have in abundance: "poverty". So whenever they want to see it they turn towards India with unrepentant hope and obscene excitement.
Slumdog....has all the masala of a poverty flick. It shows India in the way the westerners want 2 see. A slum boy in deep shit(sic), inefficient call centre employees, exploited children getting trained to become beggars,communal violence, rude policemen, nude children.Rope in a love story mired in suffering and the picture becomes complete. It is slum tourism at its best....or perhaps worst.More aptly it can be called a "Poverty Porn".
All the hoopla about "Slumdog...." being an "ode to life" and it representing hope in the times of economic despair is simply rubbish. It does shows hope, but quite an unrealistic one. I felt like this was a way to ward off any negative impression about this film.
Indian film industry has made a few better films if not all. But, they were not considered for Oscar coz
1. they were not sent by the Indian Govt.
2. those which have been sent didn't show what the jury wanted to see......
Questions raised are many:
Do we need an Oscar to know whether our artists are good enough? It smacks of our defeatist mentality which makes us yearn for foreign recognition.
Do we need a "Danny Boyle" to extract an Oscar winning performance from Indian artists?
I know I'm against the popular perception about this film but I am entitled to my own view.
From the "Land of snake charmers" India has become the "Land of Slumdogs"........and we are celebrating!!!
