Slum Dog Millionaire
I finally watched the movie and here’s what I think of the same. At the start, this movie seemed to me as an out and out commercial flick whose sole purpose is about getting publicity, making money and dramatization. Thankfully, halfway through the movie, my opinion changed.
Lets start with the name of the movie.. Slum Dog? What about slum gives one (anyone) the liberty to call them Dogs??
Why is Anil Kapoor as the host of the 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' so condescending towards Jamal (Dev Patel) right from the beginning of the show? - The only logic that is portrayed is that because Jamal is a person from the Slum? Do you guys see any reason to this? I can understand his behavior towards the end of the show - he doesn’t want anyone to win this show and he be robbed of his money. But did anyone understand those mannerisms of Anil Kapoor during the start??
And then the disgusting scene where little Jamal deep dives into the shit pool, and the scenes where the children's eyes are removed to get them ready for begging- don’t know what to think of them. I started with - what does the director want to portray by showing such disgusting realities.. How much of it portrays 'Real India’. True there might be slums like that. But how much percent of the slums are as dirty as that. Shouldn’t be more that 20 % I feel. I know this for sure, coz I have been working with a slum for the past 3 years. And the reality of the other 80% slums is much different that that portrayed (Just for the readers knowledge - the slum that is portrayed is Dharavi - which is Asia's largest and most densely slum. And also FYI - Dharavi is also very well known for the leather market that it has within it and you get extremely good leather goods at extremely reasonable prices). Slums are called slums only because their earning capacity makes them below the poverty line.
About the scenes and realities of the beggar gangs - I was left with this - If this is common knowledge - What is the Govt. doing about this. How come is this allowed? I am upset because, I have seen the beggar gangs actually sprouting and thriving in Bangalore, right in front of my eyes in the past 3 years. Have no Politicians, Govt officials noticed this. How come - nobody is doing anything about it ??
How come do we let some foreign director portray the eccentricities of India and get celebrated because he showed all the negative eccentricities ??
What have we won the Oscar awards for ?? For creativity, technicality, acting, direction? Or are people celebrating seeing the slums and beggar gangs - thinking that they are getting to see the taste of 'Real India' ??
Thankfully though, around 40 minutes into the movie, the real story that is intended to be shown begins - that of the love story of Jamal and Lathika and the plot behind it. That ultimately destiny rules your life. One does get hooked to the honest, straight character of Jamal and his 'never say die' attitude, the 'true love' that he has for Lathika and how he keeps going back to find her.
You would fall in love with the three kids who portray Jamal, Salim and Lathika in their childhood. Their innocence, their playfulness, their mischief really reach out to you. The plot of the movie - the story of Jamal - intertwined with the game show - is very creatively and tastefully done and once you get hooked on to the movie and the game show, there is no looking back.
All in all, this movie is quite an enjoyable experience.
Note - I am not saying the first 2-3 paragraphs because a foreign director has directed this movie.
What I truly feel is that people who are in a position to influence the general public (the movie directors, writers, politicians, leaders in various fields) need to show more responsibility when they are showing or doing a piece of art that is meant for a larger audience. What I am concerned about is that, people who have no idea on slums will end up thinking that slums in general are as dirty as that - Which is NOT TRUE! Or the foreign audience may end up thinking that India is about Dirty Slums, beggars and mafia - Which is again NOT TRUE!
My opinion on the Oscar Nomination -Technically and Creatively, I honestly believe that are better made Bollywood films like Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti, Wednesday. Music wise I would rate the songs in Bombay, Roja to be much better than SDM.
On a positive note - If this is what it takes for a movie to win an Oscar, then I am proud to say that Bollywood movies are of a much better quality and taste.
8 comments:
Dear Veena,
I was looking forward to your views on this movie. You usually have such intense likes and dislikes and this movie was already neck-deep in controversy, hence the curiosity. I must say that you didn't disappoint me :) I guess your experience of working with children from slum colored your views a bit.
As for me, never once did it strike me that India was being portrayed in a bad light in this movie. It is not about a country or race, it is just a touching story told brilliantly.
I never could understand this stand that by showing slums of India the rest of the world would get the wrong image of India. I don't believe in creating images at all. We should be as we are; let others judge away. Why should it matter to us? Once they visit India, they WILL get impressed with our grand history, our warmth and simplicity. I've seen many foreigners leave with a very positive impression of India.
Basically, the fact of life is, no matter how much you try, people will judge you wrongly. Its a no-win situation. And I've learned something over the years - "When Peter says something about Parul, he reveals more about Peter than about Paul." It means that when we judge someone, we are exposing our own weaknesses and biases to the world, we are not harming or helping the object of our judgment in any way.
Dear Veena, this is not about 'Slumdog' as I haven't seen it yet.
Got to see the pictures of your drawing room finally! I loved the blue and white on the sofas. I've never had the courage to try this combination, smitten as I've always been with the earth colours. Kudos to you and love always! :)
Dear Veenakka just goin thru yr blog..enjoyed yr bglore flowers!
havent seen slumdog as yet..infact going tonight,so dont know how good/bad the movie is
What I would like to point out is that poverty,slums,exploitation are all part of India & very visible everywhere. Why is this reality such a shock when shown on screen? Why should we always only see glamorous rich indians singing & dancing with the swiss alps in the background? Why should we worry about foriegner's /the west perceptions about India? The fact is that poverty, the class divide is everywhere in India .
I have seen how poor people are talked to & treated ..even in hospitals. From what I have seen if you are poor in India[probably any where in the world] you have no human rights & are never treated with any respect.
That a british filmmaker had the courage to show a poor Indian's story is commendable I think.
Atleast in the past we had commercial movies like deewar or coolie showing the poor man's struggle.Now all I get to see is decked up stars prancing about.
I highly recommend Arvind Adiga's The white Tiger.Again a story about a poor Indian in ' India Shining ',much appreciated by the west.A very angry ,brutally honest book...it's uncomfortable reading...but there was nothing in the book which I felt was untrue.
let me know what you think of the book! Regards to Jiju
dear veenakka Just a query I had ..You have written "What I truly feel is that people who are in a position to influence the general public (the movie directors, writers, politicians, leaders in various fields) need to show more responsibility when they are showing or doing a piece of art that is meant for a larger audience"
Why? Is it irresponsible to show reality? All of Danny Boyle's film was shot in an actual slum,not on a set. Should we hide poverty,dirt,slums because this is not an India we want the world to know?
I saw Boyle's interview where he said the dog in the title meant underdog...an underdog frm the slums was the winner.
Just read that a man in MP poisoned his 3 daughers,wife & himself because he couldnt feed them with his 50Rs /day salary . Malnutrition rates in MP are supposed to be the same /if not worse than subsaharan Africa. This has never been an election issue ever. Why? Because its the poor who are starving & they are voiceless?
India is land of huge divides,socially,financially.culturally...there is a lot of great but also a lot of terrible ....i think!
again I havent seen the movie so dont how it is ....but I know everybodys unhappy about the poverty being shown..
I remember amma saying that Satyajit Ray is only famous because he showed all the horrible poverty in India to the west!
Hope you dont mind me saying all this!
Just saw the movie..agree with you that it is not a great movie...infact it is quite like a romantic bollywood movie!
the best thing about the movie were the kids...but the slums,the kids working on trains ,i've seen that a thousand times in India.
If you look at past Oscar winners they havebeen pretty rubbish...Titanic for eg...dont know why this particular movie has caught everybody's imagination.
Neelu, Prutha, Roli.. thanks for the comments.. Please find my replies inline
Nilu,
>>As for me, never once did it strike me that India was being portrayed in a bad light in this movie. It is not about a country or race, it is just a >>touching story told brilliantly.
Nilu, read my reply to this at the end .
>>I never could understand this stand that by showing slums of India the rest of the world would get the wrong image of India. I don't believe in creating
>>images at all. We should be as we are; let others judge away. Why should it matter to us? Once they visit India, they WILL get impressed with our grand >>history, our warmth and simplicity. I've seen many foreigners leave with a very positive impression of India.
Nilu, read my reply to this at the end .
>>Basically, the fact of life is, no matter how much you try, people will judge you wrongly. Its a no-win situation. And I've learned something over the
>>years - "When Peter says something about Parul, he reveals more about Peter than about Paul." It means that when we judge someone, we are exposing our own >>weaknesses and biases to the world, we are not harming or helping the object of our judgment in any way.
That part is true.. The oscar nominations did speak a lot about the people who represent the 'oscar awards comittee' :)
Roli,
Welcome to the blogosphere.. Hope to see your blog soon.
>>Dear Veena, this is not about 'Slumdog' as I haven't seen it yet.
Now that you have seen it , how did you like it..
>>Got to see the pictures of your drawing room finally! I loved the blue and white on the sofas. I've never had the courage to try this combination, smitten
>>as I've always been with the earth colours. Kudos to you and love always! :)
Thanks for the compliment.. any compliment is always a welcome :).. Your house is also very beautifully done.. :)
Dear Prutha,
Good to see you here .. and was pleasantly surprised at so many of your comments.. please find my replies inline and at the end.
>>havent seen slumdog as yet..infact going tonight,so dont know how good/bad the movie is
>>What I would like to point out is that poverty,slums,exploitation are all part of India & very visible everywhere. Why is this reality such a shock when
>>shown on screen? Why should we always only see glamorous rich indians singing & dancing with the swiss alps in the background? Why should we worry about >>foriegner's /the west perceptions about India? The fact is that poverty, the class divide is everywhere in India .
Hmm. Somehow I have missed to convey what I wanted to . Read my reply below.
>>I highly recommend Arvind Adiga's The white Tiger.Again a story about a poor Indian in ' India Shining ',much appreciated by the west.A very angry >>,brutally honest book...it's uncomfortable reading...but there was nothing in the book which I felt was untrue.
Want to read it myself. Have heard so much about it.
>>dear veenakka Just a query I had ..You have written "What I truly feel is that people who are in a position to influence the general public (the movie >>directors, writers, politicians, leaders in various fields) need to show more responsibility when they are showing or doing a piece of art that is meant
>>for a larger audience"
>>Why? Is it irresponsible to show reality? All of Danny Boyle's film was shot in an actual slum,not on a set. Should we hide poverty,dirt,slums because this >>is not an India we want the world to know?
Will answer this at the end.
>>I saw Boyle's interview where he said the dog in the title meant underdog...an underdog frm the slums was the winner.
Thanks for letting me know.. The name , for sure, doesnt sound like underdog.
>>India is land of huge divides,socially,financially.culturally...there is a lot of great but also a lot of terrible ....i think!
>>again I havent seen the movie so dont how it is ....but I know everybodys unhappy about the poverty being shown..
Prutha and Neel, First thanks for raising your questions and putting in your comments. I dont have any issues about showing the poverty or slum in India. I guess the foriegn channels show that all the time. Even the wikipedia link on Dharavi talks about all its poverty and sanitation issues.
Now there are three concerns to be specific.
a. Lets say you have a neighbour or a friend. And lets say that this neighbour / friend are the most beautiful human beings you have ever met in your life. They are not so well off though, so you will see poverty- read broken furnitures, cheap stuff , and things( books, clothes ) thrown around the house. When you go to their house, you dont even notice the unkempt house- you just notice the neighbour/friend , get connected to that person. You notice the most genuine smile they have, the sense of responsibility they have ( that most of the times people in your own house might not have ), their hardworking - never say die attitude, their big heart - they are willing to share whatever little they have.
Now, someone comes and video's "just" their unkempt house and goes back and shows it to the whole damn world. And you are left thinking - did that guy really not see what I see every single time I visit this friend. And then the question arises - Did he not see or Did he choose not to see or Did he choose to show what HE wanted to show . And then I think that maybe there was a purpose behind doing that - but I find none. Its only when I dont find satisfactory answers to the above questions, do I question the intention of that new visitor.
b. The second point arises , when such a video gets international recognision. Now the problem here is - 1. . Was that video, done so well technically , that it got the world's most coveted award . I fail to get a 'yes' for that answer.
2. Then , what on hell, did we get the award for ????????? Hence my grief...
And that is why, I question the sanctity of the awards ...
3. The third point is about the responsibility part - Having said the point 'a.'- I guess , you would understand why I would call the movie irresponsible. What the director showed definately is the reality. But then, what did he actually see in that home ???? Or what did he show ???
People who have no idea on that family, would be left with - Gosh ! That family is really unkempt.. :( .. Now, not all will be influenced by that video - I would agree on that- but a lot of them will be.
Would want you to read
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/slumdog-millionaire-boosts-mumbais-slum-tourism-industry/413939/
And this should be only the beginning.
On a positive note - I hope this is taken as a wake up call by the Government of India.
Hope I have tried to answer a few of your questions.
Its really fine your views and words. I usually never go deep about the vision which reflects the inner soul of any human being.
A picture if its good or bad but to check the visualisation how works.
Anyway, we bag in 8 oscar this time for this particular MOVIE really should be a SHOCK to the international movie makers.
very good and I wish this moment great achievement in this regard
rajan perintalmanna
@rajan perintalmanna,
It is a shock.. not to the international movie makers.. but perhaps to the thousands of Indians here.. Along with the shock, ofcourse there is a sense of happiness for the ones who well deserve the award - like for instance the music awards..
Thanks for visiting my blog ..
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