Slumdog Millionaire – What a media hype!!

There has been too much of media hype and blogging from numerous people, as esteemed as AB, on Slumdog Millionaire stuff. I don’t consider my post can help settle or fuel further already created masala controversy. Yet the increasing number of articles and headlines about the movie’s theme and subject irked me to this post.

First thing first, SDM is great movie and I must say it was a pleasant surprised since I didn’t expect this much from the movie. The screen play, the riveting story line, the solid acting especially by the kids, and last but not the least the award winning music composition by A.R. I was excited when this movie won accolades at the Golden Globe. As much as this movie has enjoyed success in hearts of its audience, as much it has been denigrated by several seemingly pro-Indian patrons mainly for two things. First that this movie shows poor side of India and second that westerns made a movie on Indian poverty, got appreciated but if an Indian were to do the same, he wouldn’t get the same. Let me take a shot at these two points.

Before getting into details, I guess I need to make an obvious point that has been overlooked. SDM is a movie and not a representation of our beloved India’s overall state of existence. Yes, SDM represents the poor and shabby side of Mumbai. But what’s wrong in that? Isn’t the whole story a reality check? Deep inside, we all know that such places, children, and social elements exist within our society. Why we need to run and hide from some of the compelling inequalities. And what’s wrong if someone focused on this subject just like movies focus on the corruption in Bihar, glamorized fashion world etc. I read some of the comments that dissected the movie extremely narrowly. For instance, a fellow blogger mentioned that she didn’t like the filthy things shown in the movie since she thought that no one can be such a huge fan of a film star to jump in his own shit to get an autograph. Well, honestly speaking, I rate that scene in the movie among the best one. The points I thought director wants to make there was not the intellectual capital of the child but the raw passion about AB and also, plain innocence of the child - both of these were depicted meticulously, making the whole scene a memorable one. Don’t get me wrong here. I take pride in belong to India and understandably there is lot more positive happening around. I also conjure to project positive image of India because it is, in fact, positive. And I feel we are getting these accolades in world media for our progress and rightly so. However, at the same time, we should not disown some inequalities that resoundingly exist today and will continue to, unless we, the positive side of India, make some difference. If someone were to argue that West will form a deplorable image of India based on this one movie, I guess then those elements better stay away from us and neither should we be interested in those elements.

Second, there are number of voices in media today that associate the success of the movie to its western origin. Further, there are issues with the subject that NRI movies on India focus on the poor side of India because poverty sells. If I may question, isn’t it natural for a western NRI movie makers to focus on the poor side of India since that is something missing in western society today. I am surprised that no other western producer focused on this subject earlier. How much would movies focused on Indian highways, cars, airports, multiplexes, and urban places sell in American where these things are just way of life. I would have slammed SDM’s directors if he showed some unrealistic things in the story. However, I think SDM story is just few meters away from almost every Indian – Just get out of your home, hit a road, and you are likely to see a ‘Jamaal’. Further, NRI movie makers have also been focusing on other stories such as Bend It Like Becham, Namesake etc. What’s wrong if they pick up this subject? Let’s accept it – There aren’t much Indian directors who could have handled this subject so well. And if there are such directors who can, they didn’t try because they are busy making I-Feel-Good-About-India movies rather than rare movies that are packed with entertainment and social message – Like TZP or SDM.

To conclude, I think SDM is a great movie – a piece of art, that also won accolades and prizes for our Indian artists in Golden Globe and I wish best of luck now for Oscars. Let’s remember this movie for the same.