To me, Slumdog Millionaire was a movie with good humour, an well edited story with slum life in mumbai being portrayed. I felt ashamed watching some of the events that happens in India being shown on screen. Some of the scenes include Communal fights, Child's eyes being blinded off for making use of the as beggars, young girls used for adultery, etc.,
At first, I felt that it was all facts that this movie was showing on screen and there was nothing wrong about it, until a scene that mentions about real india and a mention about american pride.
There was a scene wherein an a small boy who acts as a guide takes ameican tourists to a slum area wherein the car they had travelled is being looted by his fellow friends. when the boy was beaten by the driver of the car for the act, a dialog was said by the boy which portrays that looting event is a glimpse of real india.
The director here tries to bring down the reputation of an nation showcasing a set of events on which only a small portion of the people are involved. The funny part is the american touristers reply to the boy conveying that they will show the true nature of what America is all about and they give some money to the boy.
I see a sense of self pride exhibited here. I can give so many examples in my personal life where in i got cheated by some of the folks over here in america. It would be stupid, if i claim that people over here are bad, by few experiences that i had. The Director of the movie did the same mistake. Showing reality is good, but for that sense, commenting on what true india is and mentioning his coutries pride just shows the impact that india had on him. I guess he is probably jealous or impacted by the growth that India is on.
What do you think about my thoughts?
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just trying
ReplyDeletegood post now i
ReplyDelete1.you are being 'defensive' and it a human nature. we never want to hear or see that proves that we are not good. now that is getting aggravated in you when u talk about looting scene etc BUT WOULD YOU HAVE FELT THE SAME ANGER OR SHAME, HAS IT BEEN BANGLADESH OR NIGERIA ? answer is NO becaues you are no prejudiced. so my point 1, if you dont take it personally its wasnt that bad. tourist getting robbed / raped / murders happens all the time in all the countries it was just that the movie in question was about india so u feel that way
more comments to follow....
2. now coming to next point about the director.
ReplyDeletegulzar the famous indian lyricist and one of the gentleman in the indian film industry upon interviewing said that Satyajit ray, Gurudutt (who were indians) made clasics showing poverty / weaknesses/ exploitation in india and ppl objected that they are trying to spoil the image of the country by showing negative but WERE THEY? answer is NO. its a great thing to admit that u have a flaw (personally or as a nation). now when Danny boyle does it u think its AMERICANS but u must be knowing this story is written by an indian and adapted by Danny so he just potrayed what some indian who had seen all this had to say.
3. as a fact, POVERTY sells and movies are all about business. nobody does charity all the time. has it been a sweet love story it wouldnt have got oscars. they have plenty of love stories and they have got bored with it. POVERTY (be it india or some country in africa)...its a new subject for them and plus interestingly countries who are developed feel guitly somewhere and get touched upon after seeing such movies and they love it.
ReplyDeletesimple questions: has any indian got touched by this movie as much as an american? answer is NO. its harsh but we have witnessed it and we have got slowly used to it. and thats why its not a great movie for us but for them its a big thing.
4. its not self pride of america or anything. i have seen american movies showing real bad things about their own country. now that takes lot of courage but they do.
ReplyDeleteone learning all viewers shoul have is that movies shouldnt be GENERALIZED. thats one incident...not the story of the nation. accept it that good and bad people are there everywhere (BE it india or america)
keep writing Karthik. i was not critical about you. i know lot of indians feel like you and i m proud that u have the guts to write down your feelings.