The coveted and prestigious Golden Globe Award 2009 to ‘Slum dog Millionaire’ heralded the arrival of an all Indian star cast in the global arena. The weeks preceding the award ceremony saw most of the International broadcasters and towards the end, even Indian news channels play up the nomination of Danny Boyle directed film as the front runner at this year’s award. To an average Indian, this came as no big surprise with the country doing well on most fronts, this was almost along expected lines. The declaration of the award only enthused millions of Indians across the country to watch the film either on release on 23rd Jan 2009 or download it from the internet / commercial DVDs.
The exhilaration and pride of watching Indian stars led by the distinguished, noted, established film star and director Anil Kapoor lasted just until one saw the movie. Alas, the shame and disgrace projected of this great nation with its rich culture and heritage would put any sane educated Indian citizen to run for cover. For one who has operated for two decades in the Mumbai International Airport, both as crew and as passenger, it was horrendous feeling deep within to see it being portrayed as an airfield that has kids playing cricket besides the runway with aircraft taking off !! Which airfield in the world does this happen at? Forget human beings, even animal and birds straying on the airstrip are prevented at great costs. Mumbai airport is one of the oldest International airport and has always maintained amongst the highest standards required by world civil aviation agencies. Worse still, the area is shown to have ‘makeshift’ toilets with early morning queue by slum dwellers. All airfields are ‘prohibited areas’ and portraying something that is untrue is not only unethical but in poor taste. The icing on the cake is surely the poor slum dweller who finds himself latched inside the ‘makeshift’ toilet and has to dive into the very pit he was defecating and swim through the sewer lines, melee through the crowd dripping in “muk” to meet his favourite filmstar and idol………only for an autograph that is subsequently pawned by a friend of his for five cents!!! One wonders as to when did the famous ‘dhobi talao’ in Mumbai become a tourist destination? Who are these tourists that are guided by touts to such places only to have their vehicle ‘jacked up’ and wheels stolen? Which world are we living in? Is this true of India? Which educated Indian would today come to the fore and bear witness to this fact. Or is it to tickle the fancies of the lil’ Nancy’s in the jury at International awards?
This can only be thought of by people who have never had it bad in life, who do not have to struggle to make ends meet and have a problem of plenty. Is there any sanity in such portrayal or betrayal? The very story concept is bereft of any real substance. The way the game show, around which the entire movie hinges or has been shown to be conducted would convey to the world at large that Indian game shows with the highest TRP rating and emotions is ‘rigged’ at every stage. In which respected game show do you find the host or anchor conniving with the contestant and aiming to mislead him? Worse still at a urinal….. speaks of a very poor mindset. The climax was the unraveling of the story in a police station with scant regard to the language used and the ‘excesses’ by the police……..electric shock to an underage detainee? One cannot deny police atrocities to the downtrodden, but the scale and reasons are simply bewildering for anyone who has grown up in this country and in an age where nothing of this nature would escape the media glare…… especially of a reputed game show as the one portrayed. Obviously, it was an attempt at the poor human rights record often projected of third world countries. Well, we have to hand it to Mr Danny Boyle for the depiction that won him accolades world over and even his success at the nomination of the movie for the forthcoming Oscar Awards. The first reaction by the eminent film star Amitabh Bacchan on the movie did give a notion of ‘grapes are sour’ but in retrospect after watching the movie, one cannot but agree with him in totality.
When viewed holistically, the concept and storyline is perverse figment of imagination to savor the salivating palette of the rich in the advanced countries. It is a one stop shop for all one can imagine in this day and age……..poor condition of schools, living conditions, lack of basic amenities, communal riots, forced mutilation of body to earn sympathy and begging as a racket etc. All these are often heard of and portrayed to earn ‘big bucks’ from sponsors abroad who imagine that they would fulfill their moral obligation by subscribing to these through such ‘rogues’ who wouldn’t mind selling their country to fill their own coffers.
The exhilaration and pride of watching Indian stars led by the distinguished, noted, established film star and director Anil Kapoor lasted just until one saw the movie. Alas, the shame and disgrace projected of this great nation with its rich culture and heritage would put any sane educated Indian citizen to run for cover. For one who has operated for two decades in the Mumbai International Airport, both as crew and as passenger, it was horrendous feeling deep within to see it being portrayed as an airfield that has kids playing cricket besides the runway with aircraft taking off !! Which airfield in the world does this happen at? Forget human beings, even animal and birds straying on the airstrip are prevented at great costs. Mumbai airport is one of the oldest International airport and has always maintained amongst the highest standards required by world civil aviation agencies. Worse still, the area is shown to have ‘makeshift’ toilets with early morning queue by slum dwellers. All airfields are ‘prohibited areas’ and portraying something that is untrue is not only unethical but in poor taste. The icing on the cake is surely the poor slum dweller who finds himself latched inside the ‘makeshift’ toilet and has to dive into the very pit he was defecating and swim through the sewer lines, melee through the crowd dripping in “muk” to meet his favourite filmstar and idol………only for an autograph that is subsequently pawned by a friend of his for five cents!!! One wonders as to when did the famous ‘dhobi talao’ in Mumbai become a tourist destination? Who are these tourists that are guided by touts to such places only to have their vehicle ‘jacked up’ and wheels stolen? Which world are we living in? Is this true of India? Which educated Indian would today come to the fore and bear witness to this fact. Or is it to tickle the fancies of the lil’ Nancy’s in the jury at International awards?
This can only be thought of by people who have never had it bad in life, who do not have to struggle to make ends meet and have a problem of plenty. Is there any sanity in such portrayal or betrayal? The very story concept is bereft of any real substance. The way the game show, around which the entire movie hinges or has been shown to be conducted would convey to the world at large that Indian game shows with the highest TRP rating and emotions is ‘rigged’ at every stage. In which respected game show do you find the host or anchor conniving with the contestant and aiming to mislead him? Worse still at a urinal….. speaks of a very poor mindset. The climax was the unraveling of the story in a police station with scant regard to the language used and the ‘excesses’ by the police……..electric shock to an underage detainee? One cannot deny police atrocities to the downtrodden, but the scale and reasons are simply bewildering for anyone who has grown up in this country and in an age where nothing of this nature would escape the media glare…… especially of a reputed game show as the one portrayed. Obviously, it was an attempt at the poor human rights record often projected of third world countries. Well, we have to hand it to Mr Danny Boyle for the depiction that won him accolades world over and even his success at the nomination of the movie for the forthcoming Oscar Awards. The first reaction by the eminent film star Amitabh Bacchan on the movie did give a notion of ‘grapes are sour’ but in retrospect after watching the movie, one cannot but agree with him in totality.
When viewed holistically, the concept and storyline is perverse figment of imagination to savor the salivating palette of the rich in the advanced countries. It is a one stop shop for all one can imagine in this day and age……..poor condition of schools, living conditions, lack of basic amenities, communal riots, forced mutilation of body to earn sympathy and begging as a racket etc. All these are often heard of and portrayed to earn ‘big bucks’ from sponsors abroad who imagine that they would fulfill their moral obligation by subscribing to these through such ‘rogues’ who wouldn’t mind selling their country to fill their own coffers.
