My fitness freak brother and I recently watched "Slumdog Millionaire". Though he is really impressed with the movie; I have some alternate ideas as always. Possibly my taste of movies is a slightly different from others.
It is just a normal script that goes into back flash to find out how a person who serves tea at a call centre knew all the answers? As Champa my cook says - " Hum Anpaad Log Kya Jaane". For those who are not from a Hindi background I would translate what my cook says - "We illiterate & small people know nothing". However, this script had nothing that could have glued me to the seat after 30 minutes. The moment they revealed where Jamal (the protagonist) knew the answer to first question; It was all. I knew somewhere inside me that okay so this is how he knew everything. Smart Chap!! With this the whole excitement fizzled out!! Slumdog Millionaire became an average movie for me.
Bringing my revolutionary thoughts on table, I would coincide with what Mr. Bacchan said after watching the movie. This is not the only India we want to showcase at an international level - Slums, Crime, Prostitution, Kids fooling tourists at various locations to earn their bread and butter. If that is the kind of India we present to others then do you my dearies think that tourists would be comfortable inside the country?? With pre-built notions like this - "how hospitable would we be considered at an international level".
6 comments:
Very well said, I like the logic you put in while writing and you include the right facts to prove your points...bahut achcha likha hai !
try telling this to our leaders and make them ponder over the issue.
-Angelo
Well diff. ppl diff. way of thinking .......I wuld say movie is good n go watch it....If u r going to a movie thn u dnt have to be so much practical while watching it....movies mostly are for entertainment or at times its made to give some msgs.....always c the positive side and take the best possible positive things rather thn searching for the short comings of movies or abt a person.....
Taroona,
I beg to differ from you on all counts, apropos your views on SM. I think the moot point of the movie is not about India at all, it is far more global in aspect. India is a backdrop by accident. It is, by and far, a movie depiction of the rise of the underdog. If you had seen it from that angle, you would resonate with its universal appeal. Rocky was not an american movie. So was Slumdog not an Indian movie. You might consider not to take it so personally as an ndian. And remember, since you quoted Mr. Bachchan, his comments were made before he watched the movie. I am sure his views have changed after watching the movie.
I agree that there are both Pros & Cons of a movie. Plus I also agree that different people have different opinions & that we must not always be so pratically critical about everything & enjoy the beauty in it.
But honestly if I can have an opinion which is much related to the display of poverty in India. Some others can also view the movie from the same angle.
About our very own Mr. Bachchan's comments I would say - i knew they were made before the movie was released. But I am also sure that the kind of experience he has he would have judged the final product even if he read the script. Not quite sure if he would change his comments about the movie. But surely he saw the script from the same angle; even if it was prior to its release.
I believe that this movie gives the viewers 3 options - 1) to get hung-up on the issue of projecting a 'sad' image of India, or 2) look for technical flaws in the film, or 3) simply get immersed into the flow of the film and get find yourself emotionaly engaged. I guess you chose option 1. Nothing wrong with that. Only, I'm yet to get some convincing and persuasive arguments in defence of that option.
You can read more about my take on the movie here:
http://urgetofly.blogspirit.com/archive/2009/01/26/slumdog-review.html
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