Finally there comes an Englishman and makes a film especially focusing on the underbelly of Aamchi Mumbai which goes ahead to win the Golden Globes and then making a final dream run to the Oscars, just like the protagonist of the movie Jamal Malik.As they say in the movie, ‘it’s written’ and maybe..it is indeed.
Back here there is a hostile group who criticize Slumdog to the extent possible. But then criticism is an integral part of film making. But what is amusing, is the reason for which the movie is being criticized. It is said that it has projected India in bad light. The underbelly has been highlighted so much that it can tear down the Global image that we are trying to create. Some prominent people have gone to the extent of saying that it is not Jamal who is the real slumdog but India itself. It is being looked at as one of the shrewd tricks of the West to defame India now that they themselves are in a grim situation.
I am not saying that the movie is an all time Classic. But when I saw the movie, the first thing which came into my mind was that it takes a lot for a film maker to tread an uncommon path to make such a film. Going down into the real slums, studying their way of life and actually shooting there, is not a cake walk. And if I am not mistaken, the production team has taken shots of real locations (garbage dumps & sewage canals). When we pass by these places we turn away our faces and probably cover our noses let alone going there to shoot.
Moreover, the cinematography, the background scores and audio effects are excellent. The script I guess is a bit too complex so even the director needs to be appreciated for handling it well enough.
The bottom line is that it is just a Film. I do not understand why people take it so personally, that they feel, that the makers are trying to defame India! All those things which have been portrayed in the movie are things which we are aware of. Let us just keep aside our inflated egos and accept the fact that there DOES exist an underbelly like this and there might be many such Jamals who haven’t managed to become millionaires overnight.
And every nation, even the most developed ones have an underbelly. Hollywood comes out with movies on everything from dinosaurs to mutants to gangsters. Even though we watch these movies none of our perceptions of the West have really been altered.
The makers have been accused of shooting the dirtiest of the things including the open roofed toilets. I now ponder as to why do our film makers go abroad to shoot films? Why not shoot in the most scenic locales in India so that the world gets a glimpse of it’s beauty? Moreover when our babus go there, they choose the best of the locales. No one is stopping them from shooting the dirtier sides of those nations.
Come on fellow artists and management gurus…learn to look at a piece of art work just as it is…and let it just be…if not appreciate it. The fuss in the cup will only rob us of some time and energy to make something better!
There is something that I personally felt after I saw this movie. Gratitude! I thank God for all what I have in my life, right from my parents to my house to my education. And I now feel that my house is a palace!
