I watched the movie, which was nominated for 10 Oscars and I asked myself .Was this the greatest Indian movie made? Well the answer is no. I am no film critic but I surely know there are movies (Bollywood movies) that are better than SM in many aspects, but yet they are not nominated for Oscars. Anil Kapoor says that every Indian should be proud that this "Indian" movie has made it to the Oscars. I beg to differ. We look at the west for appreciation for our movies and winning an Oscar seems to be ultimate goal. But the fact is the movies made in India cater to the sensibilities of Indian audiences. Our culture is different from the west and our filmmakers should not be looking at the west for appreciation.
I remember a scene in the movie Munnabahi . Circuit asks a foreign tourist why don't you go visit Taj Mahal or other tourist attraction he says "I want to see poor people, hungry people". The fascination of Indian poverty/slum in the west is immense and because the USP of this film is poverty, no wonder the film is doing so well. Without the subject of poverty the film would have no recognition in the west. I accept India is plagued by poverty and significant number of people are living below the poverty line .I am not trying to be an escapist but glorifying poverty to make financial gains is also not right. This film tries to reinforce the stereotype about India, poverty, child labour, beggary, and prostitution. This film is like a check list about the stereotypes mentioned. Yes there is the aspect of, a rag to riches story, of hope but these are overshadowed by other aspects.
So should we never make films about poverty? No, movies have to be made. People have to be aware of the problems we face in our country but we don't have to make movies to please the western audience. Movies have to be made with certain sensibilities towards the poor. I don't think we need to glamorize poverty.
6 comments:
Well, it does look like you have been impressed by the "India's dirty underbelly hype that media created in India" and I honestly feel was more of a publicity gimmick by the movie publicists in India.
This movie is not about poverty in India or any rags to riches story! Its about a child's destiny (or as westerners prefer to call it 'Karma') which leads to the slum kid winning the game show!
Its about his (Jamal) bad experiences helping him in the game show, which makes the audience root for his success irrespective of him being a slum dweller or not.
Agreed that the movie shows reality of Indian slums (uncensored), but why is it so hard to digest this fact? I have never been to Dharavi (Asia's largest slum) but most of the stuff shown in the movie is reality for sure (unless the actual reality is worse than what is shown in the movie)!
And, aren't we tired of song and dance routines, Stinking rich Indian khaandaans in movies and their marriage and crap?
with 80% of the Indian population being poor, most of the Indian movies do not give the kind of attention that this 80% of Indians deserve. Most Bollywood (Not Indian, just Bollywood) movies reflect the lifestyles of the super rich and the remaining showcase the lifestyle of the middle class with a fractional percentage of movies having a middle class theme.
My question is,
"Is this movie good because Westerners so desperate to watch Indian poverty porn
or
is it bad because us middle class to rich Indians refuse to accept the existence of this dirty underbelly?"
As I have written in my blog....I am not trying to be an escapist.Poverty exists and it is deeply rooted in Indian society period! My question is would this film have gone to oscars if it was not set in a slum?
I agree, SM is not the greatest of Indian movies but surely, it has got the platform Indian cinema was craving for since long.
I do believe that SM is goin Golden Globe,SAG,Oscars coz its completely showcasing a negative shade of India which western world believes & wants to watch.SM has reaffirmed it.Had it been an urban guy story , it wouldnt have got the same kind of adulation.
There's much more positive happening to India which we need to put across to world.
The movie has got the needed recognition because it was directed by a westerner who knows exactly the likings of the ppl living there.
showcasing poverty does not mean showing a kid falling in a pool of shit to see his favourite star..This just shows the kind of image that the westerners carry abt indians. And ppl here feel proud that the movie is all about reality..wat a pity??
And i again want to remind all that SM is not an indian movie..Its a english movie in which some indians were a part of it. The movie just shows a exaggerates version of all the unnecessary things of the indian culture..
let dharavi be the world's biggest slum..and ppl suffer there..it does not mean that he picturizes them and makes money..If the director and producer are that very gr8, are they gonna give a better living for the ppl of dharavi with the money that the movie has garnered all over the world...
I feel movies like lagaan and taare zameen par and swades are way ahead and better than this movie...were these movies able to make it to international awards..NOOO coz there was not a element of showcasing poverty in these movies..
Unnecessary elements of communal riots, kids mugging foreigners does not show a good face abt our country....
Guys enjoy the movie!!!! just for the acting of those cute kids...BUT plz not for the storyline of the movie...
The director/producer of the movie has an affection to shitty things, if you watch trainspotting, you'll know what I'm referring to.
@Joseph
Well, I agree that it could have been shot in any other slum in the world and still have the same title, but he had to choose an option among the available slums, and what best option other than the Asia's biggest slum???
If I had to question, I'd ask "would the movie be good enough to win awards if it weren't for the likes of Rahman and the other wonderful actors??"
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