'Slumdog Millionaire' Hailed and Slammed in India
Filed under: Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Fox Searchlight, Newsstand, Cinematical Indie
The "love it or hate it" movie of the month is going home, and it's already causing divisions. By winning a Golden Globe for Slumdog Millionaire, Bollywood music composer A. R. Rahman has heartened the entire Indian film community, according to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS; via Yahoo! India Movies). Rahman is the first Indian to win the award. "By winning it, competing with composers from around the world," says fellow composer Anu Malik, "Rahman has not only proved his worth, but has also conveyed to the world that, given a chance, an Indian music director can deservedly vie with any composer in the world." Rahman also composed the rockin' score for the insanely entertaining Ghajini, which is still playing in selected theaters in the US.
Not everyone is in love with Slumdog Millionaire, however. As Eric D. Snider recently ranted about, a backlash has been building, and the film, which opens in India next week (January 23), was just slammed by 66-year-old Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan on his blog (via The India Times): "If Slumdog Millionaire projects India as Third World dirty underbelly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky underbelly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations."
I'm not positive that's a total "slam" at the movie so much as an acknowledgement that it's true to a degree (though perhaps unfair for painting India with a broad brush), but, in any case, that's the headline attached to the IANS wire service story, which has been picked up by more than a thousand news outlets worldwide. I can't wait to see the reaction when the movie actually opens there.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-14-2009 @ 10:41PM
Meh said...
WOAH. Amitabh Bachchan doesn't like it? What a bastard, he's obviously the devil himself.
Also, I don't think there's any such thing as "internet backlash". All this only makes the film more popular and maybe lower the it's rating on the dumb IMDB Top 250 list.
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1-14-2009 @ 10:53PM
Cale said...
He was in slumdog though, or at least someone acted him and they had a montage of his movies stuff, he was the guy that signed the autograph for jamal. Was a millionaire question answer too.
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1-14-2009 @ 11:34PM
A Hamid said...
Bachan's reaction is typical Indian and is often referred to as the "crab syndrome": if you cant climb out, dont let others climb out as well. Pull them down with your claws!"
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1-27-2009 @ 10:36PM
SK said...
I don't think so. That is just IMHO. What does he have to prove? I think the point he is trying to make is that one cannot just capture one shade of India and show it to the world saying this is ALL that India is.
1-15-2009 @ 7:48AM
shobz said...
it's a case of sour grapes. he was supposed to be in the movie but then developed some creative differences and pulled out.
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1-15-2009 @ 10:10AM
Kevin said...
I don't see this movie as an "Indian" movie, but rather a movie that was set in India. The central themes are more universal; the lasting power of love to lift one past social hardships and poverty. This movie would have been the same had it been made in the projects, or the slums of any European city. The fact that its in india gives it an exotic flair, but the movie itself doesn't really have anything to do with India (IMHO).
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1-15-2009 @ 11:58AM
Craig said...
The problem is that a lot of ignorant people think that it does. This is not the filmmaker's fault per se, but it is a reflection of how much people think they are seeing 'real life' when they entertain themselves. We used to go to movies to be entertained, but now I suspect there are a lot of people who really do think they now know something about India.
1-15-2009 @ 5:27PM
Samudrala said...
Amitabh might have a point about the western director vs indian director complaint, but his idea that it misrespresents India is ridiculous and hypocritical considering all the movies he has done. If over half the population in Mumbai lives in slums, and the conditions in rural india are even worse, what business does a rich actor have trying to criticize a real outlook of a poor kids life in a movie, majority of movies dont show that side of India. If Rich indians are so ashamed of the realness of Indian poverty, then they should do more to spread the awareness so that the issues can be adressed, instead of hiding it or acting like its not there, when it is in fact much worse than what a movie can depict-
Krishna
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1-24-2009 @ 3:14PM
SK said...
Well, I can't say Amitabh B's reaction is totally hypocrytical. I don't think he is shameful oMumbai or the slums and is trying to hide that fact. Everyone knows how many slums there are in Mumbai. The fact however is that almost every director wants to make International films portraying ONLY the negative side of India. And that's what makes me angry too. India has many shades, why don't people portray the positive sides too. Portraying only the negative side of India is highly misleading. I don't think there are too many movies where homeless people in NY or Washington DC would be shown and then nominated for the Oscars. As was said this movie paints India using a broad brush.
1-17-2009 @ 1:24PM
Raimon Gonzales said...
I think Indians would have varied reactions to the movie mainly because it shows the level of poverty in their country. Maybe the poverty in the movie is larger than what Jamal proved to himself. Maybe that poverty is bigger than 20 million rupees. It may be overshadowed by the tough environment surrounding Jamal, not noticing that he made it to the top. He made something out of himself, which should be something to rejoice about.
It's a powerful story that anyone, rich or poor could make a change in his/her life. It's message is not about India's poverty. It's message is that - it can be done. One may be one of the poorest of the poor but with determination he can turn the world upside down.
Everyone (especially Indians) should be inspired by Jamal's drive to success. That's why people are voting for it in various film festivals around the world. It leaves a mark and that's very important. That mark changes people and I believe it's one of the great things literature (and movies) could do.
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1-18-2009 @ 5:22AM
V said...
A Hamid said...
" Bachan's reaction is typical Indian and is often referred to as the "crab syndrome": if you cant climb out, dont let others climb out as well. Pull them down with your claws! "
Let me guess..Pakistani, are you?
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1-19-2009 @ 1:04PM
rashmi said...
http://chrnth.wordpress.com
A common man's view of the movie. He's no star.
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