Slumdog Millionaire isn't just another movie. With the amount of attention its got globally, along with its Oscar nominations and hundreds of other awards in the West, its been the talk of everyone remotely interested in movies. From Amitabh to SRK, everyone has an opinion, and countless Indians have swelled their chests with pride at its Oscar nominations. People have talked about how it reflects the true India, and commented on how it has given hope and courage to countless slum dwellers all over the "real India".
That's what pisses me and upsets me.
But more on that later. Let's just stay with the movie for now, and treat it like just another movie. For me a movie is about a good story, innovative treatment of the subject, technical brilliance, an ability to touch your heart, to inspire you, to wake you up. It's about beauty, glamour, songs, dances. It's about energy. It's about tears and smiles. It's finally about either making you laugh and forget your troubles, or inspire you to think about what you can do for this world, and if not one of those two extremes, at least just let you spend a couple of hours letting your idle mind wander around somewhere else.
Slumdog did none of that.
First the story and screenplay. I read the book before I saw the movie - the first few chapters. The movie makes a complete hash of the interesting plot of the book. While the book beautifully lays out the circumstances under which the slum boy gets to know the answers to the quiz show's questions, the movie invents its own circumstances which 1) serve to further the director's agenda of bringing out the worst in the REAL India and 2) don't really explain the slum boy's success at the quiz. And what's this real India all about? A slum child, oops, sorry, a slum dog jumping in a pool of shit and being plastered head to toe in the goey to be able to get a glimpse of Amitabh Bacchan who, for some reason, decides to land his chopper in the middle of the filth. Police men standing by and watching with bored expressions as a communal riot goes on nearby and a man runs down the street by them while burning alive, while other people cooly go around their ways - to their offices and schools. Slum dogs playing cricket on the airport runway, before pot bellied policemen chase them into the slums. The chaiwallah taking over duties from one of the call center operators. And the icing on the cake is this firang tourist saying, now you see the REAL America, and handing over a hundred dollar bill to the slum dog! Wow, what would we do without their aid? You have a quiz show host insulting the participant because he's a chaiwalla.
The inconsistencies in the story are far too inconsequential given everything else. The police arresting him at the end of the penultimate question, torturing him through the night with third degree, and then surprisingly getting him back for the final question - a free man. Free enough to be a millionaire (which, by the way is 2 million), and then go to the railway station alone to meet his premika. And of course, the show's telecast live - including the "phone a friend" bit. But as I said, there are a lot more things to worry about.
Technical brilliance includes panning shots of large slums, of flies buzzing around kids sleeping in garbage.
AR Rahman's brilliant music wasn't even noticeable till the end credits rolled in, when it probably became noticeable because there were no slums on the screen at that time.
Dev Patel is pathetic in his rendition of the Slum Dog. I heard that in an interview he said his big achievement was peeing with SRK in the same loo! I'm not surprised. I have no clue why Frieda thinks she's achieved stardom, because her 15 min role can be described in only one word - forgettable. And Anil Kapoor - I am sorry boss, was there nothing else you could do to justify that role? I wonder how Amitabh and SRK would have felt seeing you play the host. And to imagine people criticized the Khan for refusing the role. I mean, come on, you think that guy has nothing in his upper storey?
On a scale of one to ten, I guess Slum Dog would come a close 0.
But now I come to the larger picture. I don't fault Danny Boyle for making this movie. I don't fault Western audiences for applauding it. After all, with the recession screwing them up, and India's resurgence as a global nuclear power, with a vibrant democracy, a thriving middle class, a strong army, an impartial judiciary, a free press, and an extremely happy and confident populace, giving them a billion reasons to feel threatened, anything that helps them stay in the denial mode and reaffirm their confidence that the Chandrayaan on the moon is just an illusion hiding the real India with its slum dogs. Their jobs are safe, no slum dogs can take them away! The movie is an out and out attempt to reinforce those beliefs, the original story completely twisted to suit the director's agenda, the dialogues almost a kiddish attempt to further that agenda. The references to the chaiwallah as the call center worker, the dialogue between the slum dogs looking out over the high rises, the incident at the Taj... how cheap can you get in the pursuit of your agenda, man?
My problem is with Indians who are feeling proud at the movie being nominated for the Oscars. Indians abroad who will use this movie to reaffirm their belief that they did the right thing running away from their country and their responsibilities towards their motherland. I am worried about those in this beautiful country who ask me why I am upset. I am upset at people who tell me it's just a movie. If it's just a movie, then why feel proud at "just a movie" yaar? You say a firang showed me the real India? Well, I have seen the real India. I have seen some beautiful movies that showed me the real India. But there was elegance too, there was real hope, real emotions. Black Friday, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Traffic Signal, Page 3. These were about the real India too. But they made me cry, They gave me goose bumps. They inspired me, motivated me. Shocked me. But I don't remember you calling me to ask me to watch those movies!
Yes, I am terribly upset. I feel insulted by Danny Boyle. Not because he made a disgusting movie. But because he did it on purpose. He wanted to insult me. He wanted to call me and my countrymen slum dogs. But then Danny, I don't blame you.
As I said, I am only worried about my fellow Indians. Frankly, if you take pride in this movie, I don't think you deserve to be Indian.
2 comments:
From a pure cinematic experience perspective, all I can say is that the movie had none! After the first half an hour, and no I'm not kidding, after half an hour I was all set to leave the theatre.. The story had no substance, no passion, and all I was seeing on screen was a bunch of kids living in slums. Yes there is poverty all around the world. I have seen it before. But I'm here to see a movie about a slum guy who becomes a millionaire. Where's that? The movie is so damn focussed on slums that after a point, you really start to miss the story!
However, that's only till you understand what the movie is REALLY about! My first eye opener was the scene where a bunch of policemen are shown sitting around eating and having a jolly good time while a man is being burnt alive right in front of them! I'm sorry Mr Director, but I'm still struggling to understand the significance of that scene.
Crorepati is one of the most loved TV serials in India. And never have I seen Big B or SRK refer to a contestant as a "chaiwalla"..
"Earning a thousand bucks sitting on this chair is far better than making and serving tea, right? he he he".. What the F is that?? Who talks like that?
"Who's was the lead actor in Zanjeer?" - You don't have to be a genius to know that right? Yet, it becomes important to show little Salim covered in SHIT running to get Big B's autograph. Would a kid in the slums jump into a shit pot?? I highly doubt it!
I'm still trying to understand at the ignorance that the westerners and our fellow Indians in the US are living in. Either you have really bad taste or you are really in denial. The World has gone far far ahead. I think its time you opened your eyes!
Wow!! I applaud your sincerity here mate because after reading your review I decided I would only comment after I watched this movie a second time. And watch I did trying to maintain neutrality and viewing it purely as a piece of cinema. I have not read the book but love to do so.
If I were an element listed on the periodic table, I guess I would be listed under the non-reactive category and although I am not monoatomic or colorless, I could be classified as resembling something similar to a stone. I measure a movie’s impact on how much it moves me. When people asked me what I thought about the movie when I watched it the first time, I went with the wave and said yes although inside I felt empty and disconnected with the movie. This is not to say, it was all superficial. People who claimed there is nothing of the new India in this, I disagree. There are a few panned shots of the Bombay slums and then the developed skyline of Mumbai. Flyovers, better roads and railway stations are all filmed to give us a sense of the changing times.
But that’s about it. I never found myself rooting for any character nor did the background music at times have that power to captivate and get involved with them. On an emotional level the movie pretty much sucks and provides more despair than a feeling of hope. The child actors are very competent but Dev Patel and Frieda are strictly ok. As Harsha already points out, the American tourists, and Anil Kapoor’s character are in very poor taste. My second screening didn’t change anything.
Coming to your point of view though, I still maintain the movie is creative work and has nothing to do with the director’s personal agenda. If you have watched Trainspotting, a movie made by Danny Boyle and shot in the most impoverished and run down areas of working class Edinburgh, then you would understand. That is his own country (technically no coz’ he is English) but similarities exist. So I think Sir you have overreacted and have got worked up a little extra which has lead you to make your decision on the movie well before you actually finished watching it.
Incidentally last night I logged on to Youtube and watched the father-son telephone scene from Lakshya(one of my all time favorites). That is only one of the few times, my adam’s apple threatened to pop out of my mouth(straight into my dinner plate) and that is how a movie should be made. Slumdog Millionaire is average at best but definitely not Oscar worthy. I am not at all proud of this movie. As an Indian though, I would like to see Rahman get the award.
Once again Mr. Siddhesh, I admire your affection for our motherland and hope there are more like you who feel the same way but please do be blinded by preconceived notions. Keep them coming. Take care.
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