Letters-60: "Movie with a Message"

1. When I saw Slumdog Millionaire, I was spellbound and told myself “this is an Academy Award production.” The story is seen through a western perception which is why it reached the Oscars. Had it been made by an Indian, it would have been just another movie as most of the truth would have been obfuscated. Why should we cry hoarse over the exposure of our slums? The slums that were shown in the movie are nothing compared to the ones I have seen in Mumbai. Why is no one talking about the demeaning manner in which Jamal, the participant in the millionaire show, is addressed? We see it happening everywhere to persons from a humble background. I hope the movie will serve as an eye-opener to all those who copy Hollywood movies from to frame, and stars who demand crores. – Joe L.Sinnathamby, Kottakkal.

2. Slumdog Millionaire should serve as an eye-opener to our leaders who claim that India is growing fast and poised to become a superpower. There is also a lesson in it for the media, which have digressed from their basic objective as they run after money and sensation. Slumdog is a wonderful film with a wonderful message for the nation. – Shibin Joe, Kozhikode.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, February 27, 2009.

Grateful thanks to M/s.Joe L.Sinnathamby, Shibin Joe and The Hindu.

Letters-59: "On Slumdog Millionaire"

1. Slumdog is a fascinating tale of the victory of hope over despair. But do we always need a Richard Attenborough or a Danny Boyle to bring us glory? Yes, because Bollywood is obsessed with the box office. Our movies are either extended video recordings of Indian weddings or an exaggerated attempt to transport us to the world of fantasy. A majority of our movies lack a good story and are dependent on half-a-dozen irrelevant songs. Very few producers attempt to make socially relevant movies. They lack the financial muscle, the propaganda machinery and the wherewithal to market their venture to the Academy. So till Bollywood achieves the size, scale and perhaps purpose comparable to that of Hollywood, we will continue to need foreigners like Boyle to redeem us. – Mithileshwar Thakur, Kochi.

2. Many have argued that Slumdog has exported poverty. Cinema is a medium of art, and the Oscars are a form of appreciation of excellence. For Indians, cinema is just entertainment and business. An Indian film should have 6-7 songs at the Alps, New Zealand and so on, a few fights, and artificial emotions. More number of producers should come up with realistic films and win accolades at home and abroad. The audiences must also change their attitude towards cinema. Till such time, we have to wait and hail others. – K.R.K.Prabhakara Murty, Vijayawada.

3. Slumdog Millionaire has created history and those who made it deserve to be congratulated. But apart from the genius of Rahman and Pookutty, what else is there for us to celebrate? The movie has shown to the world India’s darker side. Apart from one or two scenes like the hero jumping into a cesspool as a child to have a glimpse of a hero, nothing else was exaggerated. The movie marketed India much more than the brochures issued by the Ministry of Tourism to showcase Incredible India. We, as a nation, should feel the pain. Imagine the plight of the children experiencing luxury in Los Angeles when they return to their routine life and stand in a queue with a mug of water outside a makeshift toilet awaiting their turn. I hope our elected representatives will do something to improve the living conditions of the poor. Let us collectively resolve that in future if somebody wants to make a movie on slums and slum dwellers, they should not even think of India. – Titus George, Abu Dhabi.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, February 26, 2009 (“Letters to the Editors”)

Grateful thanks to M/s.Mithileshwar Thakur, K.R.K.Prabhakara Murty, Titus George and The Hindu.

Letters-58: "Slumdog Millionaire: A Reality"

1. Slumdog Millionaire has explored the unhealthy, obscure and traumatic life led by slum dwellers. Is not it ironical that we appreciate reality when it is portrayed in reel life but don’t do much to help in real life? We should draw inspiration from such works to make the lives of slum dwellers better. – Shalabh Katiyar, Kanpur.

2. Hearty congratulations to A.R.Rahman, Gulzar, Resul Pookutty and the entire team of Slumdog Millionaire. Why mar this moment of gaiety with controversies? India is undeniably one of the fastest growing economies. But Dharavis too are a reality. – Shalet Jimmy, Thiruvananthapuram.

3. Slumdog is a reality, not a fallacy. That is perhaps the reason why it has fetched eight Oscars. The fact that the film was directed by a British does not make the film any less Indian. Its story, setting, actors, music and emotions are all Indian. Rahman would have composed Jai Ho even if an Indian had directed the movie. Gulzar too would have written the same lyrics. Let us not take away their credit just because there was a foreign connection to the movie. On the flip side, a few millionaires earned name, fame and some more millions. In a few days the glory will fade, the euphoria will die, and the slum children will return to where they belong, forgotten and used up until another Danny Boyle, Mira Nair or Gurinder Chadha comes looking for them. – R.Venkataraman, New Delhi.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, February 25, 2009 (“Letters to the Editor”)

Grateful thanks to M/s.Shalabh Katiyar, Shalet Jimmy, R.Venkataraman and The Hindu.