Alright so Slumdog millionaire has been released and has got the coveted Grammy Award and has been nominated for multiple Oscars. Every one is going gung ho about the film and can't stop praising the fact that the film has portrayed the Indian slums so well and that it deserves all the fame it has got.
Good Morning!!
However lets just stop the chorus and think for a second. Sure the first half of the film is nothing short of spell binding but the second half is nothing short of a Bollywood masala flick minus the song and dance sequences all of which the Hollywood hotshots find amusing!!
Slumdog Millionaire has been critically acclaimed in the West. As of 24 January 2009, Rotten Tomatoes has given the film a 95% rating with a 175 fresh and ten rotten reviews. As far as I remember quite a few of the Bollywood flicks over the years have portrayed the rags to riches story
:D
This if you’ve bothered to think after the film that who wants 2 be a millionaire was never broadcasted live!!
Personally I believe the film has been marketed brilliantly and has successfully managed to exploit the one weakness that we still have admiration from the west.. This is not to say that the film is bad but does it really deserve all the attention it has??
A.R.Rahman the man who has continuously mesmerized the country for over a decade and more himself says he won the award because it was marketed well. And those of us who've heard his music over the years know that this is DEFINITELY not the best that the maestro has given.
Coming back to the script although the film has a good script it is not relevant to today’s times neither does it have a ending which most of us would find believable. Compare it to RDB or TZP both of which from beginning to the end stick with believable stuff!!
I believe that Slumdog millionaire is a bigger conspiracy by the Hollywood studios to open the huge Indian market for themselves and cash in on the recognition from the west that we so desperately carve!!
The question is what's Bollywood gonna do about it???
The movie happens to be very well executed. How many Bollywood rag to riches stories have been so cleanly edited and shot? This film is raw, it mirrors the truth about living conditions. Not saying that the TV show aspect screams reality but if you want to see real movies, stick to the documentaries. Just because the dark side of India is portrayed doesn't mean that it is a conspiracy. Books such as Shantaram and Interpreter of Maladies by foreign authors depicting India have been best-sellers because they show a side of life people are not privy to. Just because Danny Boyles picked a strong enough story line that is focused on Mumbai slums, you dub it as a conspiracy to cash? And about A.R.Rahman, shouldn't people be happy that recognition is being given to Indian music? If an Indian company tops the NYSE it is a good deal but being nominated for the oscars is underhand?
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking about publicity, Slumdog hasn't gotten any of that for the Oscars. It got the nominations but none of the ravings like Benjamin Button. Just because the Indian media is playing up a movie just *based* on India doesn't mean it is marketed well everywhere. There are politics in awards but mostly the contenders deserve the award. With regards to Slumdog, I must say I disagree on many accounts with your blog.
And for facts, it won the Golden Globes not the Grammy awards. The Grammy awards are set for Feb 9.
ReplyDeleteI second The Student. You see, it's a Western film. From their perspective, it will win all the awards that is possible, because it IS a well-made film. Be objective for a minute here. From THEIR point of view, it has picked up a relatively unknown subject for a film (Shantaram is a novel), it has been well made, it has showcased the reality that it has been based on in a fantastic way. You can't hang them for that. Also, how can you compare this film with TZP? (Let's not even TALK about RDB- that movie did more damage to Indian mentality than any other movie I've seen) TZP has been made by an Indian filmmaker, and its issues are COMPLETELY different. The intention was completely different.
ReplyDeleteYou're fogetting Shantaram. And the HUNDREDS of books that have been written by foreign authors on Bombay. Forget contemporary times, look up the days of the colonial era.
Also, as for Rahman- the man makes music for all KINDS of movies. The kind of music he made for say, Roja, or Swades, would not have worked here. Marketing is obviously important, but you have to consider the fact that if Rahman's music didn't fit in with Boyle's vision of his film, it would never have been marketed. For a western film on an Indian subject, Rahman has only proved his prowess.
Ps: The Grammy awards are MUSIC awards. They are not even remotely relevant here.
Firstly I apologize for the mismatch between the grammy and the golden globe
ReplyDelete@student
the novel Shantaram is not written sitting in an Australian house for the record the author did spend a decade in India and Jhumpa Lahiri is an Indian-American author as well...I have nowhere mentioned in my blog that foreign authours cannot portray India well...I don't think danny boyle fits either category..I did not say that Mr.rahman getting the award is bad I've said that this is definitely not his best work...If an indian company tops NYSE i'd b happy but only if it really deserved to get there and not by hook or crook!
and lastly..I've said that slumdog is not the best movie- I have never said that it is a bad movie...there is a big difference!!
Sharanya
ReplyDeletesample these " breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating."// "the film world's first globalized masterpiece."
I don't think it's breathless etc etc...I've praised the fact that the movie in it's first half is good..after that i don't think you need to be a genius to figure the ending or the way to get there...
If ur take on bothe movies that i've mentioned(TZP nd RDB) is different then I've no problems but are you suggesting that this movie represents Indian viewpoints i'm sorry I beg to differ...
And my only point was that it's all hype and less substance I've never said that it ldoesn't have substance!
I agree with Karan, the hooplah around slumdog is way overrated. Its a good film, agreed, it has its moments (first hour made a lot of sense and stuck the right chord). But then it becomes another run of the mill masala flick losing its direction altogether. Neither do the performances nor does the script bind u in the second half.
ReplyDeleteComing on to the debate,lets face it... no danny boyle or warner bros brand with Slumdog, then it'd have never made it this big. Why does only movies like Gandhi(had Sir Ben Kingsley playing the Mahatma), Elizabeth etc have made it big in oscars. If a shyam benegal or a govind nahalani would've made slumdog, it'd have been tagged as another one in the list of parallel cinema, critically acclaimed but a commercial dud.
If we speak about the victory of human spirit, Lagaan stands out as a far better movie any given day compared to slumdog.... the ones which ignites the fire in the belly.
Slumdog even though a decent endeavour, still carries a void. Its not pathbreaking cinema for sure to deserve 10 oscars.
nominations that is....
ReplyDeletehey Karan...I've not seen the movie yet so I can't really comment on the authenticity of it.All I can say is that even if you haven't found the movie worthy enuf for accolades that it is getting..lemme remind u that most of the movies awarded make absolutely no sense and bag d awards sheerly on the basis of juggernaut marketing strategies adopted by the moviemakers.Since I know we both have an inclination towards marketing...we should be rejoicing!! sooo cheers !!!
ReplyDeleteHey! Nice to see you generating a comment clutter at your very second post!
ReplyDeleteA lot has already been said by many here. I'd just add what I see as your primary criticisms.
One, that believability was never the issue. The movie is an adaptation of Vikas Swarup's Q&A; to which it has been faithful. Of course, it is a rags-to-riches story, but as someone pointed out: this is one of the better executed ones.
Two, about the entire movie being a conspiracy to tap into West-starved Indian markets. If that translates to better celluloid art, game on! But, let me point, that this wasn't a Bollywood release. And after Warner Bros' Saas, Bahu aur Sensex and Chandni Chowk to China tanked miserably, I'd think the recession plagued West would make wiser investments in the world's largest movie industry in terms of number of movies.
And about the Western attention crisis, Danny is a Western filmmaker and this is an International project. So, its marketing couldn't have been pinned on India solely. It was marketed all over the world, but since it was based in India, the cheer was louder her.
I know this isn't Rehman's best, but given that this was an international composition, after the lukewarm reception of Connections (for Free Hugs Campaign) and Pray for Me Brother (his international solo album), this marks a significant surge in his creative juices. Paper Planes (download the lyrics), blew me away!
All said and done, I think it is natural for one's excitement to be siphoned off when the expectations reach the moon.
As for me, I kick back and watch the movie for its beauty; not the noise created around it.
@Ajinkya
ReplyDeletethanx for the compliments!
've never said that the movie is bad all i was saying is that the west is exploiting our craving of recognition and that the awards being given are not deserved... i've never said that the movie is bad.
As for rehman i still firmly believe he's given better than this even if it was through his other films...
In 2005 the frameworks of U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement was laid out! Signing this would mean India would be considered a super power by other major countries. 2008, Slumdog Millionaire is released & given over-the-top publicity to show the other side of India. Just to change people's perception of us! Food For Thought - Slumdog Millionaire was never worth 8 oscars!
ReplyDelete