Slumdog and the Oscars

So many people have asked if Slumdog bothers me. Well, it does. But this is not a movie/story about national sentiments or depiction of the broken slums of Mumbai. Yes, there are issues to address – India’s poverty line, the disparity in income, the living conditions of the slums, the fate of slum children, and more… But those are not reasons to discount the success of the movie. Enjoy the movie for what it is – 2 hours of thrilling cinema.

The Oscars are recognition of excellent cinema, cinematography, and acting. Last night was possibly the first time that a movie associated with India, Indian actors and musicians received such acclaim. All the actors in Slumdog are Indian, for the exception of Dev Patel, who is a Briton of Indian origin. The story is based on the novel “Q&A” by an Indian author. And of course the brilliant music of A.R Rahman – he deserved an Oscar long back. (If you compare his work in this movie to his older ones like Roja, Dil Se, Bombay, and his take on Vande Mataram; Jai Ho and O… Saya don’t come close. I am glad he finally got the recognition he deserved.)

Even at the Emmy’s, Slumdog won hands down. So let’s acknowledge the work of the crew and not crib about the image it portrays of Mumbai. I know that my country is battling poverty, but on the other hand, it offers so much more than can be captured through any film.  

All said and done, I think I’ve seen other Indian movies that surpass Slumdog, and are definitely worthy of such international recognition. For what it’s worth, I’ll mention my picks – Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par, Black, Devdas, and this Kannada movie called Galipata. Hopefully our film makers will get more appreciation going forward.