Oh hell, it’s happening again. The Oscars just happened last night and once more the mania over Slumdog Millionaire, Rehman, all the ‘unreal-award-winning’ and ‘I want a share of the hype’ begins in earnest. The last time was the Golden Globe furor when the media went crazy and NDTV awarded the movie ‘NDTV India’s achievement award’. What in the name of God is that? Hello, wake-up! It’s not even an Indian movie!Anything and everything that could be said about Slumdog Millionaire has been said. I don’t need to add my enlightened views really, I just saw the movie too late to honestly make an original opinion and post it on my page. I’ll just say I didn’t like it all that much. I was baffled, actually, that the movie got such humongous accolades. I mean one would expect it to be awe-inspiring, but it was just an average storyline. Total Bollywood style. The actors couldn’t act for nuts. The screen-play was no great shakes. I mean, watch movies like the “Aviator” or “Flight-Plan”, or even “Dark Knight” and you’d know what I’m trying to say. The pathos filled atmosphere which slums of India can generate too is not a new theme for westerners. Besides, I found “Blood Diamond” created more pity, if we talk of pathos. At least there was something new to see, what’s new about India’s slummishness? This time a Brit decides to lap it up in a movie.
A movie written, directed and produced by Britishers. What is so Indian about it other than the fact that it’s about India’s disgraceful third-world poverty? Indian media is going bananas calling it an ‘Eighter’ for India (referring to the eight Oscars won by the movie). How come? Other than Rehman, what’s Indian achievement in it? That we are a poor nation, and hence we provide great themes for the superior white gentry? Unfortunately the common Indian has only so much pride. No more, no less.
The only thing good out of it is that A. R. Rehman finally got a chance to be competing for the Oscars. That says nothing of the movie. Rahman always does brilliant work. He just needed a vehicle to get in the nomination, which Slumdog Millionaire provided.
That too was tainted for me when I recently read a blog which started with “It takes two South Indians to win the first Oscar awards for this Great nation”. Takes a racist to ruin the fun, doesn’t it? Next it’ll be the Muslims jumping for a piece of the pie. And that’s how the cookie crumbles. As though being a Muslim/South-Indian is what it takes to make a genius. Ha! I wish. This is not even the first Oscar India has got. And what’s an Oscar anyway?? What has it got to do with us? I perceive a national award in India as a greater honor than an ugly golden statue from the Americans any day.
OMG somewat exactly wat i felt about the movie.. it was made for international audiences.. we have already seen this stuff and nothing too gr8 about it..
ReplyDeleteRehman is brilliant undoubtedly, but we have had greater music from him in the past and look fwd to even gr8er..
@ richa
ReplyDeleteI know!! Rahman has done scintillating stuff in the past, this just pales in comparision!
All have the same opinion!! I say, Rehman is worth it for all the previous work. This definitely wasn't his best!! Not close!! So, lets say its a recognition for all the past glory of Rehman. But BEST movie?? WTF??
ReplyDeleteWe are a bunch of over-excited fools down here!! What's an Oscar, seriously?? Anything we do, we do it BIG!! Like HO, TOH BIG HO!! Big hype, big following, big hate, big love...
The worst part, NONE of this lasts forever!! Not even for a while!!
True. That's the way the cookie crumbles!!
See you when I see you... :)
@pranav
ReplyDeletehey pranav, good to see again after ages...i agree we are a bunch of over-ecxited fools.
it makes me really really sad, because despite years of independence, we still can't seem to shake off the "gora" obsession. we always disregard our personal inner strength and acheivement, simply craving that acknowledging nod from the west.
I cannot agree more with you! This is exactly how and what I feel. The movie was degrading.
ReplyDeletehmm, lots written and said about slumdog...so i chose not to write on it ;)
ReplyDeletepersonally, i didn't like the movie and we'll know that glory for slumdog is only due to a gora directing this movie. nobody would've considered the movie if it was made by an Indian.i can only say that the westerners love to see us in slums and underdogs as they've preferred over the years.
rahman should've won the recognition internationally long back. now the world wakes up to the great talent we've produced.
we're always in awe of gora and gori. obsession with white skin is how we can identify ourselves truly with. i still wonder how anil kapoor and irfan khan accepted the roles
Hey i knew this was coming....
ReplyDeleteEnough is said and written about the this movie so no point in reinvnting the wheel... i totally agree with the views expressed....
I think some of the ppl in the media have wrongly interpreted the meaning of free speech and freedom of expression..... In order to fill the pages of the news papers and 24hr running news channels they make news out any dmn thing and streach it to the limits....
Noone told us that the movie belongs to India but the over enthusiastic buch of media ppl were successful in make us believe dat its indian movie and we shud celebrate.... Some of the big names of indian movie indusrty ( note that m not calling it BOLLYWOOD) also expressed their views about slumdog including Amitabh anf Farhan Akhtar but we rubbished them....
I think only noteworth thing for us indians is that Rehman was credited duly for his work, not that slumdog was his best work so far but atleast he got the platform he needed to make it big in intl arena....
I have nothing against the movie or it getting the oscars, if the jury thinks it was good movie compared to other movies it was competing against then let it be... I have only one problem that why are we considering it as our own moview wen its not.....