Having watched Slumdog Millionaire, I would rate it as a very good film, but not the best film with an Indian context. Just because it is not made by an Indian film maker possibly made people consider it or at least have a look at it. There are far many Indian movies which are far superior to Slumdog Millionaire in terms of content and more importantly acting. The child actors in Slumdog come out as screaming their dialogues. Dakota Fanning, Darsheel Safary and many others are far far better. In terms of films featuring the dark side of Mumbai, I would rate Satya, Traffic Signal, Chandni Bar and Salaam Mumbai way ahead of Slumdog Millionaire. Music by AR Rahman is top class, but I would rate his score in Bombay (especially the Tamil version) way higher to Slumdog. Nevertheless, I still am happy that Slumdog has and will more awards and hope that the International community gives far more due and respect to good movies from India than they did in the past.
Re: Is it the only 'Indian' movie worth a Golden Globe or Oscar
by rohit saxena on Jan 23, 2009 03:02 PM Permalink
absolutely agree with you. We never had problem with the film as such but winning an award of golden globe fame makes me think that westerners want to see india as slums, sanke charmers land only.
Re: Re: Is it the only 'Indian' movie worth a Golden Globe or O
by Manishkumar Jayswal on Jan 23, 2009 06:31 PM Permalink
My dear the name of the movie is "Salam Bombay" and not Salaam Mumbai
if the indian director shows all the posh locality in mumbai with rich peoples as shown in hindi films like kuch kuch hota hai,hum apke hain koun etc we'' watch that ,if any western director shows the reality in india we are opposing it,even there are lot western people done some charity works in india like mother theresa,anni besant etc,so we must accept the worst things that are happening in our country like corruption,goondas activity,sanitatationproblem,health care,food,accomadation etc likethat we have so many problems,first we have rectify this kind of problems .
Re: real problem
by rohit saxena on Jan 23, 2009 03:03 PM Permalink
nanda u need to collect some chanda for your brain. We never had any problems with a foreigner showing slums. But the real problem is because of showing slums this very mediocre films wins an award. Shaakkkkssss
Re: Re: real problem
by Shailen Mungekar on Jan 25, 2009 01:14 AM Permalink
If you find the film mediocre, that is your personal opinion. I think it was a great movie. Plot was also brilliant.
Many ppl are critizing Slumdog but the fact inspite of all mumbo jumbo of India being super power but still half of our population lives in slum only 5% of population is properous, Amitabh says Slumdog shows India in bad taste then what about his films Nishabd, Chinni Kum, and his son film Dostana does this films show India in right spirit and moreoverwhat he has done for common masses
Re: Truth is hard to digest
by Hindustani on Jan 23, 2009 11:12 AM Permalink
What u have done for the common masses? If u throw the question to him same question appplies to u.
Re: Truth is hard to digest
by Sudhakar on Jan 23, 2009 11:25 AM Permalink
Do you mean to say you wash your dirty linen in public, You make a spectacle of you family/home problems & underbelly public and earn living out of it. You talk of poverty, is there no poverty in US or UK, You feel the films made by them on their countries are all truth like - Aliens, Matrix and other sci-fi flicks, have you seen their films displaying their poverty abd shabiness - No.
Do you alos mean that poverty lives only in third world countries like India. The director claims he likes Mumbai.... is the poverty only which he liked, then is he staying among them when he is here.
Such films are a shame to this country which shows India in poor light... thanks to people like you.
And WHO THE HELL are you asking what Amitabh Bachchan done for the country... He is one of the few icons of India who is respected worldwide and acknowledged by your (slum)dog Danny Boyle.
Re: Re: Truth is hard to digest
by Hindustani on Jan 23, 2009 11:30 AM Permalink
Exactly what these so called intellectuals who called us hypocrists dont think twice before glamorising poverty.
Being nominated for 10 Oscars is a different issue. But as a film maker my self I dont see anything good in the film. Being an Indian I will never show a boy 'shitting'and jumping in its own 'shit' and claim an Oscar. I dont feel ther is anything to be proud off in Slumdog.
Re: Slumdog
by Shailen Mungekar on Jan 25, 2009 01:22 AM Permalink
Which kid is disgusted by shit? Only adults are. They have shown the reality in the movie. Sooner we learn to face the truth, better it will be for us. Because then only we will learn to fight against it. Otherwise, we'll just pretend that India is as opulent as they show in Bollywood movies.
Great country for his own minute political ambitions. Grow up Indians See the realty and stop getting carried away with some loose talk of west showing India in poor light and what not..!!
Re: slumdog
by Shailen Mungekar on Jan 25, 2009 01:24 AM Permalink
The country will become great only if its people stop being jingoistic and really work to make it great!!! Politicians have given us a feel good slogan - "Mera Bharat Mahan" and all the fools are chanting it happily instead of doing real work to make it Mahan.
This is to all the People in here who feel that Slumdog is showing India in Poor light. Well here goes, The movie is shot in the slums it shows people(kids) fighting against all the barriers thrown by our corrupt society. It shows children who are generally happy despite being torn apart by their fate. It shows children succeeding despite having come from the slums, And it shows Mumbai and India as a place of opportunities.. YES it does show Poverty, Yes it does show a Slum being destroyed by another community, YES it does show a KID growing in the Red street, YES it does show a people surviving near a Garbage .. Isnt that what we see everyday in Mumbai. Whom are we lying to here. This is the Only movie which shows the real MUMBAI not some mediocre Kuch Kuch hota Hai which shows a man getting down from a Helicopter and running to his bridge now if you hypocrites can accept that as realty GROW UP and look around you, you just might manage to see SLUMDOG in our very own streets while you zoom by in a fancy car. Instead of criticizing a movie unite and try to remove poverty off the streets, next time a Minister speaks about India Shining shut him and make sure he shines the entire India and not some guy in a posh penthouse. Next time your blood boils while a terrorist blows down a city Stand up and fight the same politicians who try and divide our country.The least we can as citizens is stay united and not get provoked by some dirty politicain trying to sell and burn this
Re: Slumdog
by Hindustani on Jan 23, 2009 10:51 AM Permalink
Cool, before calling people hypocrite understand that u r doing the same when u call the slums "real mumbai". What is it ur definition of "real". Do u mean that the brighter side of mumbai is unreal. India is unlike any other country where u cannot say that this is real and that is unreal. Agreed that there are slums in this country indeed the biggest slum area in the world is dharavi but that does not mean the rich ppl in this country are unreal.
Re: Slumdog
by Sudhakar on Jan 23, 2009 11:37 AM Permalink
Agreed with most part, but why select the slum in India .... Are there no slums in their country where people stay by the garbage........ every country have their share of underbelly.
Mumbai was chosen because westerners still want to show India as a land of poverty, snake charmers. They cannot digest the fact that India is a leading economy in the world and will overtake them in near future.
