Sample this comment from The Independent, UK : "it has taken a foreigner to force some middle-class movie-going Indians to look at the poverty that persists here". This is supercilious, condescending and completely racial in content and spirit. Nobody denies that India is poor, is corrupt and has many warts - most westerners think we do not accept these realities. It is just that the average Indian does not like this darker side be glorified ad infinitum. They hate it when foreigners shout from the rooftops about how glorious the poverty in Mumbai is! The inane statements now being dished out by Boyle about how this is a tribute to the spirit of Mumbai is complete balderdash. I suspect that deep down inside, this stark portrayal of the dark underbelly of Mumbai gives a warm feeling of racial superiority to the western world, particularly after having to eat humble pie to some of the good aspects of India. What is so saddening is that most Indians are now bouncing off the walls with completely misplaced, puffed-up pride because of the oscars. Mind you, all the british dailies say that 'England' has won these oscars... Jeez! Wake up guys. This is not your triumph. Just because, Rehman, Anil Kapoor and some slum children were there does not mean that India has won 8 oscars! Another dangerous portent that has already broken out is the tendency of racists in US to call Indians 'slumdogs' while taunting them!
Re: We should all hate the nauseous glorification of our poverty!
by slayer slayer on Feb 24, 2009 01:47 PM
if you would have seen danny boyle's other movies you wouldn't have said this...go and watch Trainspotting theres a lot of 'ugliness' ,'misery' and 'darker side' portrayal with an urban Scottish plot of the movie....what would you say to that....?? If he had the malicious intent to downgrade a race or culture or a nation on any lines why would he choose Scotland?? But yes he is a great film maker more so with a big heart....ignore the bystanders and their comments like some newspaper thing u have quoted ..just take it directly from the horse's mouth i.e. Boyle himself go and watch his other movies you would know what kind of sensibilities he deals with..and irrespectively why would it be a problem if its only just a movie ...cmon grow up kid....u get blunted by racists??
Re: Re: We should all hate the nauseous glorification of our pove
by Arnab M on Feb 25, 2009 02:45 PM
Hiya Slayer fella Touched a raw nerve, did we? Wake up Bud! Everybody knows that Scots hate British and vice versa. Yes, it would have been different if Danny Boyle had done a sordid movie on, say, crack babies in a vicious, downtown part of London and then given pious statements like "I love crack babies and seriously respect their mothers for their determination to get out of their lowly born lives" Get real dude! Shy to show your true identity? Maybe you're one of those W.A.S.P's who feel a warm, righteous sense of superiority whenever you see pictures of squalor in developing countries while sitting in your armchair and guzzling a 6-pack...
NO....A.R.Rehman and resul r the indians who got the awards,v have nothing to do with the other 5 awards as indians.If it would've been a all DESI behind the scene cast,especially DIRECTOR.Its like the Afroamericans beign proud that OBAMA is 1st black president forgeting the fact that hes the first Half-black president so theres nothng to be soooo proud for the black people around the world cos after all his mother was white.same thing goes for slumdog,only the cast was indian.Although i thank danny that because of him AR & resul got recognition and it seems hes a good humanbeign to bring all the cast members to the ceremony.Imagine if a jyotishi would have told anil in his childhood that "u'll step the OSCAR podium in future!!"...ekdum jhakass!!
I am not sure why we are going bananas over this SDM. This is primarily a British film, directed and most of the technical colaboration comes from Britain. The actors are from India (which infact saved them millions on casting except Anil who could be peanuts too). The only quality Indian Participation is AR Rehman. Thats all. If at all there is a reason to celebrate its because AR Rehman got the award which he thoroughly deserve long ago.
What everybody fail to understand is that the academy still are shwing discrimination to Indian movies. Taare Zameen Par is not finalised. Is there a better movie in the whole list that can beat TZP? If SDM had got an award thats nothing great for India as a quality film producers, it only depicts India's wrong face and that amused the westerners. Please stop going bonkers on this as this is not a reason for celebrations. Had it been for Mother India, or Nayakan or Lagaan or TZP, then we should even declare a national holiday to celebrate. This is nothing but another Foreign Film making a mockery of India getting the award as they got amused by India getting mocked.
