definitely SDM does not deserve a oscar for its music. we had much great and melodious music in past and also in present. AR Rahman is good but he has given much better music than this which soulful and heartful. It is a media hype that won him the oscar. any way congratulations to him as JO JEETA WOHI SIKANDAR.
Once Hayden called India a ‘third world’. 95% of people of this forum retorted with anger. Today a westerner called India’s poor kids ‘slumdogs’. 95% of people are proud of that. Remember, only a few people in the western region read Hayden’s statements. But majority of the world today understood India as a slum. It’s so sad.
Btw politicians including the rulers started pouring in words praising the movie team. Instead of uttering a few words and leaving as it is they should watch the movie, understand the emotions of the real poor people and start actions to uplift them. If this become an eye opener to our rulers, then it is fine.
Re: will this be an eye opener?
by Raghu vir on Feb 24, 2009 10:27 AM
we are slumdogs for the same reason u mentioned. we always carve for attention from westerners. Our population is enough to give us recognition and we dont require some stupid oscar for us. AB is right when he says SDM shows India in improper way. The west loves india's bad image.
The film does not have the sincerity and honesty of a “Salaam Bombay” or a “City of Joy” and nor does this slime covered fairy tale have the integrity or the rootedness of the above mentioned scripts, or even a “Shantaram” for that matter; the soundtrack and the performance of the child actors are the only bits in the film which live up to the hype. The real slumdogs who’ve hit the jackpot after wallowing in acres of human waste are the makers of this film who are now raking in millions while those court jesters who’ve critiqued the film and showered tributes and awards need to ask themselves why, scores of years after our independence, they still feel the need to suck up to the gora sahibs. It’s not a question of xenophobia… it’s definitely a well cinematographed film… but the film has no soul, especially after little Jamal has jumped off the train and become a teenager… The rest of the film is just a modern version of the West’s view of India where slums, slumdogs and Bollywoodian clich�have replaced the elephants and snake charmers. It’s a well made caricature of a country and a caricature can never be a Mona Lisa, for a masterpiece can’t be one dimensional juxtaposition of sadistic extremes… and that’s my grouse with the celebrations…
And I say all this not because I don’t know what is India. I know its poverty and the real statistics around it a little better than most
The film does not have the sincerity and honesty of a “Salaam Bombay” or a “City of Joy” and nor does this slime covered fairy tale have the integrity or the rootedness of the above mentioned scripts, or even a “Shantaram” for that matter; the soundtrack and the performance of the child actors are the only bits in the film which live up to the hype. The real slumdogs who’ve hit the jackpot after wallowing in acres of human waste are the makers of this film who are now raking in millions while those court jesters who’ve critiqued the film and showered tributes and awards need to ask themselves why, scores of years after our independence, they still feel the need to suck up to the gora sahibs. It’s not a question of xenophobia… it’s definitely a well cinematographed film… but the film has no soul, especially after little Jamal has jumped off the train and become a teenager… The rest of the film is just a modern version of the West’s view of India where slums, slumdogs and Bollywoodian clichés have replaced the elephants and snake charmers. It’s a well made caricature of a country and a caricature can never be a Mona Lisa, for a masterpiece can’t be one dimensional juxtaposition of sadistic extremes… and that’s my grouse with the celebrations…
And I say all this not because I don’t know what is India. I know its poverty and the real statistics around it a little better than most others – especially the Indian film critics who have given “Slumdog…” an average of 4 to 4.5 stars
January 25, 2009 Don’t see “Slumdog Millionaire”. It sucks!
A phony poseur that has been made only to mock India for the viewing pleasure of the First World!!
The emperor’s new clothes! That’s “Slumdog Millionaire” for you… Five minutes into this celebrated patchwork of illogical clichés and you are struck by the jarring dialogues. The cumbersome delivery in a language which doesn’t come naturally to most of the actors sounds like someone scratching on walls with one’s finger nails; it ruins the possibility of a connection… Had this film been made by an Indian director, it would’ve been trashed as a rotting old hat, which literally stands out only because of its stench, but since the man making it happens to be from the West, we’re all left celebrating the emperor’s new clothes. The film borrows an undoubtedly interesting narrative style – from films like “City of God” – but then uses it to weave in a collection of clichés from the Third World’s underbelly for the viewing pleasure of a First World audience. The real slumdog in the movie is not the main protagonist but India as a whole… The makers and those celebrating this movie’s hard-to-spot brilliance are actually serving up India as the accidental millionaire, which in fact happens to be a slumdog… and like shameless fools we are gloating over its success without realising that it makes a caricature out of India.
The film does not have the sincerity and honesty of a “Salaam Bombay” or a “City of Joy” and nor
Re: Arindam Chaudhuri's brilliant article
by Vasudevan Nair on Feb 24, 2009 09:42 AM
I think you are the biggest fool to post like this . The Oscars are not given just because of their face is good. It is given for their performances and if your taste is bad don't others are have to join with you. We must admire the best work always and should be proud of the award receipients.Please come out of the 18th century.
I have watched some Oscar winners like "Schindlers List", "Life is Beautiful", "Braveheart". Well SDM seems below average to me. Maybe I am missing something. And ARRs music, well, his Roja music was an order of magnitude better.
Anyways its good that some Indians got Oscar awards. Other than that, from a movie watcher's point of view the whole SDM show is mostly hype. Just my point of view
Re: standards
by Astro San on Feb 24, 2009 09:22 AM
If a Movie has won so many Oscars, then definitely it has to be worthless. All award winning movies are not worth watching
No denying that! many of you would disagree, what so special? lagaan (which i watched for the 5th tie last week) is a good one ppl told me...true! i loved that movie too....but u came out of it knowing it was a movie! SM goes more deeper than that! it used real people! children who actually toil in the mud, grime, sweat and what not! it had two people in focus who were acting for the first time and did a splendid job! the seasoned actors in the movie were sidelined by the talent of the young stars, the children gave us performances which even now when i think of it makes me smile. they make us smile while they were initially going back to thier old life! a handful of kids now have the possibility of a future, good education and some semblance of a life! it gives some hope to unfortunate ppl that yes..."it is written" think about it...did u feel it too?- or did u want to see the hero heroine in 2-3 dance sequences?
Re: Re: I Loved it!
by Nikhil Arora on Feb 24, 2009 08:49 AM
U r wrong moron... born of unknown father... We dont know even each other but true Indians, not an insult to the name of great Sardar Patel. Please use some other pseudonym like (ch)amar Singh, Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav, Yechuri, Karat
Re: Re: Re: Re: I Loved it!
by Arun N on Feb 24, 2009 08:55 AM
is that what you're doing in ozzieland? making sure you reduce the usage of toilet papers in OZ by your mere presence? :)
Re: Re: Re: Re: I Loved it!
by Nikhil Arora on Feb 24, 2009 08:52 AM
Oho now I knw, Mr. *SardarPaterl* must be the janitor of Ricky Ponting. Thats why he can smell stink before evryone
Finally got to see this movie yesterday. And it was one of the most disappointing movies seen in view of the oscar. Everything appear below average including ARR. There are far better Indian movies directed by Indian directors portraying life and difficulty of slum dwellers..,
Oscar for this movie certainly appears political...,India should not fall into this trap.
Re: Oscars
by Nikhil Arora on Feb 24, 2009 08:25 AM
Here comes the saviour of entire India. Where do you keep so much intellect?? While most of the Indian movies are Copy-Paste-Edit of foreign works, music are rip-offs a few people like A.R Rahman, Vikas Swarup, Gulzar have made us proud. I know there are lot of good movies also made in our country, but Oscar is recognition to the best movie made in English and released in US primarily. So why unnecessarily trying to compare apples and oranges. If u have a miserably low IQ why not enjoy watching some Govinda, Mithun, Rajni movies instead...
