An Indian victory?
Posted by JoFeb 24
Do we call it an Indian victory?
That was the question that CNN-IBN panel asked Kamala Haasan (whom the media used to call Kamal Hassan earlier) relating to the Oscar sweep of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. We can see how futile this question is, since Slumdog Millionaire is a British production, directed and produced by a Brit and the major chunk of the technical crew were Brits. Why should India, the nation, celebrate the victory of Slumdog Millionaire? The British have a reason to celebrate but what does India have to call the 8 oscars the movie got as an “Indian victory”? Our celebration should be about the individuals who have won the accolades in the Oscar platform. A R Rahman and Resul Pookutty for the global recognition that they have got.
Adding to the absurdity is a comment from Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit. She reportedly said that Slumdog Millionaire has created history in the field of Indian cinema. How did Slumdog create history in “Indian cinema“? But she doesn’t just stop there and goes on to offer tax exemption for the film. The union Home Minister P Chidambaram has also joined the bandwagon by requesting finance ministry to exempt the film from tax.
Just think about it. So many quality regional language films are struggling in India without getting distributors or theaters to exhibit their films and the government did not do much about helping them promote their films. And then, a British film which was released under a big banner like Fox Searchlight Pictures win Oscars and it gets tax exemption in India. So much for our government’s love for art and cinema.
If the government and politicians are so much moved by the recognition that A R Rahman and Resul Pookkutty received in the Oscar arena, what they should do in return is to help these individuals help others who are interested in the fields of music and cinema. How about offering scholarships or sponsorships for talented but poor youngsters to learn the technical sides of Cinema? Or how about sponsoring talented but poor youngsters to get an entry into a renowned musical institute? Or how about helping A R Rahman to offer the poor but talented youngsters a chance to learn world music from his upcoming musical conservatory? Well, I think we will hardly see any of these happening.
Let me conclude with Kamala Haasan’s answer to CNN-IBN’s question, because he puts it rightly.
This day means something to Danny Boyle, Rahman and to an extent some of the Indians. But it doesn’t mean anything to Indian cinema till Indian cinema tries to make quality films. So when it does that, it will deserve the recognition and it doesn’t mean that we are not making quality cinemas. We are not respecting quality cinemas as it should be. That is because content might be king but placement is very important.
(Image courtesy: IndiaGlitz)
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4 comments
Comment by Ratnadeep on February 25, 2009 at 12:06 am
The congress govt went to the extent of declarin dat “Slumdog Millionaire”’s success is a jewel in da crown of the UPA govt..lolz…everythin apart…my comprehension leads me to ask…is slumdog’s success a reason 2 rejoice and raise a toast? Or is it a question..a taint dat we have forever whisked and faked ignorance about?
Comment by Mani on February 25, 2009 at 11:22 am
No way its an indian victory. Its a victory to a indiviual talents from india in a english film. What Mr.kama hassan said is obsolutely true. Arrehman is genius. May be i can say its just a plat form for talents from india to go globally…
I am a lay man, after seeing the “Slumdog Millionaire”’ i felt its just another indian commercial movie in a different format. It is marketed well by the producers i guess!!!!! If the same film made in india then i dont think it will be given so much hype… we wont even see them…
We are making some quality films!!!! i think we are so obssessed with west and we always want recognition from them.
Pingback by Slumdog Millionaire Blogs Coverage | BlogAdda Blog on February 25, 2009 at 7:24 pm
[...] Joseph Thomas – An Indian Victory [...]
Comment by maddy on February 28, 2009 at 11:14 pm
It is really strange isn’t it? Half of India is on the defensive and attacking Boyle for making this a slum tourism film and the other half evocative. For us outside India, at least for me, it was a glorious film, showing the good and bad in India, especially the hope, the young and their aspirations and the triumph of simple love over the lure of money..The movie was gripping & we all enjoyed it, when we saw it in Oct 08.
What most people (non Indians) like to see & experience is the real India with the good and the bad, not a cleansed India (when it is actually not) with skyscrapers and chic people – looking like a copy of say Manhattan. Whatever said & done, I don’t think that is what the real Indian wants, too..Yes, the desire to be better and to live better will always be there, it should be there and we should change…But until then, some escapism for the downtrodden or the ‘am admi’ is quite OK..Why cant what happened in Slumdog be a dream of a slum dweller?
Like the dialog in Delhi 6 – another fine film… we live in these houses in the west, watching & reading about India – about being back home, enjoying every moment, till we open the windows or door and the wind blows through with the foreign air…
I forgot the actual lines..