Slumdog who touched hearts Any rags-to-riches story makes one feel good. But the real appeal of Slumdog Millionaire lies in the fact that the director has not romanticised slum life or poverty in India, nor has he demonised it. His film tells the story of the shanty-towns as it is, without romance or melodrama, and without turning it into a tear-jerker, says RASHEEDA BHAGAT.
The spectacular success of the talented Hollywood director Danny Boyles film Slumdog Millionaire at the Golden Globe awards, where both the film director and its music director, A. R. Rahman, walked away with the coveted Globes, and the buzz this small budget film has created around the world, reflects the keen interest the world is suddenly showing in the underdog. Mr Boyles film tells a simple and yet stunning story about Jamaal, a lad from a Mumbai slum, and his brother Salim, who, growing up in Dharavi, are subjected to some of the most traumatic experiences that millions of Indian children undergo in slums. Scores of Bollywood films have been made on the subject but Mr Boyles treatment of the story is nothing short of magic. The film also picked up two more Golden Globes, for best screenplay (Simon Beaufoy) and best motion picture, in which category it competed against films such as the Brad Pitt starrer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Slumdogs huge success incidentally, Mr Rahmans award is the first ever Golden Globe honour picked up by an Indian has made it a hot favourite for the Oscar awards to be presented next month. The novel, written by Indian diplomat Vikash Swarup, has been transformed brilliantly by the director. Released last month in the US and Europe, for some curious reason this Hollywood/Indian film is yet to hit Indian theatres. But the film has got rave reviews from across the world several blogs are buzzing about the amazing and heart-warming story of Jamaal, the underdog, who comes out of nowhere to land up in the hot-seat of Who wants to be a millionaire, and emerges with big winnings. But the near-universal dream of making megabucks is not what really draws Jamaal back to the shows finale. Jamaals main mission in going back to the game show is to find his childhood sweetheart, Latika, another slum kid to whom he had offered shelter on a rainy night, and who had ended up inhabiting, for a while, the world of the two brothers. Widespread appeal Of course, any rags-to-riches story has a huge appeal because it makes you feel good. But Slumdogs real appeal lies in the fact that the director has not romanticised slum life or poverty in India, nor has he demonised it. His film tells the story of Indias slums as it is, without romance, without melodrama and without turning it into a tear-jerker. It is easy to see why Jamaals heart-warming story has movie buffs across the world rooting for it. While the economic divide between the haves and the have-nots has always existed in all parts of the world, the economic recession has only widened this gap and made more people appreciate what day-to-day living is for people on the wrong side of the poverty line. Also, more often than not, poverty goes hand in hand with violence and pain. This movie unveils for the viewer the kind of violence that fills the world of the two brothers and their friends, particularly after their mother is butchered in a communal riot. It is here that the story brings in a refreshing change. Rather than showing the two boys falling into the arms of jihadis and vowing revenge for their mothers murder, the film shows them being trapped in the violent net of Mumbais underworld. At first, the kids are picked up by a gang that specialises in maiming children and converting them into beggars; this part of the movie contains some chilling images of how children are blinded by the goons. Though Jamaal and Salim manage a getaway, Latika is left behind, and predictably ends up being groomed for Mumbais sex trade. While Salim gets sucked into the underworld of Mumbai, Jamaal emerges through the whole experience with his innocence intact, and captures the viewers heart. You bless the writer/director for allowing him to emerge from the violence of his existence with his humanity, and sense of humour, intact. Light touch The other part of the film that has you lustily cheering for Jamaal is when he ends up on the game show, where the host, played with élan by Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, makes fun of the chaiwala from one of Mumbais BPOs, where Jamaal learns much more than how to serve tea. But each time the young man comes out with the right answer, he stuns those on the show as well as the viewers. An enraged Kapoor hands him over to the Mumbai police on the charge of cheating; how could a slumdog know all the answers to reach the threshold of Rs 10 million, when so many intellectuals and professionals lawyers, doctors, professors, and others, had failed to get that far, goes the reasoning. And here we get another real take on how our police deal with the underdogs. But when Jamaal emerges from the torture chamber and undergoes close questioning by the police officer, played brilliantly by another Bolywood talent Irfan Khan we get amazing slices of how the answer to each question is deeply etched on Jamaals consciousness by a real-life event. Take, for instance the popular bhajan darshan do bhagwan written by Surdas. The children, who are to be blinded by the criminals, are first made to sing this bhajan. Once they have perfected the words and the melody, they are blinded by acid and are dispatched to various parts of Mumbai to stir the consciences of passers-by in busy streets or subways, armed with begging bowls and Surdass masterpiece. The answer to each question is thus linked to Jamaals real-life experience and filmed with a deft and brilliant, yet light, touch that leaves you stunned. Socio-cultural nuances You wonder how a Hollywood director could have got the socio-cultural nuances of the important aspects of Indian life so right till you find out that his casting director, later taken on board by Mr Boyle as co-director, is Loveleen Tandon, who worked as a casting director for Mira Nairs Monsoon Wedding. In a recent interview she said: I couldnt sleep until I found the right kids (Jamaal, Salim and Latika are each played by three different actors as they grow up). I started casting in April 2007 and Danny kept coming down to Mumbai to check out the actors. I got the youngest version of the child actors, who finally grow up to be Salim and Latika, straight from the slums. She also fought with the director to turn the slum kids dialogue into Hindi. I told him how could kids from Mumbai slums speak in English? It wouldve become stagey. And so you have children mouthing the choicest of abuse in Hindi without batting an eyelid, just as it happens in the real world. Interestingly enough, the film itself was an underdog to begin with. Amazingly, it struggled to get distribution and according to its producer, Christian Colson, it was set to be released direct-to-video, until News Corp.s independent film studio picked up the movie. The golden Globes are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Its President, Jorge Camara, was quoted by Bloomberg: The world is becoming smaller, and just because a movie isnt from the United States doesnt mean it cant do well here. A good movie is a good movie anywhere. Sure, but the most amazing feature of this good movie is that despite being a portrayal of the dark world of Mumbais slums and underworld, it unravels for you the fun and laughter no amount of poverty or violence can take away from a childs life. And the movie ends with a ray of hope and happiness for Jamaal he finds his childhood love and a huge pot of gold too! (Response may be sent to [email protected]) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/01/13/stories/2009011350030800.htm
