Dear Editor,
Robin Muneshwer (Sunday Stabroek Feb. 22) writes about the non-acceptance of Indians of the movie Slumdog Millionaire because of “its overly negative portrayal of India and Indians, embarrassed perhaps, that the world should discover that India, home to a million gods, has crime and corruption and poverty.” He further stated that: “For them, India is best represented by shows like Kasamh Se where everyone is rich and fair-skinned.” Some of the main characters of Kasamh Se—Jigyasa is very dark in complexion; Jai Walia, the star is not “fair-skinned” and so is Piya, just so you know. But to say that Soaps like Kasamh Se are true representations of life in India is like saying that Days of our Lives and the Young and the Restless are true representations of the American way of life.
Slumdog was made by a British man to suit Western audiences, that is why it has caught the attention of Western audiences. Hindi movies are made solely for the masses of India, as they are the ones who watch the Hindi movies. Hindi movies are not made to suit the interests of those who live outside of India—these days another set of movies are being made by American Indians who do not even speak Hindi in these movies and hardly have song and dance sequences.
The masses of India want songs and dances in their movies as song and dance are part of their way of life. They are called musicals!! The makers of Hindi movies know this and as they want their movies to rake in the cash—they provide what the masses want. The poor masses of India are like the poor fellow Salim of Slumdog, why would they pay to see what they face in their everyday life? The scenes are shot outside of India as this is the only way many of these poor masses—the ones you Mr Muneshwer suggested could be a “puerile lot” —can be able to picture what it is like in “the Swiss Alps and Piccadilly Circus.” At one time, some directors started shooting two sets of shots for the same song/dance sequences. One set in India for the people who live outside of India and another set abroad for the poor masses of India.
Movies for the masses are just that—an escape from reality that many need from the heart-wrenching poverty that they face every day. To suggest that the poor people of India could be “a puerile lot who wouldn’t know a half-decent movie if it was liquefied and poured over their eyes” is extremely bigoted and very sad. Not everyone is lucky to be born rich or to be able to even get a decent education. I suggest Mr Muneshwer watch Swades with Shah Rukh Khan and he may be able to understand some of the nuances of life in ordinary India. There are many Hindi movies that are about life in India—- Guru is good; a series of 3 movies—Earth, Water, Fire; or Laga Chunari Mein Dhaag, just to name a few that come to mind as there are too many to remember. Many of these movies were shown right here on the local television stations but maybe because they do not have song and dance—they were perhaps missed?
And just FYI, some of the Indian soaps while they too are not really based on reality, they have been tackling some touchy issues like untouchability, widow marriages, arranged marriages, etc. Most of the Masala Hindi movies—the big hits; deal with exactly what you Mr Muneshwer criticise them for not wanting to tackle—they’re all about “crime and corruption and poverty.” The star boy comes from some village to the city to become somebody. He encounters some rich corrupted scamps who try their best to defeat him etc, etc but their rich daughter falls in love with the same poor fellow and so with lots of songs and dances and dishum dishum in between either they both die—a tragedy or they bash up the scamps who end up in The Central Jail and the stars sing a song in the end—like how Slumdog ended in song/dance!!
Yours faithfully,
N Bisnath
Here’s my comment on the original letter (my computer bombed so I had to rewrite, but it’s still applicable)
I disagree.
Indian audiences are as snobby and superficial in their movie habits as Americans are, and are as happy to have their brains put to sleep as people over here and for the same escapist reasons. In the West, how many excellent movies such as “Dirty Pretty Things”, “the Iron Giant”, “Secondhand Lions”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Dark City” and “Citizen Kane” and “Blade Runner” in their original releases are drowned out by nonsense like Scooby Doo and Friday the 13th remakes, only to find their legs and reputations later?
This does not mean that there are not wonderful Indian movies out there, and if you want to see some, here’s a short list of good to great movies stemming from India, or made by its people or starring/about its citizens:
“The Apu Trilogy” (must see) by Satyajit Ray (1950-1959)
“The Music Room” by Satyajit Ray (1958)
“The Terrorist (1999)
“East is East” and “My Son The Fanatic” both with Om Puri
All of Mira Nair’s work: “The Namesake”"Earth” Fire” “Water” “Salaam Bombay” “Monsoon Wedding” (which is brilliant) and “Mississipi Massala” are good to start with.
Tarsem Singh’s two films “The Cell” (1999) and “The Fall” (2006) are visually stunning and like nothing you’ve ever seen before
“Elizabeth” by Shekar Kapur
Yes, “Slumdog” may not have made much money or may not have been seen by many in India, but I assure you that many people there *have* seen it, and have liked it, and among those who love film, there will always be aficionados. Some stories are simply universal and don’t require the tale to be about rich or poor or brown or white.
Good comment Pantha and I feel also that Bisnath has made some quite valid points too. I see you have not mentioned the film
Manthan (1976) … Made by Gujarat Milk co-Op Marketing Federation Production Company. This film is a classic and should not be missed. It does not come harder.
Serious, socially conscious, thought-provoking films are not the norm in Bollywood. Generally, the plots are predictably mundane, the subject matter overworked, everything designed for emotional and entertainment effect. A Satyajit Ray or Mira Nair is rare in the Indian film industry. If the masses are fed a never-ending diet of song and dance sequences, poor girl-rich boy saga, etc., they will naturally choose what has become familiar. As SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE shows, there needs to be an innovative approach to filmmaking in India, to wean the masses away from a not beneficial cultural diet, to show them new and better ways of looking at the world around them.
You guys seem to be more Indian than the real people from India…haven’t seen such ill informed trash like the above.
I once took an Indian friend of mine to a social event arranged by some Indo-Guyanese friends of mine in Mississauga. Some of my fellow Guyanese started to “show off” to my Indian friend about their knowledge of India and Indian/Hindu culture. His very polite response was that “you INDIANS OF THE CARIBBEAN speak so authoratively about India and hindu culture you know nothing about”. He said to me on our way home, ‘you know, we from India are different, you have to grow up in India to be know and understand the Indian culture’….which I understood from his explaination is as varies as the African culture depending on the geography. I thought our little socializing with Indians who did not grow up in India brought home a realization that made him a bit worried about the divorce between his children born in Canada and the Indian culture he and his wife know.
Evan,
And you do know us to know that we do not know “real” people from India and have not been to India, lived and studied there?
Evan, that’s a singularly odd comment to make, since the commentary here is about film appreciation and not Indian culture per se. Does liking Japanese or German films make me a panderer to their cultures?
My expression of “real people from India” was in reference to those who were born there. Admitting that the commentary was ‘about film and appreciation and not Indian culture per se” shows a bit of confusion….”Indian audiences are as snobby and superficial in their movie habits as Americans are,…”
And Bisnath, my apology…. but I am not sure how many Indo-guyanese were born in India.