Dear Editor,
With regards to recent letters in SN on the movie Slumdog Millionaire, people talked a lot about the movie during my extensive travel in India earlier this month (in the cities as well as in the remote villages). The writers are right in noting that the movie is not shown extensively in the cinemas in India and there is much anger over it.
Some Indians criticized the movie while others expressed pride in its achievements at various international movie award ceremonies (Golden Globe, British Academy, French, now Oscar, and others). Controversies over the movie and its title are understandable, given that the truth is bitter to swallow. But the eventful journey of Slumdog has won the hearts of a billion people if not more.
In NY, there is a similar response, as in India, among the large Indo-Guyanese population to the movie. As in India, some Guyanese expressed outrage that the producers focused only on the negatives of Indian (slum) life in the cities. But in general, the movie has won the hearts of almost every Guyanese I spoke with in NY. In general, Guyanese expressed mostly positive remarks about the movie especially after winning so many awards at various international ceremonies. Pride emanates from the faces of Guyanese and a special function is being organized by Berbician Ashok Ramsaran to honour the producer in Queens in April and to raise funds to help the slum children of Mumbai.
The historic achievement of winning eight Oscars gave a special feeling among Guyanese. It was the focus of their discussion (the only thing they talked about) the day after the Oscars including at the mandirs where the auspicious festival of Shivratri was observed. There is no doubt that the movie’s achievement will be cherished as a landmark in the history of Indian cinema and among the many Guyanese who love Bollywood movies, even though the movie is not a Bollywood make. It is in large measure a Hollywood movie, directed by a Briton and released by the Americans and British and shown in mainstream cinemas around the globe.
Guyanese love popular Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, one of the man figures (financier) behind the movie, Gulzar, a fantastic lyricist, perhaps the best in the business, and AR Rahman, the musical genius who regularly tours NY and Trinidad where I saw him for the Bollywood awards. I also met Rahman in Mumbai Marriott Juhu three years ago at a function hosted by Finland’s Tourism Department to promote Bollywood filming in Finland. Rahman is phenomenal. He won two Oscars for his excellent music. He richly deserves the honours.
Whether one likes the movie or not, it is historic for an ‘Indian’ movie to win eight Oscars. No Indian movie (of almost 1500 released annually for decades) has ever won an Oscar although individual Indians received the prestigious award over the years. The internationally acclaimed Satyajit Ray received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar a few years ago; he was a master film-maker beyond comparison.
Slumdog’s Oscar success will surely have an impact on the course of Indian cinema not only in India but in the West as well, setting high standards and forcing movie makers to focus on more real life experiences rather than the make-believe fantasy of Bollywood’s songs and dances. Slumdog is a reality, not a fantasy or a fallacy. The movie brings into focus the abject conditions in which slum children in India survive. I know. I travel to India regularly and have experienced life in the slums which I would visit to donate gifts to the poor. In fact, I just gave out educational utensils to some children in the slums of Delhi and Mumbai. Slumdog is a largely accurate reflection of the arduous day-to-day struggle of slum dwellers in every major city. The movie has projected a dirty face of India, and Indians need not feel ashamed about the movie. Instead it should be used as motivation to help transform the slums of Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi, and other major cities to make these cities shining. On this note, the team behind the movie deserves the highest praise for bringing into focus the dark side of India as well as for its many achievements in cinematic production.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
Spruuuppp (suck teeth). Some people aint got NOTHING to do!!
A good letter.The movie reminds us of the extensive talents and expertise of Indian people in the movie arts.Bisram’s point about it putting pressure on the fantasy culture of Bollywood is well taken.A criticism of the movie, as pointed out in Norman Faria’s review in the Chronicle Pepperpot section last Sunday, is that while it shows the inherent nature of people, in this case Indians, to struggle and defend ordinary human values like revulsion against crime , the “winning” of the TV show prize and victory over the manipulaive moderator (Kapoor)is illusionary in terms of overall solutions. The ending, while ambiguous (we are not sure if he did accept the money or gave it to charity) could have been better with the hero for example going back to the slums and organising.In fairness, there are limitations in the cinematic art form. Sometimes we have to use our imagination as in this case but I guess that is what art is all about and what makes SLUMDOG such a great movie..
Also, the number of Europeans who graced the stage to receive their Oscars. My question is why the best movie with the best screenplay, did not receive even a best supporting actress award.
Does Mr. Bisram thinks he’s the only one that has traveled india extensively? His articles are nothing but a reflection of his egoistic mind which I simply don’t care for.
“…people talked a lot about the movie during my extensive travel in India earlier this month,” says Bisram. This is February and schools are in sesion. If Bisram is a teacher, as he claims, why wasn’t he in his classroom in New York earlier this month? I now understand why Frederick Kissoon questions Bisram’s stated occupation, teaching, and NACTA.
Besides his egoistic drivel – an opportunity to brag about his ‘extensive travels”, why in blazes do Guyanese in NY (and of course we are referring to the Indo-Guyanese populace of Liberty Ave and environs)have to be PROUD of this movie. By no stretch of the imagination, can they claim any link to this movie except an ethnic link to the actors.
I’m afraid I don’t understand why Stabroek News does not exercise editorial licence with this particular individual.
I do agree with you. This man Vishnu Bisram, comes over as a egotist. I think he is bent on promoting himself. He did raised a few good points in his letter. But he diverted to praising himself. Why do you have to entioned where you met Anil Kapoor in Juhu Marriot ( is it to show that he can afford to stay where are the stars are). I am now seeing another side of Bisram, thru his writings. It is true was a teacher.
The movie Gandhi was also a big winner at the Oscars years ago. It was a British Production as well. Another Indian based story.
The story line of Slumdog is along the same as Bombay Salaam with the addtion of the part with contest.
Surprised there hasn’t been an outcry as yet.
India produces a great amount of movies yearly,why it had to take a foreigner to make such a movie.Why raise funds now for slum dwellers,mr.Bisram you claimed to travel to India extensively,you know about the poverty of these slums,what I suspected here is G.O.P.I.O under Ashok Ramsaran is trying to capitalize on the success and popularity of this movie to further their own agenda.Mr.Bisram why not pick a slum in Guyana and write about it and let G.O.P.I.O along with yourself raise funds to uplift that slum.Many people knows the type of agenda G.O.P. I.O is pushing and they knows about you too,we saw the fierce protest by G.O.P.I.O against prime minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago in defence of Indians in that country,but at Lusignan massacre there was a deafening silence.I know why mr.Bisram,please continue sending your letters to Stabroeknews and not Kaieteurnews so we can discuss your articles and show you where you are wrong.And stop fighting with Paul Sanders of The Caribbean Daylight man.
,,,, talking abt the Berbician ramsarran ,,, my thoughts on his
proposed fundraiser shows where the ingratitude of many like him begins,,, it starts from their minds ,,
how many holes does he think he can fill with whatever paltry sum he manages to raise from his attention getting agenda ! for those who constitute more than a billion ,, would it not be more valuable to the poor in a system from which he has emerged ,, to be so motivated to do for those whom he knows nothing of ,, nor ever will in his life time ,, de writah ah de lettah an ramsarran dem all ah wear de same feddahz ! i’m ashamed ,, when the likes of ramsarran comes up as BERBICIANS !…..
yuh tink de lettah writah and ramsarran would know dat
CHARITY begins at H O M E ???????????????????????????????????
ah didn’t tink suh !……….
Mr. Bisram has to insinuate his experience as a world traveler. His letter is more about himself than the movie. And by the way, Slumdog is not the talk at the mandirs or any place in the Guyanese community that Bisram so proudly implies.
Bisram has been exposed by Frederick Kissoon in Guyana and now he is taking heavy blows from Paul Sanders in New York.
Imagine that. A film directed by someone.A director.His wishes. Telling people how to act.Laugh,smile,dress,pose for the camera,etc.Their lives not ta all what they are are acting/portraying. What a load of baloney.Yet you have a bunch of sheep gawk about it.
Boll wood has made numerous movies worthy of oscars. The story lines are amazing…They just need to remove the dancing and singing and stick to the drama with english speaking actors and I can tell you this, with the amount of movies coming out of India yearly it will blow up the movie houses here in the west.
yes,if you come to America,SPEAK ENGLISH.
bollywood movies are made for an indian audience. in india and abroad. song and dance is deeply rooted in the life of indians. everyone loves good hindi music and a good hindi dance. bollywood is just a reflection of this taste. bollywood has been producing feel good movies from its inception. it is all about good overcoming evil. more recently, aiming somewhat at an international audience and the oscar in particular, more modern films have been made. most of these films carry english subtitles.
people need to be realistic in their expectations. can we expect foreign films to be in english????? even slumdog, by a british director, carried lines in hindi without the subtitles, carried catchy music and a hindi dance number.
i have seen slumdog and simply think it is the reaction of the west to seeing the reality of the dark side of india that has roused so much feelings about the film. The poverty and darker side of life is no less depicted in hindi films. i have seen the story lines merging together in different films. an orphanage which takes advantage of children and puts the young girls into prostitution; rag to riches tale; police brutality; the cruelty and small mindedness of the better offs; the attempts to manipulate. The only new scene in slumdog was the who wants to be a millionaire contest – which is already a television issue in india. of course boyle did a great job of weaving together the life of jamal into the questions he faced during the contest, each question evoking glimpses of his earlier life and move from becoming an orphan at the hands of hindu fundamentalist to winning the first round of the lottery and being bounded off to the police station because his integrity led to him to the correct answer when deliberately fed the wrong answer by the host of the show. as boyle himself said, it was a love story – as jamal was only motivated to even get on the show to find latika, another orphan he shared some time with. of course even slumdog had a catchy beat and in the end an hindi dance number. so boyle catered to both his international and indian audiences.
i would agree with amitabh bachchan and amir khan, the two who remain among the greatest actors in hindi cinema – the oscars definitely does not define hindi cinema and had that film been made by bollywood, it would not have gotten the acclaim it received, nor the oscar. It was a storyline already seen by many indians in different films previously. those who are unfamiliar with the work of both of bachchan and kahn will spew garbage.
of course boyle went beyond the creative to have the young jamal show such guts to brave the latrine pit for amitabh’s autograph. the direction of the film deserved commendation.
i liked the movie slumdog millionaire. it made me come alive with it and feel the emotions of the actors as opposed to most indian movie which gives an enrealistic feel. as to mr. bisram…it is nice to know that you travel and that you are sympathetic to the children of the slums in india, but guyana got a few slums here too. not hearing anything about charity at home.
I for one, thought it was a good movie.