Feline Musings

The media is reverberating with reviews, accolades and even criticism about the Slumdog Millionaire that virtually rose from nondescript existence to global fame. It’s almost trendy to watch this movie and know as much as one can about it. Needless to say, hubby and I also saw this movie over the weekend, and while I usually write a review of the movies we watch, this time I am going to list down the variety of thoughts and ideas that flashed during and after watching the movie. The list goes as follows: 

• • The first thing that strikes is the screen presence of child artists – Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Rubina Qureshi and Tanay Chheda - with an impeccable natural style. It made me wonder where these children were during the award ceremonies, or the grand celebrations, or why they were not awarded for their amazing performance. These child artists have carried the major burden of the film on their shoulders, but not many media reports feature their details. The latest I read about them was in a report on DNA India where sadly their parents have claimed that these children were underpaid. Another article in Times of India, features a happier story of another child artist. A feature in the Hindustan Times, also states “The film’s roaring success hasn’t made a big difference in their lives, but they already have stardust in their eyes.”
  • The second thing that captures interest is the storyline. I fathomed that some of the most elaborate scripts can be written based on the simplest of storylines and the plainest of ideas. You don’t need to be a genius to imagine a story like the one told in the movie, but you need to have perception of the depth of experience that even the simplest of incidents in life can project. The “game show” is less about general knowledge but about general perception, and the powers of the subconscious mind – how deeply etched memories provide subconscious answers to bigger queries and concerns. 
  • The third thing you realize as the movie moves into the second half is that Slumdog Millionaire is your typical “masala movie” with all the ingredients that sell. It’s got melodrama, suspense, childhood love that grows into adult passion, big bad brother who traverses between black and grey shades and invariably drives the destiny of his younger brother and beau, complete with the underworld don and gun-wielding goons.
  • Lessons of life are embedded in the scenes typically picked up from the daily life of the slum dwellers and the average Indian. What is commendable is that amidst all the dire circumstances, the children are not shown whimpering, crying, falling, failing but maturing with each and every situation and learning to survive. Any pity at the plight of the poor is overtaken by awe at how the weak and the meek learn to survive, and become strong in mind, body and spirit.
  • The movie is also a depiction of what the world/global audience will see and remember about India – and Indians may very well cringe at this list. While the background of slum-life forms the broader canvas, the other strokes that fill this canvas are – communal riots, forced human trafficking, prostitution, poverty, fraud and cheating to earn a living on the streets, corruption in public offices, and the omnipresent operation of criminal gangs, along with generous dabs of the colors of sacrifice and love.

Slumdog Millionaire is one of your average movies that have made it big. It’s not telling anything unique but it’s telling something in a different way. We have infact had better movies in Bollywood that have struck a chord with the masses, if not with national and global award juries. This should in no way undermine the lot of some of these brilliant Indian movies. The Bollywood-movie-fan, anyways has the last laugh, when the Slumdog Millionaire ends in a typical Bollywood style dance and song sequence (a.k.a. item number) as the acknowledgements and titles are rolling in!

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