Last night I saw Slumdog Millionaire. I was happy I saw it, though I was not euphoric. Almost everyone in India is speaking about it. Let me put down my 10 penny’s worth of reflections about this gripping movie.

First, we should not in all fairness usurp credit for the production as an Indian movie. It is a British production with a majority of Indian faces.

I felt disgusted with some of the scenes in the movie – particularly where the hero jumps into the cesspool in his excitement to see Amitabh Bachhan. This is hardly reflective of the reality in any part of India. I was filled with equal revulsion to see a child being blinded by putting liquid metal in the eye. The communal fury and violence was another disturbing scene. I thought this was artistic license taken too far.

Danny Boyle captured the attention of the world with a few sweeping, wild caricatures of India. Millions of people world wide will now perceive India as a land of cesspools, abominable cruelty on children and communal flare up. Even if such occurrences were based on reality, it does not feel good to wash our dirty linen in public.

On the other hand, people living in depraved conditions in slums are a reality. How I wish we did something about improving their lot rather than wishing the slums away!

However much I searched and tried, I could not see the movie ending on a note of hope and optimism. Winning a lottery on a string of coincidences is hardly what I would term as inspirational.

In the latest issue of Sunday Times, Dr.Deepak Chopra, the world renowned spiritual writer, makes two fascinating points about Slumdog Millionaire.

One, “Many well educated Indians have looked westward for a long time, which is easier than looking inward. They know more about the streets of London and New York than the teeming lanes of the ghettos in their own city.” Two, “Past history and ingrained inhibitions make it hard for Indian artists in any field to be as frank and true to life as they should be. They have yet to seize freedom.”

In our land we have slumdogs (I am referring to the poor in general) and they inhabit a world of their own. Their culture, morals, rules and life in general are different. The more affluent do not mix with the folks in this land.

Then there is the land of the rich – meaning people in the middle and upper strata of society. Their culture, morals, rules and aspirations are also very different. They prefer to live, as far away from the slumdogs as possible.

The slumdogs and the rich meet in movie halls. Sitting in different classes, they sink into the make-believe fantasy world of movies for about 2 hours or more. They see glamorized rags to riches stories, the hero vanquishing the evil after unbelievable stunts. They do not come to the movies to see their world as it is. The slumdogs cannot afford the pain of more pain and the millionaires cannot bear the intrusion of reality into their sanitized world.

As it happens most often, the value of Indian talents increase multi-fold after their discovery by the west. The west has validated the truth that several of our artists and technicians are world class. We should thank them for the favour and lose no time in joining in the celebrations earnestly. Let us go gung-ho about the achievements of A.R Rahman, Resool Pookkutty and Gulzar.

However, we must develop our own self respect and make effort of our own, to unearth and recognize our precious talents in various fields.

Finally, isn’t it a matter of pride that all the three Oscar awardees are from the minority community? And the entire nation is proud of them. Despite the poverty and so many other shortcomings, we know the true meaning of “unity in diversity”.

It is celebration time.

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Yes, Slumdog Millionaire won the Oscars. Congrats to both Rahman and Rasul for winning the same. It was a well made film and good creativity was seen in the entire film. It’s also possibly the best marketed film but the question is how did the film project India? I just saw the movie today and hence I thought I will chip in with my bit of the movie. I was supposed to have a feel good factor after seeing the movie alas it was the opposite.

The movie started with the slums clearly showing how our slums are and how bad it can be. It’s the truth but it was shown very unrealistically. The kid swimming the shitpool for the autograph of an actor is the first scene which was completely absurd and it clearly shocked me not because it doesn’t happen here but how it shows India in poor light. The film shows poverty and the very negative side of India. The accolades of the Oscar suddenly slipped my India and I was left stung by the complete apathy in projecting the movie as “the world taking note of India”. Is this what we wanted to show them?

Here I can only say we are sadly mistaken. We were the land of maharajas, bullock carts, magicians with the great Indian rope tricks and very poor, for our masters around 60 years ago. Now we have a new status. We are the slumdogs, shit swimmers, beggars, stealers and child racketeers.

Yes they are turning rich and the world is noticing it but they are doing it through the moneys of the westerners or through sheer luck like the winner of the quiz. So if a foreigner tomorrow asks me whether children swim in shit-ponds in India what can I say, for it is the image created in the western world.

In my article the third stimulus package I had written about the stimulus provided to the Indian market. But whom are they benefitting after all? We are not slum dogs just because we live in slums. If we are not, then what are we doing about these people? Elections have come and gone the slums still remains as it is. Government spends crores on election advertising and all tax sops which is sheer wastage of taxpayer’s money. Can’t we accommodate the poor in good houses?

If slumdog is not the image which we want to project the western world then what should it be? The buoyant Indian economy needs an image modification and we have to do just the right thing to eradicate the wrong image projected of India.

Surely we can take pride of Rahman who is extremely talented and Rasul too. But was this the right way to win an Oscar? Danny Boyle’s film had brought some cheers to the foreigners reeling under recession and wanting to blame India for all their worries.

It’s time we remind ourselves of this sorry saga and elect the right person to the chair at least the next time.

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11: 20 PM

Reese Witherspoon comes to present the Best Director Award. And guess who won the award ? It is Danny Boyle from Slumdog Millionaire. What a guy! In his speech he showed humility and apologized for not having given credit to his choreographer but gave his tribute to Mumbai and truly deservedly so.

Danny Boyle we love you.

11:27 PM

Halle Berry and Co comes on stage to present the Oscar for the Best Leading Lady. Anna Hathaway, Kate Winslet, Meryl Streep and Angelina Jolie

Kate cries while she gets praised.

Meryl Streep got nominated for the fifteenth time. And Angelina Jolie was a stunner …But the Oscar went to Kate Winslet…She recollects her shampoo bottle from her bathroom when she was eight years old. Madhavan just told me that her acting in “The Reader” was stupendous.

And now comes the next best category of awards

11:37 PM

Sir Ben Kingsley, Michael Douglas, Robert DeNeiro, Anthony Hopkins and Anthony Roda to award the best Actor’s award.

Richard Jenkins, Sean Penn, Frank Langella, Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke gets nominated for the best actor’s award.

The Oscar Award for the Best Actor goes to Sean Penn. There was a standing ovation from the crowd. Sean Penn says “ You don’t know how difficult it is appreciate myself”. The words that followed after that was very impressive – a great speech. His humility was seen when he appreciated Mickey Rourke- the comeback kid.

11: 47 PM

Steven Spielberg comes on stage to present The Best Picture.

Frost/ Nixon, The Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Reader are the ones nominated in the Best Picture category.

And the Oscar Award for The Best Picture goes to Slumdog Millionaire. The Producer Christian Colson, along with the entourage reached the stage to collect the award.

What a moment for Slumdog Millionaire, Mumbai and India !

12:00 AM on 23rd Feb’09– Off to sleep. Good night, have to wake up early for office, tomorrow. Have a great week, everyone!

Jai Ho! Jai Ho!

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10:42 PM

Eddie Murphy is on stage to present the Jean Hearscholt Humanitarian Award. And the award goes to legendary Jerry Lewis. Nostalgic, huh ?

10: 54 PM

AR Rahman wins two Oscars for India, two more to the Slumdog Millionaire kitty.

AR Rahman wins the best Original Score for Slumdog Millionaire. Proud of you, AR Rahman..What more – He gives a live performance from Slumdog Millionaire….O Saya and Jai Ho along with MIA.

This is probably the best night for A R Rahman.

He is also nominated for the best background score and he wins it hands down. The song is Jai Ho and the lyricist is Gulzar.

Arguably the best night for Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman and India.

11:05 PM

Guess what ? Freida Pinto, from Slumdog Millionaire is on stage with Liam Neeson for presenting the best Foreign Film. The Oscar goes to “Departures”

The Japanese director is Berry Berry Appy and Sankoos everyone. Did I say, Freida Pinto was lovely in that Blue dress.

I think this is the first time, an Indian has been called on stage to present an award. I may be wrong, though !

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Will Smith comes on stage to present the award for the best action movies. The Academy awards for best action movie goes to Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Eric Barba, Steve Preeg accepted the award. This one is the third one for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. I need to watch this movie now.

The award for Sound Editing goes to The Dark Night and the award is accepted by Richard King.

The award for best Sound Mixing goes to Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire. Resul says history is being handed to him. How true. We are proud of you, Resul Pookutty. India Special salutes you!

Another one..

The award for best Film Editing goes to Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire. What a night this is turning out to be for India. This is the 6^th award for India.

Slumdog Millionaire has definitely put India on the map. I hope the Indian public wakes up and gives the crew a rousing welcome like they did for the cricketers and Olympians.

Three cheers for Slumdog….Hip Hip Hurray! (3 times)

Am I too excited…I hope there is more!

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Time is 9:46 PM

I am back to my seat and three guys come to announce the best live action award. The category doesn’t sound familiar, but sounds important. Whatever !

The Oscar award for the best live action short film goes to will tell you later.

By the way, did I tell you – Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire are tied at two awards each. Lets see who wins the battle of the Oscars. My heart goes for Slumdog Millionaire but my brain for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I hope my heart wins.

9:52 PM

Hugh Jackman is back and is busy talking of “Change That Has Come”…..He is talking of Mamma Miah and the musical. He is now singing, dancing live “Mariah….” from Mamma Miah…along with guess who – Beyonce Knowles!.

Oh My God!

This is the first time I am seeing him on stage and Hugh Jackman is phenomenal.

A Musical Oscars indeed. All the performers from Mamma Miah look so beautiful including Beyonce Knowles

Time is 9:59 – Time for a break and some grub – Salads, bread crumbs, light mayonnaise and lots of water. Not so spicy, right ? So uncommon for an Indian like me. Isn’t it ?..anyways, time to move on

Five actors including Cuba Gooding Jr. comes onto present the Best Supporting Actor.

The Oscar goes to the Late Heath Ledger for The Dark Night and the family (his mom,  dad and sister) came to receive the Oscars. All three of them spoke and accepts the award. An emotional moment, indeed. May his soul Rest In Peace

Who will win the Best Actor award ? – Mickey Rourke ? Wait for some more time and you will get to know that…

10:13 PM -

The best documentary award goes to James Marsh, Simon Chinn for Men On Wire. The winner shows some magic on stage. Very creative!

10:17 PM

The best Oscar for the small documentary short film goes to Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki – Another Indian film. Wow! This probably is the best year for Indian cinema at the Oscars for a long, long time to come. Hey, this is Icing On Cake!

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Hugh Jackman is back to host the Academy Awards. He welcomes Daniel “Mr. Bond” Craig and Sarah Jessica Parker, from the “Sex & The City”. They announce the award for Art Direction.

And the award goes to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Donald Burt and Victor comes to collect it.

The award for best Costume Designer goes to Michael O Connor for The Duchess.

The award for best Make Up goes to Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Greg Cannom wins it. More than make up, he seems to be too fast at pronouncing names he wanted to thank in his 45 second speech.

Benjamin Button receives its second Oscar award.

Time is 9:27 PM EST

The vampire star from The Twilight comes to announce “Romance of The Oscars”.

Ben Stiller and Natalie comes to announce the best award for the Oscars. Ben Stiller looks funny with that beard and dirty chewing gum. He says Slumdog Millionaire was shot on the cellphone. He looks lost J, pretending funny- may be…Oh yeah, talking about the wizard cinematography.

Who will win this award – Slumdog ? Lets wait and watch.

And the Oscar goes to Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire. He wants to thank 1000 people but can’t.

Congratulations – The Slumdog Millionaire team for the second Oscar award. I am excited!

Time is 9:36. Time for a break!…

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The Oscar fever has caught on and for the first time, I am blogging live watching the Oscars, from the comforts of my home. Nothing can beat this experience. Seeing it live, munching my favourite triscuit, watching my two kids screaming louder than the Oscar host and blogging as Slumdog Millionaire is about to win Oscars – At this point, I don’t know how many, though!

The expectations are high among Indians that music maestro AR Rahman, who has bagged three nominations for “Slumdog Millionaire”, will bring home the coveted trophy. What a moment that will be!

Other two Indian films vying for the glory are “Smile Pinki” and “The Final Inch”.

The time is 8.30 PM EST.

Ok, the Oscar Awards has begun and so is this live blogging.

The time is 8:33 PM

Singer, Dancer, Actor Hugh Jackman enters the show with startling display of his talent. He starts of with the song on Slumdog Millionaire, moves onto Benjamin Button – what a startling display, picks up Anne Hathaway for an impromptu dance. Jackman performs about the other movies – The Reader, The Wrestler and Nixon. What a Live Performance that was!

The time is 8:40 PM

Hugh Jackman introduces all the nominees including Mickey Rourke, the couple – Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, the guy who played Nixon, Demi Moore.

The time is 8:45 PM

5 yesteryear Oscar actress winners including Whoopi Goldberg introduces Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Demi Moore et al.

Penelope Cruz wins Oscar for the best actress. She goes to the stage and thinks she would faint…but doesn’t. She gave an emotional speech saying it is art which unites the universe. You are too good and beautiful. Penelope – Congratulations !

The time is 8:54 PM

Some type pad clicks. Few sentences and sounds of a typewriter. I don’t know what is happening.

Enter Steve Martin and Tina Fei. They starts joking around, as usual and soon picks up the mike for announcing the best screenplay. Now I understand why there were those type sounds.

The best screenplay award goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. Dustin, on the stage, emotionally talks of “Hope” for Gays and Lesbians across America.

Next comes the award for the best adopted screenplay…and the award goes to Simon Beaufoy, the writer for Slumdog Millionaire.

Oscar # 1 for Slumdog Millionaire. Wondering why Vikas Swarup for Original Screenplay. But yes, he thanked Vikas Swarup and the other two musketeers and his love for India.

I am so excited now. My friend, Madhavan, who wrote Will Slumdog Millionaire Win the Oscar Awards, pings me on Gmail. We exchange congratulations for the first in the kitty and many to go.

The time is 9:03.

Enters Kungfu Panda and his star friends…I am talking of Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston. He is hilarious.

The best animated feature film goes to Wall-E. Oscar is taken by Andrew Stanton. He thanks everyone..nothing extraordinary of a speech. The show goes on

The best animated short film goes to La Maison En Petites. Kunio Kato collects the award and “Sanks” everyone!…Sankooo..meaning Thank You.

Time for a break!

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Never in the history of dogs have they become so popular.  Everyone wants to get a piece of the dog and eat it too.

Take the curious case of Danny Boyle – A British film director who left England to reach Mumbai in search of a dog story. And what he got is anybody’s guess. A multi million dollar saga on a dog…a.k.a Slumdog.

Coming to dogs, I’ve heard of “Insatiable Alsatians”,  every woman’s dream a.k.a  ”DoberMan” and Happy to Help sweet little Dr. Pug (or “Lolakutty!”) but not the new one called the Slumdog until a few days back

How often do you see a dog getting so much prominence, worldwide ?

Some people don’t like it when a dog is called a dog. Then there are those who think a man when called a dog will turn himself into a dog.  Especially when you categorise a whole community / habitants as a dog, then it gets worse.

Coming to the point, recently I read this Corporator from Mumbai – Nicholas Almeida made a statement.

“We request that please change the name of the film to Slum dash Millionaire or Slum dash Crorepati. Dog is a bad word”

I ask Nicholas since when is dog a bad word ? The last I know of dogs are that it is a man’s best friend. Dogs are the most loyal animal. So how is it that a dog is a bad word ?

And why pick on one movie which has suddenly become a worldwide hit. What were you doing when the movie itself was being made ? May be Mr.Nicholas doesn’t have a day job. No wonder he is a Corporator from Mumbai!

Yeah right – When you have a Corporator like him and a few like the Rajs of the world and the Senas, then Mumbai is sure to go places.

Going by the same tone, isn’t the film Kaalia a racist title ? Isn’t Agnipath, the national award winning film starring Amitabh Bachhan, insulting fire- supposedly another God ? Then how about Sholay which also means fire ? And “Fire” itself (starring Shabana & Nandita) where  lesbianism is portrayed which is still considered a social taboo ?

I think people like Nicholas just need a reason to fight …and unfortunately in India, more often than not we fight for the wrong social reasons.

How often do you see someone fight for minimum standard of living for the slum dwellers, a hygienic environment to survive, drinkable water, food, housing, shelter etc for those who below poverty line ?

Nicholas Almeida and his pseudo protests, if directed, in the right direction can yield results that will be appreciated by many rather than trying these cheap stunts of publicity.

Corporator(s) in India – better find some good alternative issues and leave the dogs to their own destiny. If not, it is certain that every dog will have his day ! J

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