“As the film revels in the violence, degradation and horror, it invites you, the Westerner, to enjoy it, too…Slumdog Millionaire is poverty porn,” wrote London Times’ columnist Alice Miles.
The phrase “poverty porn” spread across the Indian media as commentators nodded in agreement or shook their heads even before the film premiered in its native Mumbai and India could (legally) watch it.
A group of the city’s slum dwellers, including children, protested against the word “dog”. A social activist filed a defamation case in Patna. And this week, hundreds of slum dwellers in Bihar’s capital ransacked a movie theatre demanding the title be changed.
So, is it really “poverty porn” for the Westerner’s delectation? Are beatings, torture, and the maiming of street beggars a sick form of adult exotica?
Perhaps the question can be rephrased: does a morbid fascination with the suffering of others find a place in art and is “Slumdog” are a striking example of this?
Be it a film on the Nazi holocaust, or based on crime, or a painful examination of the horrors of drug abuse (Trainspotting?), viewers can gawk at the world’s dirty underbelly whether or not they would describe themselves as pain perverts.
But the film has caused real offense in some parts.
“‘Slumdog’ is just every scrap of dirt picked up from every corner and piled up together to try and hit back at the growing might of India. And the awards almost seem like a sadistic effort to show the world — look we knew that this was India, and these are the slumdogs we are outsourcing our jobs to,” wrote management consultant and film producer Arindam Chaudhuri on his blog.
Chaudhuri and others say the film crosses the line into stereotype in a way that “stinks of racial arrogance” and is designed to undermine India’s inevitable rise on the world stage.
According to Chaudhuri, the film serves up “India as the accidental millionaire, which in fact happens to be a slumdog”.
But take the critically acclaimed movie “La Haine” (Hate), about life in the grim suburbs of Paris. Riots, needless bloodshed, police’ brutal treatment of immigrants and monotonous poverty are its subject matter and there is no happy ending.
Should France have rushed to the city’s defence and said the (French) director wallowed in the city’s troubles when Paris has so much more to offer? Could he not have made a film set in the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the world-famous catwalks?
Should “City of God” have apologised for being set in the troubled slums of Rio and because it didn’t address Brazil’s own emergence on the world stage?
The director of “Slumdog”, Danny Boyle, is up for an Academy Award. But some panned the film on its own perceived demerits and said it does not deserve 10 Oscar nominations — three for music director A.R. Rahman will do. The three people I went to see it with were underwhelmed.
Some saw the film as trite and inconsistent. For example, the hero’s sudden knowledge of English after his stint as a guide at the Taj Mahal came under scrutiny, especially since it allowed Boyle to shoot large chunks of the film in his native tongue.
Whether or not a moviegoer wants to spend his money on a film set in slums seems a matter of taste, but with more expected protests in India, the controversy has not died down.
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People will complain about anything and everything. It was a good movie. It was one that could make you feel better. People are offended, when they are looking to get offended.
- Posted by T-rexThis is a really interesting article!! I recently read an interview with danny Boyle about his visit to Africa, its worth a look
- Posted by Rosemaryhttp://www.bigissuescotland.com
Let me know what you think
I found a very interesting post which discuss the Indian perspective to Slumdog Millionaire.
Really makes you think.
http://www.indiasoulcurry.com/2009/02/sl umdog-millionaire-indian-perspective.htm l
- Posted by JulianI think if we feel ashamed of indias povery we ought to get up and do something about it. before india’s vast influx of wealth their was a n excuse for slums and now as so many have rusen to high stature its time we stopped closing our eyes. I used to attend religios discourses at a very affluent ashram in POWAI who’s temple overlooked the slums. Despite the plea of so many spritual teachings this ashram never lifted a rupee to rebuild their neighbors in need. I think now that our eyes are opened all of us should makeit a point to in some way rehabilitate and make ourselves of NO ONE IN NEED. If it means we ourselves skipping that five star lunch or for our religious leaders to stop pandering for power and rebuilding a nation that we are not ashamed of. JAI HO
- Posted by JaiPeople think too emotionaly in India. Intelligent people never react this way. Once i visited India and the slums. when i tried to make pictures, people got angry and started schouting at me. Absolutely stupid. When this people do not allow anybody to know their reality, how can they get helped.Bhagwan can visit you in several roles, as a tourist,
- Posted by Preetyas a begger or as Danny Boyle.. We never know. Just welcome them and wait.
JAI HO?????????!!!!!!!
So here we are, guys. Nation of >one billion going gaga over an Oscar(Well, 3 Oscars to be precise).
Now Indian news channels have something for next 15-20 days to take the people for ride(They are still trying to keep the TRPs up by devoting many hours daily to Mumbai attacks-latest topic of discussion seems to be –whether we should hand over Kasab to Pakistan or not and obvious gratitude is palpable for Pakistani diplomats for letting us keep him!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think our starting position was that we have all our options ,including military options, open and Pakistan should hand over all terrorists responsible for attacks to India. Thanks to our politicians and focussed news channels ,we are obliged to feel obliged that Pakistan are letting us keep Kasab here and have even allowed his trial !!!!!!!!! I don’t think anywhere else in the whole universe can media make fun of collective intelligence of an entire nation so brazenly. Their prime time presentations are so much below standard that I find watching these a direct insult to common men’s intelligence. Between 8 to 12 PM many channels are showing totally irresponsible, violent, sexually explicit and offensive, misleading trash in the name of news and when government tries to say you can’t do that, they all collectively cry foul. Even renowned names can be seen interviewing IRRELEVANT PERSONALITIES repeatedly and regularly. Trivialisation of important events, undue emphasis on non-events, creating news where there is no news and provoking people to behave irresponsibly to get some bytes has become a routine for many .Most common question that a journalist can think of asking a dead persons’ relatives is –How are you feeling? Now how is one expected to answer that!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well I am feeling sort of high after all these interviews or better still just ask the jerk how should one feel?
Coming back to the original topic.A.R.Rahman gets 2 Oscars for Slumdog music. As far as I can understand that says nothing about his genius and our being so ecstatic about it is a bit belittling for this maestro. It is as if had he not got these Oscars ,there would have been some doubts about his creativity, as if Oscars have made him more AR Rahman than he already was. I feel that any awards ,however great their perceived value might be, redeem their own prestige by being bestowed upon people like Rahman and Gulzar. Artists like them do not need all these awards to establish their place in contemporary art history. As to why is this his first Oscar or why did no other Indian get the Oscar or BAFTA for music, direction, sound editing ,etc…etc… is as stupid as asking why any American movie could never figure in the list of Filmfare Awards or Indian National Film Awards. BAFTA is British Academy Of Film and Television Awards and Golden Globe and Academy awards are American awards for predominantly American/English Movies ,so much so that all foreign feature length films are competing for a single award-Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. So how can any Indian or any other non-English national Movie/ personality be awarded an Oscar when Oscars are simply not for them.
Coming back to AR Rahman again, like most Indians I’m also very happy that he got more international recognition ,that he won a big award, (that too with Hindi songs and maintaining his signature style),that a movie with predominantly Indian cast and totally Indian theme could sweep the Oscars. I’m disappointed, not because of how India is portrayed(If such exists ,let such be shown) ,I’m disappointed because what is shown ,might actually be near reality. Let us not belittle the movie, it seems to be an above average presentation (only problem being with the intent and content of the movie), but it got all these awards because it is an English movie, made by English Producer/directors .Had that not been the case, it would not be even short-listed and why should any Indian movie be short-listed for predominantly American/British awards, whatever the intrinsic qualities of the movie might be. After all, we do not nominate Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List for our national awards just because these are very good movies. We do not get Oscars simply because Oscars are not meant for us exactly the same way as our awards are not meant for Foreign language movies. Media creates unnecessary and ill-informed hype and most of the times most of us are carried away.
Rahman’s music is definitely beyond all the awards and though Jai Ho is a very good song with beautiful lyrics by Gulzar Sahib and equally soulful rendition by Sukhwinder, getting all these awards does not make it Rahman’s best. In fact his slower compositions(Masakkali,Gendaphool,Kahna hi kya,Chhoti si asha,Bin tere kya jina etc…etc..the list is endless) and songs with Sufi touch (Khwaja mere Khwaja,Maula)and semi prose(Dil Se re,Ma Tujhe Salam)are much better though they carry the same force and energy levels(and this is typical of him –slow songs with boundless energy and such enriching soulfulness that you become mesmerised by the overall effect).
So, these awards are a welcome tribute to theses great artists but even before these awards they have given us many and much better masterpieces and let us not forget that these awards have only re-established the greatness of these artists and in doing so have re-emphasized their own value also. Because, awards or no awards Rahman and Gulzar will remain what they are and Sukhwinder will sing just as soulfully and anyways I do not think that European/British/American populations can ever be able to understand the meaning of Mora Gora Ang le le or Phir se aiyo Badra Bidesi or Chhoti si akhani se,wadiyon ke pani se. This mysticism is beyond them. So let them be happy with their Pretty woman and enjoy Masakkali and Sasural Gendaphool.
So much for the Oscars ,Indian media(specially news channels),AR Rahman and all.
Regards to all.
- Posted by VIKASENDU AGARWALA film that provokes so many Indians to give intelligent arguments for and against is already a success in many ways. How many Indian movies touch a chord as this one? But this is not 1857and Brits are not invading Kanpur. This blog sounds like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Sick.
- Posted by MrinalThis film tells a good story, has great acting, fabulous camera work, superb music and everything just comes together for a truly universal appeal. Danny Boyle did not create Indian slums, he did not blind orphans, he did not create beggars on streets, he did not make call centers - he is just an artist trying to make a good film and get rich in the process. Lets be happy for him. And for those from Bollywood who do not like it - well, who stops you from making your own film on slums. Dont you make 700 films a year already?
[...] that has surprised me. The moderate editorial voices have been drowned out by angry outbursts. One Arindam Chaudhry uses the language of Iranian Ayatollahs and just stopped short of issuing a fatwa against Danny [...]
- Posted by The Goyal Post » Slums, Men, Dogs and MillionnairesThis film’s success relies strongly on exploitation of indian poverty & slums. if anyone disagrees, watch the scene invoving an american couple, where Jamal gets beaten up & at the end of the scene, amrican lady says ” see real america” & makes her husband to give money to jamal. its a typical hollywood film to which indians shouldn’t be proud of, eventhough there are indian actors, technicians and unfortunately a r rahman in it.
- Posted by jijiI watched it yesterday. First of all, I don’t enjoy watching movies showing abuse, miseries and disasters.
I found it a bit sensational. Furthermore, they should have stick with the girl who played “latika” while she was approx 16. Frieda Pinto simply doesn’t look like her at all whatsoever, I found it disturbing.
Script: At the end of the movie Jamal is asked the 3 Musketeers question. Wouldn’t it be great if he would answer “Latika was the 3rd”. This really would add something to the script. He would loose all his money, but he would be with her.
Overall, I don’t think this was such a good movie. I found it a bit sensational. Jamal’s acting (Dev Patel) was good though.
- Posted by coenThe movie showcases true facts about India and let us not hide from them! The slums are right under are noses and nothing much has been done about this! Movies like these do give a bad impression about India’s progress in today’s times but this is what is required to wake up the sleeping government and us the people of India! All those who are protesting against the movie should atleast make an effort to realize the bitter truth about our beloved India!
- Posted by KCGuys!!! Just enjoy the film as a work of art and relax! Don’t forget that the author and the real brain behind the story is an Indian. I agree that though the movie is good, it really does not deserve so many awards! Don’t you see, the real “Slumdog Millionaire” here is Danny Boyle!
As Indians we need not prove ourselves to every Tom, Di_ck and Harry! We know what we are and other ignorant ones will know soon! May peace prevail, the world is one family.
- Posted by Vikas Sharma