Some people state that Indian directors don’t have the guts to make a movie like SM. Exactly; Indian directors really don’t have the guts to humiliate the poor Indians by selling their poverty for making money and getting awards! Whether they don’t have skills? No friends, it is because they really don’t want to waste their skills for showing just the same, we are watching and experiencing in our day-to-day life. They know that people would really discard a film like SM because it’s a typical ‘masala’ film without any entertainment. This wouldn’t catch the attention of Indians anymore.
Although, Danny Boyle tries hard to entertain the Indian viewers by giving a happy ending but he miserably fails in that as he couldn’t nullify the sadistic effect of hypocrisy, dishonesty, mafia, riots , prostitution, filth , begging, child abuse, juvenile delinquency and corruption shown throughout the length of the film! Is this the entertainment, the film lovers are talking about?
In fact it resembles the story line of Indian movies of 70’s & 80’s which were later discarded as masala films and forced our directors to switch over to love stories like ‘QSQT’,’Hum apke hain kaun’ and later on family dramas like ‘Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gam’. We all know that now a days Indians are more interested in melodrama like ‘Jane tu’ or the movies which deals with sensitive issues like ‘Taare Zammen Par’, ‘fashion’. These are the real entertainers for the present Indian viewers.
So, Indian directors knew that they would not get any good business by such movie (after all everybody wants to earn money!). It’s a well known fact that in the beginning even SM was not doing well at INDIAN box office but after getting global awards it started picking the business. It was just because of Media hype or the curiosity of people to know about the ‘Indian’ movie (actually a foreign movie) that is getting worldwide recognition and International awards. Yes, record shows that in the first week of release in India SM made only $2.3 million (very low for an average Indian film) but after success at 81st Academy Awards it made $6.3 million in the following week, a whooping rise of 470%. The following quote from Los Angeles Times dated 30 Jan 09 confirms the above:
“Time magazine posted a piece Monday saying the film was "no hit" in India, with only 25% of theater seats occupied (an assessment hotly disputed by distributor Fox Searchlight).”
Indian directors still have some humanity and they don’t want to blemish their country’s image in the outer world. And if they would have made such a movie, their treatment would completely be in a different way! Unquestionably they would NOT make the storyline appear like a chain of all the evils happening in country put together, and they would NOT miss out the important positive aspects of Indian’s ‘reality’ like brotherhood, generosity, love, respect, affection for people and country. Just compare the treatment Satyajit Ray has given to his movies ‘Pather panchali’ and ‘Appu Trilogy’, which also talks about the plight of poor! In the words of Indian director Priyadarshan – “It(SM) should have been made by Mani Ratnam. Then you'd have seen what he would have done with Mumbai”!
Why Danny Boyle made Slumdog Millionaire?
British director Danny Boyle made SM because he wanted to give his western audience a real entertainer which would make them feel good. He tried to cash the sentiments of his audience by showing the lives of the poor Indian children. He knew that his target audience will like the story more if he will project a negative image of India (who cares in which way!). Concealing all the facts of basic behavior of Indian people, their culture, their morality, their generosity, and their progress he presented all the possible crimes prevalent in India in an extremely embellished way.
Danny Boyle was sure that showing the dark underbelly of India will get him more and more admirers from his western audience. This shows that ‘display of poor image of India’ is directly proportional to the ‘business done by a movie’. Danny Boyle was very much aware of the fact that the story line involving crime and violence prevalent in his own society will not be approved by his western audience. But if he will expose the poverty, filth and crime prevalent in Indian society, it will definitely attract his countrymen. In fact making the mockery of people living in inhuman conditions will give them the feeling of adventure because this is something new for them. Even if the matter will not be depicted much truthfully still this subject will indisputably get him more business, more fame and more prestige worldwide!
He knew that his people don’t like the idea of outsourcing their jobs to India so he tried to attack on India’s progress by presenting an unprofessional attitude of Indian BPO industry to degrade its image globally. In fact he has shown his own negative feelings for India. He wanted to let Indians know that they are actually underdogs who have started gaining their positions globally, just by destiny. And to accomplish this task Danny concocted the image of India based upon his own conceptualization and shot Slumdog Millionaire with Indian people in India, just to make an impression of ‘real India’ on westerners!
Alice Miles confirms this in her column in London Times:
“As the film revels in the violence, degradation and horror, it invites you, the Westerner, to enjoy it, too. Will they find it such fun in Mumbai?”
Slumdog Millionaire doesn’t portray poor and desperate people!!
Here is a brilliant quote from Danny Boyle:
‘Working in the so-called slum areas of Mumbai, I found it a fantastically organized place to go. The people were hugely generous. They are a huge community of very dignified and warm people. I hope my film has captured their dignity. They're not portrayed as poor and desperate people in my film. ‘Boyle told IANS.
Have a look at some of the scenes from Slumdog Millionaire-
Please raise your hand who agrees with Danny Boyle that Slumdog Millionaire doesn’t portray poor and desperate people and captures the huge generosity and dignity of Indians!
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