A lot is being said and discussed about the latest Danny Boyle movie. In India we have discovered every rational reason to call it an Indian movie. Now the question that I bring up out here is whether this movie can really be called Indian?
If I say Yes my justification would be :
a.It is based on a novel by an Indian
b.It is based on Indian reality
c.All the actors and technicians are Indians
Well... reason enought to call it Indian.
If I say Yes my justification would be :
a.It is based on a novel by an Indian
b.It is based on Indian reality
c.All the actors and technicians are Indians
Well... reason enought to call it Indian.
But, I personally would say No, and I have good reason for that too. A movie is as good as its director. Actually, a movie is a canvas on which the director paints his ideas. This is a Danny Boyle movie and Danny Boyle definitely has portrayed the movie from a Bristish/Irish perspective. If a Madhur Bhandarkar or (better still) a Karan Johar were to make this movie, would it have been the same or would it have had the same impact? I seriously doubt. For example, in the movie, Danny builds the character of Jamaal as the movie progresses, which helps in making some of the little nuances more pronounce. In typical Bollywood movies, the movie begins with the characters/heroes, who end up stealing the limelight. The movies end up being all about the characters and nothing else. One would hardly find any subtle layer. Indian Bollywood movies stimulate emotions but not the grey cells, and that, I would say is what makes Slumdog Millionaire a Non-Indian film.
Slumdog is already there, and deep down inside I am sure the big guns of Bollywood would be saying, "Shit! We never looked at it this way." Now what? Now, I would expect a cinematic revolution of some sorts in Bollywood. The generation of movie watchers has changed. It is a new generation which can identify and appreciate sensible cinema, be it from anywhere. So, for a change, I would expect to see more movies being made, with the movie being the priority and not the moolah it rakes in. We can already see a beginning with so many art house(read small budget) movies coming out. Many of these small-budget movie actors are quite celebrated today-Rahul Bose, Konkona Sen Sharma, and many others. The revolution has already started; now it will gain pace. As for movie buffs like me, we'll get to watch good cinema :)
Slumdog is already there, and deep down inside I am sure the big guns of Bollywood would be saying, "Shit! We never looked at it this way." Now what? Now, I would expect a cinematic revolution of some sorts in Bollywood. The generation of movie watchers has changed. It is a new generation which can identify and appreciate sensible cinema, be it from anywhere. So, for a change, I would expect to see more movies being made, with the movie being the priority and not the moolah it rakes in. We can already see a beginning with so many art house(read small budget) movies coming out. Many of these small-budget movie actors are quite celebrated today-Rahul Bose, Konkona Sen Sharma, and many others. The revolution has already started; now it will gain pace. As for movie buffs like me, we'll get to watch good cinema :)
