Stoking the Flames

There's no star bigger in India than Amitabh Bachchan and being such a big star (try demi-God) there is no one who seems to stir up as much controversy or discussion on the internet than he does on his blog. Whether it's discussing his trials and tribulations at the hands of the manipulative media or responding to claims against his integrity, Bachchan covers it all on his blog. The latest target of his discussions has been the success of the non-Indian-made "Slumdog Millionaire". Racking up victory after victory on the awards circuit it is among the films with the most nominations at this year's Oscars yet not everyone is so excited about that fact.

Now while I will be the first to agree that the film shows the seedier side of India why is there so much backlash at the filmmakers and storyline? The allegation that many make against the film is the fact that it takes all the stereotypes of India and displays them front and center. Now it may be stereotypical and it may not show the best parts of India but can anyone truly deny that these are parts of life in India? I'm not saying that this is what life in India is all about but it is a part of it nonetheless. Whether motivated by anger at the fact that another movie made on India by a non-Indian is garnering such success as opposed to the fare that India's film industry churns out on a regular basis. But if that is what Bachchan and others are attempting to state then are they any different at pointing to a stereotypical picture or image of the rest of the world?

Stars like Shilpa Shetty are coming out and protesting the film on the basis that it shows only the bad parts of India and does nothing to speak on the culture and beauty of the nation. I suppose by her own definition that would be the scantily clad dancers and suggestive movements that accompany them during the numerous dance sequences in the average Bollywood film. I suppose Indian culture by that standard is also outlandish costumes and pure escapism in lieu of the truth. Go outside even the most posh portions of Bombay and you'll still find slum dwellers living alongside them. Is it a fallacy then to devote a movie on them and their struggles? To read protests and comments coming from India, especially those who worship Bachchan on his blog, it is to think that now the world's image of India is set to be nothing more than a countrywide slum.

That's not the case yet people assume it will be. But is the film industry in India any better at not projecting stereotypes? In the 'super hit' "Bunty Aur Babli" the two protagonist con-men are travelling the country pulling off increasingly outlandish cons in order to make money and then donate it Robin Hood style. Of course this being Bollywood they can't simply do the con and then give off the money, they have to prove how much smarter they are than the rest of us. Now I don't care how stupid lavishly rich people are, but the plot point that got me was when they con a foreign business man into thinking he can buy the Taj Mahal from India. I didn't hear one protest or read about anyone commenting on how foreign tourists will feel about being portrayed as being the butt of jokes or being shown in such a negative light but when similar (though much smaller scale) cons are shown in "Slumdog Millionaire" there are extremely agitated protests. You don't think that type of thing happens? Ask my brother. He had a brand new pair of shoes stolen from the Taj Mahal when we went there.

Being an Indian American I'm rightfully proud of my heritage and of India but even then my memories of the Taj Mahal are accompanied by memories of the fact that my brother then walked barefoot from the monument to our car. A minor inconvenience (though he may disagree) but still, is this what Indians want visitors to then ignore or forget about when they do experience parts of the 'real' India? I suppose it all comes down to who is holding the mirror. If we turn the mirror on ourselves then perhaps we'll be a little more honest with ourselves about what we see but when someone else is holding the mirror in front of us there is always a slight difference of opinion.

"Slumdog Millionaire" may be full of cliches and may not have any redeeming value as far as a film but the fact that the story and the acting has appealed to so many people is a testament to the end product. People doing the protests and complaints about India point to the fact that there are so many other Indian films out there that are just as good if not better. So then why are crap films like "Eklavya", "Ek Rishta" and the like the ones that are being promoted for Oscar contention? This year it seems the Indian film industry came to its senses and nominated a film that deserved to be pushed forward, "Taare Zameen Par" which deals with the issue of dyslexia in India which is still misunderstood to a certain degree. While "Slumdog Millionaire" may not be much different than most Indian films, it at least approaches its subject in a relatively straightforward manner. It presents a story that shows how even the most common and unlikely of persons from the slums of India can take destiny into his own hands and change it. And most especially redeeming is the fact that the kid does it on his own without resorting to Bollywood style cliches such as wishing on falling stars or praying to God (whatever the religion) with a full screaming chorus in the background.

If you want to protest the fact or assumption that Hollywood is now coming in and taking advantage and exploiting the slums of India then why are groups suing or bringing cases against someone like AR Rahman or Anil Kapoor? Is it because they know they can't bring a case against a non-Indian and win or is it because of some other misguided reason? I don't know how things may work in India but in Hollywood, I don't think the music director or a side role actor will have so much say as to whether the title of the movie will or will not include the word 'dog'. More than any other entity in this whole debate, I blame the media in India for wanting to make a story out of something that shouldn't even be protested on this scale. It's sad and it is only going to show how petty some parts of India truly can be.