"Slumdog- Millionaire depicts India's gloomy picture"

[Kalpana Heliya]

I strongly felt movie has tried to portray a gloomy reality of India to a great extent. Ironically India is a land of extremes, the site of children begging on traffics is very appalling. It seems these children can be the budding faces of Future India. The kind of life they are forced to maintain, given the circumstances, is really not justified.

Well, according to your opinion has the movie tried to smear the image of India????

[korovkinsergey]

I think this film is produced not to smear India. It's about another thing. Love, relationships. If u see only smear probably u need to digg into yourself.

[Kalpana Heliya]

I think this film is produced not to smear India. It's about another thing. Love, relationships. If u see only smear probably u need to digg into yourself.

hello there.... there's no question of, I taking this issue personally, First of all, the point here is the Cultural sensitivity of a country needs to be taken care of. The film has won a slew of awards, yet the eminent filmstar Amitabh Bachan has criticized the film. Second thing....Danny Boyle has repackaged India's poverty and sold it to the Western audiences. Indians feel that despite the huge advances the country has made in all spheres, the West is still hooked to the notion of India as the land of snake charmers, is very reflective in the film, if one has kept eyes wide open while watching it !!1

[sid.666]

no offence meant but you should leave your analytical abilities when you go to watch a movie... we're very proud that you have them but movies are meant to entertain not potray or showcase countries in good or bad light.

if you think that slumdog stereotypes india into a bunch of snake charmers and slum dwellers you might want to take a walk through rural india where as aptly quoted by Gandhi is where the real India lives.

I agree bout the one track potrayal of india in the west could be possible but then those who matter know what India's all about ... no country is perfect and the movie has picked up one of our greatest drawbacks and turned it into an experience , i think the movie's been brilliantly made and all the hype and hoo-haa around the movie is completely justified. I'll be rooting for them during the oscars ...... why ? cuz i liked the movie , it made me smile , end of story , dont dwell very deep into something that's quiete shallow or you'll hurt your nose. again.. no offence intended .

[rafarules]

i completely agree with u mate....it indeed describes india on terms of food n other basic amenities deprived country.....so not impressed bythe script very much

[kalpanavaidyanathan]

I think the movie was great .. yeah i did initially feel that they are not really portraying a great picture of india but then after watching the full movie i somehow loved it .

[Deepa Manik]

yeah .. m wid u ..slum dog millionaire does portray india's gloomy picture

[sofiyankazi]

yoo ,, its a gud movie.
the director of this movies really deserves awards.

[amishi jain]

hey i've seen d movie as well read the book it is adapted from ( Q & A by vikas swarup). the novel itself is a story of a young orphan 4m the slums so u cant expect danny boyle to make a movie abt a middle class kid... u can c d movie in another light dat even d street kids in india are smart enuf to b a millionaire if given a chance... n its coz of d movie dat many people 4m western countries are cumin 4ward to help des poor deprived kids in india...

[whizkidin]

Yes it does but then that also is truth and why we bother that it is only the picture of India.

[rohit_009]

I think the movie was great .. yeah i did initially feel that they are not really portraying a great picture of india but then after watching the full movie i somehow loved it .

[Rahul Somani]

Hi, friends in my point of view director potray his very good views in this movie, as all of us know that is it based on person who is leaving in slums of mumbai.
the main concept is that the life taught us many thing in many different ways and the fortune of any person can change any point of time and in any ways and we can't predict our fortune.

[gaurav_41283]

the movie is great
it try to show some indian reality and we should take it sportly
this is real slum life
we shall look forward and try to help the poor children

[yummy1984]

the movie was really -really good , just not bcoz its being nominated for oscars...it depicts the originallity & a true face of india specially mumbai.....
we should appriciate the directors efforts..as its too difficult for a person frm west origin to even enter the slums of DHARAVI...n shot for months to get the perfect picture.....
the Child actors are also too cute ,,... the casting is perfect...

The music is impeccable... A.R Rehman...

hope it will win as many oscars it can...

[prasadgoa]

this movie describes the gloomy picture of India.............lives in slum area and their future

[jhenley]

I feel that everything in this world is taken too literally.. It is a movie.. It is made that way to have an impact on audiences and to protray emotion..

[vijaykulkarni]

i think the movie is great
though it has shown poverty in india,but the world do know the other sides of india,they do know about our defence strenth,about chandrayaan,about T20 winning team of india & about many other things
so I dont think that one movie will help much in doing harm to india's image
and though the director is not indian but ultimately it's a team effort which wins oscar, and the team consists most indians-Rehman,all actors,backstage workers and not to forget the story is written by swaroop

[maazonly2u]

i dont think slumdog millionare deserves any award its a slap on indians..........

[Peeusha]

well i too think its an awesome n a must watch movie for evryone..it depicts d real India n how children r treated today also..very gud movie..it deserves oscar for sure

[born2rule]

good that som1 started a debate on this topic...
i saw the movie,,its not that convincing as to get nominated for oscars....
they really did potray a very negative image about India...poverty exists everywhere,in every country...the only thing is india's poverty can be seen easily bcos of slums...
moreover india has grown rapidly over these past years..

[prince2594]

May be... But the reality is probably worse....

[sid.666]

whizk ...it isnt the only picture of india potrayed in the movie man..

and this debate doesnt really make sense cuz if u notice tht more than half of the second half is shot in hiranandani for crying out loud and that's not a poor depiction of india at all...they got the best looking buildings in the city for crying out loud...and i live there and i sure know im not looked at as a gloomy picture..

it's just that in the movie they've showed a person's life story from where he's been to where he is..so deal with it .....and just for the record the whole part about the beggars and everything is quiete true.

what about other movies that show only the crappy parts we still whistle and watch them ryt ...so why raise a debate only when a movie gets acknowledged.

i hate pointless criticism , it's a very well made movie and that's just the way it is.
and the person who pointed out that he didnt like the script...i respect ur opinion but may i jusk ask which movie's script have u liked . in general...so i know what ur comparing it with.

[gaurav_41283]

the movie is all about luck and that too by chance
but everyone is not lucky

[madronny]

yoo ,, its a gud movie.
the director of this movies really deserves awards.

[shailendra joshi]

it is not roght. whatever it is showing is real portrayal of ppl who live in mumbai slums. ppl think that hollywood is more interesting in showing darker side of India, but it is not completely true. it shows darker side of theor own cities too.

[rushforrush2006]

true...this movie concentrates on the poverty and misery of india.

[yummy1984]

It doesnt seems that movie tried to smear the image of India, It is just a story of boy 'Jamal' n his journey of being a millionaire...it just a co-incidence that the story is based in india....The director nor the story has the intention of appalling india's image...

Y dont we indians accept the proverty prevailing in mumbai...its true...the movie is not depicting true india..but the fact has too be faced...lets peek outside the locals of mumbai n look at the children begging outside n the slums that we have n if a foreigner directing the movie..i think people like amitabh bacchan is not able to digect that fact...

inspite of commenting on this movie...we should try to change our country..so that people coming from west should not portray our poverty n dirt (we dont have anything else to show...now ...)but will our culture, thus change their opinoins of US....

[neeraj_agn]

I do agree that it does portray a gloomy picture of India.what's uncomforting is that something like this is still selling like hot cakes.

[ashusharma]

As I saw this movie, Its show the reality of the India. But there is no issue on this movie because when we are not able to protest against real picture So why we are make issue on artificial movie.

[Kalpana Heliya]

whizk ...it isnt the only picture of india potrayed in the movie man..

and this debate doesnt really make sense cuz if u notice tht more than half of the second half is shot in hiranandani for crying out loud and that's not a poor depiction of india at all...they got the best looking buildings in the city for crying out loud...and i live there and i sure know im not looked at as a gloomy picture..

it's just that in the movie they've showed a person's life story from where he's been to where he is..so deal with it .....and just for the record the whole part about the beggars and everything is quiete true.

what about other movies that show only the crappy parts we still whistle and watch them ryt ...so why raise a debate only when a movie gets acknowledged.





i hate pointless criticism , it's a very well made movie and that's just the way it is.
and the person who pointed out that he didnt like the script...i respect ur opinion but may i jusk ask which movie's script have u liked . in general...so i know what ur comparing it with.



hello there,

I think the purpose of opening up a topic for discussion in the Debate section here, is to know individuals views about an issue, and not give opinions to others views. I think u need to go back to the main page and read the subject again.

It will be appreciated if u keep it Professional.....ManagementParadise's debate column is not meant to disparage someone personally. dont mix up this column with any routine commentary blogs.

and thnx for informing that some parts where shot at Hiranandani, the place where u stay.

[ssgaikwad]

well.....story of SM is not tat great but cast selection, direction and acting of all actors is really good.

and best part is the music......
rehman...superb,..man

[akolaboy123]

its a bad movie..disgrace to the indian culture..and indian people...india has poverty but yaa at the same time it is working hard for it..

[rugan01]

It was an awesome movie which depicted the reality in the slums of India. I really enjoyed the movie for the full 2 hours. It was an awesome love story at the end :).

[sid.666]

read ur last line if ur talking bout providing opinions ... u want to be sarcastic , i challenge u .

do u know what a debate even means ?
it means countering an opinion you dont agree with and combating it with ur own justification , and that's exactly what i did.

just cuz u have nothing to debate my response with , dont take the beaten path of discipline and want-to-be proffesionalism ,

support your point .

why what happened slumdog isnt a gloomy insulting downgraded movie anymore ?

yeah and ur welcome bout the information as to where the movie was shot , i live in hiranandani and you should come around sometime , i'd love to show u India's gloomy picture.

I think the purpose of opening up a topic for discussion in the Debate section here, is not to know individuals views about an issue, and to give opinions to others views.

just call it an opinion column otherwise.

and what you get points or something to support management paradise ? it's a brilliant web-site but dont get all emotional and touchy about it , keep it proffesional.

[devilsparadise666]

i havent heard anything aboput ths movie..but sounds like an excellent movie

[sid.666]

hello there,

I think the purpose of opening up a topic for discussion in the Debate section here, is to know individuals views about an issue, and not give opinions to others views. I think u need to go back to the main page and read the subject again.

It will be appreciated if u keep it Professional.....ManagementParadise's debate column is not meant to disparage someone personally. dont mix up this column with any routine commentary blogs.

and thnx for informing that some parts where shot at Hiranandani, the place where u stay.



my previous response was in context to the above para quoted by "kalpana"

[kidrow]

well, imho, the reality is that a section of people in mumbai do face abject poverty. it just so happens that the director happens to focus on this aspect. thats artistic freedom. & yes, no 1 can say that what has been portrayed is unreal or fantasy. its reality - accept it.
& no - the director is not trying to say that all of mumbai is down in the dumps. hes just shown 1 side of mumbai - nothing more nothing less.
so i dont see why people have to take it so hard. why dont people debate ekta kapoor serials

[Wasif Khan]

wat do u think the real picture of India is. although wat is shown in the movie is only one side but however its the true side. i dont see any reason why we critisize this movie.

[Upasu_t]

it depicts a gloomy picture..but dat is the reality of our country...i dont think people would hav created such contoversies if an indian director would hav made this movie...i think we should jus appreciate that the movie is fantastically made nd is winning so many awards...

[preethr2]

i dont think so..it deserves Oscar [:)] the director of this movies really deserves awards. I think the movie was great .. yeah i did initially feel that they are not really portraying a great picture of india but then after watching the full movie i somehow loved it .

[dhirajmatta]

it does but why to turn our backs on the truth rather face it n improvise the conditions n as usuall cribbing

[niraj_hattangdi]

guys just tell me what is so great about Slumdog..I know what it is...its depiction...Just imagine the story...ok...If the movie was not shot in Dharavi...but it was shot at a very beautiful place like cuff parade or nariman point or walkeshwar...would it have been the same impact??let's foret about impact..But what are we protecting..we have the largest slum in the world that is dharavi...when prince charles came to india he promised to build 350 sky scrappers in Dharavi slum..i know that can be a political move..but we shouldn't avoid it..lets face it guys..being the 4th economy in the world we are no less to develop such slums...why do we need any prince charles to decide what we have to do..

[supriyatushar]

i thnk this flim degres india
the project frm wch the novel ws inspired is completely different

[Anuj88]

yaa it does
bt dats true for india or it was:SugarwareZ-261:

[apurva04]

according to me they hav tried to show d hard reality of india with lots of emotions.......

[saurabh.magre]

hello there.... there's no question of, I taking this issue personally, First of all, the point here is the Cultural sensitivity of a country needs to be taken care of. The film has won a slew of awards, yet the eminent filmstar Amitabh Bachan has criticized the film. Second thing....Danny Boyle has repackaged India's poverty and sold it to the Western audiences. Indians feel that despite the huge advances the country has made in all spheres, the West is still hooked to the notion of India as the land of snake charmers, is very reflective in the film, if one has kept eyes wide open while watching it !!1

[sid_8888]

hello all of you.... i have read views posted by all of you.... and all of u were correct from your point of view.... but wat i feel is that watever was shown in this movie is a fact which was very well presented..... but i dnt think so that it will smear India's image in west.... all those who still think that india is a place of snake charmers... i feel really bad for them... bcs they arent up2dt... it is the 2nd fastest growing country and every1 in this world should know it.... only 1 movie cant change the facts about what INDIA is in present...... wtever was showed in movie is a reality which all of us should accept and work towards removal of this problem....

[nikhilsondkar]

I think the movie was made thru d perception of danny boyle. I think he has the freedom to express what he feels.I mean even our indian directors have shown dis reality den why create fuss wen a firang is doin it.

[shafique1985]

The reality has been shown to the world...with a twist in story it makes itself worth of oscar...nice movie to show the life of kids in slum where basic education food clothing and shelter is not at all provided...are they unlucky...no god has not made them unlucky but we people and politicians are taking their dreams and basic things

[deepakraam]

Hey Guys,
An interesting discussion.There exists two views about this film.Both have marginal differences.It's all how you see the glass(half-empty or half-full).

Half-empty view:
=============
Slumdog is portraying India as a poor country.The boy is facing a war-like scenario and being asked to beg and their poverty is exploited in all the forms and they are requested to beg and enter prostitution.So the film is painting a gloomy picture about the country.

Half-full view:
===========
Movie is encouraging where a slum-dweller is fighting all his way to be a millionare and to get his girl.He has been fighting all his life and converting all the oppurtunities thrown to him.This film also depicts our country where India was once a poverty-ridden land and is fighting and will one day become a developed country with all its goals achieved.


These are two views about the same movie.Wat do you think?


-Deepak.

[cutecherry_15]

i dnt really think that the movie potrays bad picture about our country...It just depicts the truth in a very crude way

[dheerajmah]

whatever, a movie is entertainment so i dont consider it harming the image of india but if anybody has a feeling in other fields they are begging to play in our IPL to fight with their own boards and to come to india bcoz money..........

[gpuneetg]

i thinks movie is gud and they just depicted how much you learn from your daily life..

[ritukalra]

I surely feel it potrays a sad picture of India-which unfortunately is true.

[knightrider_awesome_1783]

I believe slumdog millionare is a good depiction of india...The depiction is perfect in terms of the contrast in images you see in a city like mumbai..ie slums on one side and high rise buildings on the other, where everyone has an opportunity to make it big.

[rachitchaudhary]

I think it depicts India's gloomy picture but to an extent....

[komal nayar]

I fully agree with this topic. First India was projected as land of snake charmers n now its being depicted as land of slums and poverty.

[rishum]

Well... The movie shows what does exist.

Those who haven't witnessed the reality (Mumbai slums) themselves may keep denying it but it doesn't change what's true.

At the same time, the multi-million win of the protagonist may be a little too far fetched but I personally know people who have risen from the slums and even broken through the middle class barrier by the age they were 40+

And almost all of them did it without much of education and a bit of shady deeds as well. But that's what life is all about to them. Survival.

And I hail their spirit and damn the middle class to eternal mediocrity!

[treize]

"No offense meant but you should leave your analytical". I concur with you that movies are made for entertainment, though a variety of entertainment is what i would put it as. Just like Novels are for a good read but then there are fiction as well as non-fiction novels. The movie "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" was also made for pure entertainment and everyone enjoyed it, except Kazakhstan. Not many cared where Kazakhstan was, but most people now know where it is, and its famous for people like Borat, which is definitely not true.

SDM is a British film, with brit directors and the brit lead actor (Dev Patel). It's not a Indian movie. Just because its made in India doesnot mean its Indian. That way Indiana Jones and the temple of doom should also have been Indian movie b'coz it was shot in India and had people eating monkey brains for desserts in money skulls.

The director has shown India according to the book and what would suit his story better. The movie for him is a business contract as is with all other directors. Its supposed to entertain and bring in more money. And from that point of view, he showed neither a good or a bad point of view but the 'required' point of view. Movies like these are often made in Hollywood and are pretty average there. For us its special, because in Indian context, movie are rarely made in such ways - no songs, no religious outlooks, more soundtracks, high kinetics in cinematography, etc. It has romance but not the kind we are so used to. That is the thing which makes SDM, in indian conext different.

Apart from that, we are a poor country. Be in Bombay suburbs, Old Delhi, Ganga at varanasi, Calcutta, etc; slums, filth, diseases, poverty, etc is everywhere. We all know it. Most of us are just justifying in presence in various degrees because no previous movies made it so obvious to the world's elites and gave it proof for over 2 hours in an a/c theatre, that look how dirty we really are. :)

[auxillary]

When it suits us all the nationalism in the world overflows the brims of our hearts but not when it matters. Its the small things that we do in our life that go on to make the largest impact. "Pay it forward" is a wonderful movie which portrays one such small effort.
Yes, its wishful thinking for some and may be an impractical move too. But human race survives on HOPE as "the architect" in matrix says.
we all love an underdog especially when he wins in the end. I think its just the struggle and conflict in a movie that keeps us glued to the edge of the seat and that exactly what this movie delivers.
Now if its showing India in a bad light, then all the naysayers please go on and take out a morcha or even better force the producers to take out all those parts of the movie, just as what China did for that James bond movie.
But for those who see the reality of street on screen and know its not a lie, just think why it's still so? May that's what would be the greatest accolade for any movie, when it can make its audience THINK.

[krishan_mba07]

this is very realistic movie and represent the real india which anyone could not do earliar

[rv12345]

the picture slumdog has a real message in it
if u think u need to change and help people in a way or other with should b ur inner instinct n u shd b satisfied with wat u do n ignore thew pple speak u dnt do anything

[jai bhim]

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[nitinjadhav22]

yes . It does.
but that is because it is based on a novel. the story is based in slums of Mumbai. there is a bit os of exaggeration. but that is what films are about.

[kunjean4654]

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[vinlovmad]

yeh its a good movie and above all we should except the reality which was shown by director

[arunharish]

LOOk it is good film ..real depiction of our country..many american or british film director hav shown real hardcore problems of their country, so it doesnt mean their country name was degraded..its all abt ur preception and how we can see things

[gulraiz]

hiii

guys how are you

how is ur day ??

i am just fien by grace of GOD

[nidhidamani]

I THINK D MUVIE TRULY DESERVES AN OSCAR....!!! :D

[neha20092009]

it is not roght. whatever it is showing is real portrayal of ppl who live in mumbai slums. ppl think that hollywood is more interesting in showing darker side of India, but it is not completely true. it shows darker side of theor own cities too.

[suaveboy]

no offence meant but you should leave your analytical abilities when you go to watch a movie... we're very proud that you have them but movies are meant to entertain not potray or showcase countries in good or bad light.

if you think that slumdog stereotypes india into a bunch of snake charmers and slum dwellers you might want to take a walk through rural india where as aptly quoted by Gandhi is where the real India lives.

I agree bout the one track potrayal of india in the west could be possible but then those who matter know what India's all about ... no country is perfect and the movie has picked up one of our greatest drawbacks and turned it into an experience , i think the movie's been brilliantly made and all the hype and hoo-haa around the movie is completely justified. I'll be rooting for them during the oscars ...... why ? cuz i liked the movie , it made me smile , end of story , dont dwell very deep into something that's quiete shallow or you'll hurt your nose. again.. no offence intended .

[sumanth7]

well lets take it seriously and lets be practical we r some what like the things shown in slumdg..

[Arun1974]

Slumdog Millionaire: Do Slumdogs Make a Nation Proud

[Arun1974]

The film, Slumdog Millionaire depicts the sorry state-of-affairs in our country: extreme poverty, communal carnages, ‘children left to moral and material abandonment’, gangs operating forced beggary, mafia underworld, torture in police custody, arrogance of the elite, insensitivity of the middle class …. In short, it paints the horrendous reality and the ugly face of the Other India and also the dreams, aspirations and heroic struggles of those inhabiting therein. Plausibly, the depiction of the day-to-day heroic struggles of the underdogs in our country looks exotic for the audience from affluent countries (quite like the thrill of an adventurous trekking!) which might explain the reason why the film was a greater success in those countries than in our own country. It depicts the underbelly of the fast-growing economy leaping forward with 8-9 per cent growth even in the midst of the global financial meltdown – the only country, other than China, with impressive growth rates today. For all the criticisms of portraying the gloomy side of the Indian reality, hardly anyone contests the veracity of such a depiction. The film, of course, ends giving illusions of a millionaire’s life even to the slumdogs, an illusion of social mobility that characterises the liberal democratic social order. In other words, a way-out is shown within the bounds of the system itself.

[Arun1974]

Of course, the upwardly mobile classes in India detest projecting a grim face of India to the world outside because it is thought of as a slur on the image of an India globalising. It took Danny Boyle, a foreigner to paint this ugly face of ‘India shining’. The film reminds us of the statement by B.R. Ambedkar, “Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on the Indian soil, which is essentially undemocratic.” The age-old Indian system of multi-layered oppression ensured that most individuals and groups find themselves more privileged with respect to some others, leaving their moral bases for challenging oppression weak. Is it simply that we, the Indian middle and upper classes have ourselves, become too complacent or indifferent towards the day-to-day existential struggles of our ‘long suffering people’, struggles, probably much more severe than in any other Third World country? Or is this cunning of silence to be explained with reference to the fact that the existence of a vast population of have-nots ensures the comfort of the elite. After all, do not the elite of the affluent countries have to take care of their young, cook, wash and do other mundane things by themselves when the elite in India do not have to do any of these? However, the sustainability of this level of comfort is suspect since the existence of a vast population of the underdogs can lead to social upheavals and increased levels of violence in society, an aspect not left untouched by this film. Or is it that we are trapped in the snare of our own patriotism, guided by the mindset that we shouldn’t wash our dirty linen in public?

[Arun1974]

President Pratibha Patil congratulated the artists of Slumdog Millionaire for “making India proud”. Congress President Sonia Gandhi felt that the team of this film “have done India proud”. Shall we, indeed, become proud of the achievements of these individual artists or put our heads down in shame on the sorry state-of-affairs in our country on the 62nd year of ‘independence’? With the Oscar recognition to the film, “Jai ho” is the new fashion of greeting that is going rounds among the so-called patriotic Indians. But just a minute, please. Jai ho what? Jai ho this sorry state-of-affairs? Jai ho our country, excluding its luckless millions? Let us face it: If only this film leads to serious efforts especially by those in positions of ‘doability’ to undo the evil of unprotected childhoods – a condition of children being left to ‘moral and material abandonment’ could the yells of Jai ho have any meaning or relevance. Can the State, the policy makers and all in positions of ‘doability’ initiate sincere efforts to remove this curse? It is the election year, after all. Let us have serious efforts for the implementation of at least one of the Directive Principles in our Constitution, Article 39(f): “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.” Along with the infamous horrors of Nithari near NOIDA, 7,912 children, mostly from very poor backgrounds, gone missing in Delhi during the one and half years from Jan. 2007 to June 2008 and 2210 children gone missing in Delhi during 1 June 2008 to 12 Jan. 2009 (Indian Express, ‘ExpressNewsline’, 3 March 2009, New Delhi) is no mean context for initiating these efforts. Listening to the unthinking yells of Jai ho, one is reminded of two lines from the Telugu poet, N.K.

[Arun1974]

Even to this day, the shackles of my country are not broken …
Who has composed a tune for ungotten freedom?