A year ago, when Mr. Danny Boyle came up with Slumdog Millionaire. I saw an extreme souped up tempo around, fervor of sorts with everyone lip-syncing each other calling out ‘JAI HO!’
WTF…. I said and looked as if we were going under a revolution and it was…the British were claiming what they left behind, broken & confused, the modern day, India. The Indian still reeling under poverty, communal disharmony, lack of citizen’s will, etc was being reeled by Sir Daniel Boyle, thanks to whom Immigrant Indians & other citizens of the world would have never known the real face of urban India.
Not only did the British reclaimed their lost colony but by selling its poverty they gave it Oscar too. Jai Ho Jolly’ old chaps! (No offence to the truly respectable A.R.Rehman ) And were we Indians happy for it! By god we were wearing Jai ho t-Shirts, we were waiting in lines to see our true face, we were playing games on mobiles, we making Slumdog groups in our colleges, paper ads and what not.
We cheered for the kids who acted so naturally…oh wait they were naturals…Pingbash!
Why is that we are so attracted to the white skin effect that we are able to digest their every antic so readily?
‘slavery hasn’t stopped in the world, its just that we are now paying them to work for us’ who said is an entirely different matter as it gets communal colors but he said when he was asked about his country recruiting people from Asian & African countries, why cant we get a hint?
Ok each one himself but what really grinds my gears is that how can we be so mean to our own cinema which also shows the same ground facts, realities and truths of the society or is it just because it has no outsider value ? no danny boyle? No fancy camera work?
I really felt bad when the national awards winner child artist Sharad Goenkar was so conveniently ignored by the Hindi and English channels. If only had Sharad won an oscar, their cameras would have followed him even to his toilet and said ‘dekhia kaise karte hai sharad potti’ ‘tingya fame ne kar diya saafaya’ and what not shit! (Intended!)
Politics is not far away too….right from CM’s to even the not so honorary President, getting their snaps clicked with Danny Boyle’s or our slumdogs. I felt proud of CM’ s from southern states who refused to felicitate and promote a British film irrespective of its casting and crew. These people are truly proud Indians.
It took a Raj Thackeray to declare a home and monetary help to Sharad and his family to appreciate his achievement. The slap on the face of the government which says it stands by the ‘AAM ADMI’. .Pity on the people who call themselves Indians and forget to celebrate its achievers just because they are not from their regional language. Before writing down my anguish I sent a contribution to Sharad and latter of appreciation. Least I could do…….
1 comment:
Nice One !
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