Jai Ho! This seems to be the preferred greeting of many Indians around the world. And why not? These two words are ringing in the ears of all Indians, ringing from the depths. Jai Ho Danny Boyle, Jai ho AR Rahman, Jai Ho cast and crew of Slumdog Millionaire, and Jai ho 81st Academy Awards!!! What a wonderful gift to the Indian film industry! Eight Oscars for a basically Indian film, that’s how it’s being perceived. And why not, why never. Although the film is technically a British film, it has a maximum participation of Indians. Listed below are other reasons why it should be hailed as an Indian film. Take a critical look:-
- The film is based on a novel titled Questions and Answers by Indian diplomat and part-time writer Vikas Swaroop.
- The entire cast of the film is of Indian origin.
- The co-director of the film is a girl from Delhi, Loveleen Tandon.
- The film is shot entirely in India.
- The quintessence of the film is Indian.
- One third of the film is in Hindi.
- Director Danny Boyle confessed that “it’s the ultimate compliment to me that people in India see Slumdog Millionaire as an Indian film.”
- Most of the technicians are Indian, including Oscar winner for sound mixing, Resul Pookutty.
- All the songs in the movie are in Hindi.
- Vanity Fair magazine recently mentioned that Slumdog Millionaire is inspired by Black Friday and Satya, both Hindi films. Even Danny Boyle recognized it.
There are many more subtle reasons. The list goes on and on. The movie is completely a Bollywood genre movie with its unique masala (spice) and that is indisputable. The scene of the two little boys falling off the moving train and getting up as grown children is typically Bollywood. We have seen all that in many Hindi movies. So when the soul and the body are Indian, one cannot help but state that Slumdog Millionaire is essentially an Indian film. More so when even the inspiration for the movie is two Hindi movies: Black Friday and Satya.
Saluting the film’s Indian spirit, the Kodak Theater in Hollywood resounded to the beats of Jai Ho and O Sayya with Western dancers dressed in dazzling pink Indian lehnga costumes and drummers in traditional Indian dhoti. The audience was swayed by the melodious Indian melody played by AR Rahman.
Times Square is reported to have people testing their lungs by singing O Sayya at the top of their voice. Jai Ho already has a remix version in English, sung by the Pussycat Dolls and the video is filmed in a Vienna train station.
So why are critics in India so confused? Why are we so concerned that the underbelly of Mumbai has been exposed? Some have even charged that poverty in India has been paraded before Western audiences for exploitation. I totally agree with Aupam Kher when he commented on a TV show that maybe some critics go to the task of criticizing Slumdog Millionaire just to get noticed. Consider the following points and make your own decision:
- The film is based on the life of two children from a Mumbai slum. So what is the problem? Don’t all developing countries have this slum problem? Brazil’s favelas and the slums that surround them are well known to the world for their abject poverty and crime. Kibera in Nairobi is the largest slum in the world and the conditions there are pathetic to say the least. In fact, one third of the world’s urban population lives in slums!
- Poverty has not been highlighted in Slumdog Millionaire. In fact, it is the human spirit that has been exhibited. Where do you see poverty as the central theme of the film? On the other hand, the film highlights the fact that two children with imagination and courage are managing alone in the cities of India. Poverty is nothing new to the Western public. They see real poverty in images of Africa and war-torn countries. What is shown in the film is nothing compared to the real poverty that exists in the world today.
- Go back to the 1970s and you will find that Indian parallel cinema really shows the extreme poverty in India in good measure. The central theme of those films was poverty in India. Those movies and their directors were acclaimed by the same critics who brought those movies to world forums for recognition and acclaim. Why the double standards now when poverty is not the main theme of Slumdog Millionaire? It is simply a rags to riches story with a proper dose of Bollywood masala.
Now look at what Slumdog Millionaire has done to the Indian film industry. In this economic downturn, when the poster boys of the Indian industry are busy protecting themselves from being wiped out, here is the Indian film industry that is set to benefit greatly from Slumdog Millionaire. Example of the facts below:-
- World has recognized the talents of Indian technicians in film making. As a cost-cutting measure, Hollywood’s work will now be outsourced to India. This will be similar to the saga of IT outsourcing to India.
- Indian producers have now realized that with little change to the Bollywood masala they produce, they can now target the global audience. Acceptance is not an issue, only if the Indian curry is not too spicy for the global audience. This fact has been amply demonstrated by Slumdog Millionaire.
- Instead of targeting 2% revenue, the Indian film industry can now target the rest of the 98% revenue that the global film industry offers. Just imagine the scale this Indian industry can get, only at the cost of slightly shifting its focus towards global audiences and their preferences. Slumdog Millionaire has not only shown but opened that door for the Indian film industry.
- The joint ventures will emerge as global producers see the magic of the Indian film industry, right down to its song and dance sequences, being enthusiastically acclaimed by global audiences. Just try the bottom line for Slumdog Millionaire: The movie has already grossed $163 million at the box office against a budget of $15 million. Doesn’t it make pure business sense?
However, there are people in India who are not happy with Slumdog Millionaire. Whether or not Slumdog has been a blessing in disguise for India is up to you. The Indian film industry in India is set to take the place of the Indian computer industry, courtesy of Slumdog Millionaire. Let’s all celebrate. Jai Ho!
