Sunday, February 22, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire – a filthy film by the filthy dogs!!

Few days back I had a chance to see the movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, luckily in a DVD quality print at my home. Lucky because I was thinking of seeing this movie in a multiplex after all these hypes but luckily saved a lot which otherwise would have been a sheer waste for this filthy, yes, a real filthy movie!

The film is 'about the Bombay slum life made by a British film crew’ and this one liner is just sufficient to imagine how the film would be. Yes, our country had been disgraced to the lowest level possible - a sheer act of envying and intolerance of ‘India shining’. Even if you argue that this is a real happening in Taravi, there are enough Bollywood teams to show it and in fact they have done it before in many films in far better ways and we don’t need the British dogs to show up our slums. If an Indian film crew has to show the other side of British, you guys, will not be able to tolerate.

Highlights of some of the intentionally bad projection of our country

  • The open public toilets in the slum area
  • A slum boy purposely jumps into an open public toilet shit collection pit and comes out with shit all over the body in order to scar away people and gain entry for an autograph from Amitab Bachan – Quite natural Amitab criticized the movie. I feel nasty even to write this and I am sure you will feel the same while reading this as well but this has been shown to a full length. Only shitty people can think of such a shitty idea - I don’t think there was any other film ever made in the world film history to disgrace a human kind like this.
  • The hero, a Muslim boy, was being tortured by police for wrong/ no reasons - an attempt to project that the innocent muslim youths are being tortured in the name of terrorism.
  • A boy was cheated by Indians but being helped by British tourists
  • Boys cheating foreign tourists in the tourist places
and many such..

What an extent of overdoing and what a disgrace to the country! In order to give world wide publicity to this, these crooked minded westerners give all the possible awards with ulterior motives and we people knowingly or unknowingly glorify the movie. What an ignorance!! I don’t know what are the Thackareys and the Hindutva people are doing. We people have not yet learnt from our history and if we are so ignorant, we certainly deserve another few centuries of (slum) dogs’ life under another bulldog!

Every Indian who worked for the movie like Anil Kapoor, AR etc., should apologise before the country. AR had created far better musics in many many movies already and these guys were deaf to all those and they wake up all of a sudden and come to know of AR only now. If AR had created the same music for some other movie I am pretty sure it would have gone in the wind unnoticed. So if AR gets an award today, it is NOT for his music - it is just to honour him for having worked for THIS filthy movie. Also AR’s patriotism is well known. I understand, he refused to work for the Vande Mataram II due to the pressure from the ‘understandable circles’ just because of the upraise of the ‘Hindustani feel’ the Vande Mataram I had created.

It is intolerable guys, please wakeup and understand the real motives before all these awards. Remember every penny spent on this movie is against your own self, your own country – DVD quality print is already floating around in the internet and if at all you want to see it, grab it.

............Created a just few hours before the announcement of Oscars!!

20 comments:

Dhivya Dharsanam said...

Dear Mr. Raju,

We can call them the Millionaire Slumdogs... Running behind fantasies... they dont beleive in realities... moreover exhibiting the Indian poverty and the so called shits Internationally, they like to gain hype... As you said... AR can be given some award for his music in Duet or Bombay or something else...

We are living in a world where Nagesh dies without an award and Vivek offered 'Padma Sri' Award...
May be thats why Nagesh passed away few days after announcement of Vivek's award...

Ilayaraja (think of Sindhu Bhairavi, Salangai Oli, Sethu, Thalapathy etc.,) is not even nominated for any national awards... and many others go shamelessly to the stage and receive the award...

Our people are running behind materialism, hype and westernism and no one is concerned about the roots, tradition and values of our own country.

As AR sung... Its now 'Vandheee Matharam' and not 'Vandhey Matharam'

No difference between the beggars begging in front of foriegn tourists and the makers of Slumdog....

And a small word... Makkaley... Oscar is not given for International quality of work... Its given for the work done suiting to their tastes... Its not that you have done something international... You have done something to suit their tastes.... Its like Saravana Bhavan serving you a pizza and not idlis... or it's like Pizza hut delivering you hot pongal...

Atleast for me... I prefer a Murugan idli kadai or Saravana Bhavan for idli or pongal. And I soak the idlis into sambar and eat by hand.

You people enjoy the same idli from some inglishy joint... and eat with a fork and then compliment the master for making such a wonderful(?!?!) idli....

Enna kodumai saar idhu...

When will the people realize this ?????? is the big question.

Hats off Mr. Raju... right post at the right time... am happy that I too share some of your views in common...Aptly written...

Anonymous said...

There should be another Bharathi to wake up these ignorant people. - Arun

Anonymous said...

இந்த மாதிரி படங்களை எல்லாம் தடை செய்ய வழி உண்டா என்று நினைக்க தோன்றுகிறது.

ராஜேந்திரன் - நல்ல விமர்சனம் -

ராமநாதன்

Raju said...

Very nice comment Saravanan. You brought more dimensions to the issue. Your apt description of Idli-Pizza story is fantastic.
Raju

mokrish said...

I think SDM may beat Dasavatharam in terms of the no. of reviews on the web. விமர்சனம் எழுதாவிட்டால் அது தெய்வ குத்தம் போல் அனைவரும் வரிந்து கட்டிக்கொண்டு 'சேரி நாய் கோடிஸ்வரன் படத்தை' பிரித்து மேய்ந்து.... ஏன் இந்த கொலை வெறி ? Nobody raised an eybrow when an Indian Diplomat wrote the book.

I saw the movie and I see SDM as just another movie. I felt there were some nice 'unsaid' stuff - Jamal trading money for Lathika, the very typical double guessing - Anil hints the wrong answer but Jamal outsmarts him - just to mention a few. As a movie, it is good but I felt alien - சில இந்திய உணர்வுகள் ஆங்கிலத்தில் சரியாக வெளிப்படவில்லை என்று நினைக்கிறேன். This was true about the film Gandhi - I saw it recently and felt that the movie portrays Nehru in smaller fonts. Salim's character was artificial. Which slum / corporation school teaches Three musketeers ? That group which abuses children - preparing them for begging - I recall that scene in Sivaji's Anbai Thedi. Nothing new.

I disagree when I hear comments on the subtext of the movie. Why are we so angry about the movie?

The 'poverty porn' argument is jaded as we have had the depiction in films for years. Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Shyam Bengal have sold it several times. Our own 'Pasi' gave a very crude showcase and went on to win awards. Why do we see a subtext in the movie? Subramanyapuram - does it correctly portray rural unemployment? Why did we glorify the violence in Veyil ? Or for that matter the gory end of Paruthiveeran ? These movies were exploiting some dark spots in real life, magnified and exaggerated them. The movie 'Ram' went around the world winning awards in Cairo. கன்னத்தில் முத்தமிட்டால் adoption handling பற்றி என்ன சொல்கிறது ? அல்லது ஈழம் பற்றி என்ன சொல்கிறது? கற்றது தமிழ் என்னும் படம் IT professionals ஐ திட்டி திட்டி கைதட்டல் வாங்கியது. பாலாவின் படங்கள் பற்றி சொல்லவே வேண்டாம். What will be your view on Naan Kadavul? Even this movie will go around the world award circuits and showcase the dirty underbelly of India - even more pronounced than SDM. ஆயுத எழுத்து என்கிற அபத்தம் மணி ரத்னம் படம் என்பதால் பாராட்டப்படுகிறது. பழைய காதலியை வீட்டுக்கு அழைத்து வரும் 'புத்திசாலித்தனம்' அழகியில் வெளிப்பட்டது. Kasi - what is this movie about? I can go on about all the critically acclaimed movies.

திரைப்படங்கள் பிரச்சனைகள் பற்றி விவாதித்து தீர்வு தரும் vehicles இல்லை என்பது என் கருத்து. Very rarely we get a Taare Zameen Par.

Slumdog millionaire was ok as a movie. Period. It is winning awards. Ok. Our own AR Rahman is on the verge of creating history. Jai Ho. We are proud.

Why do you attribute ulterior motives to AR Rahman? Unacceptable.

It is very harsh.

Raju said...

Dear Mokrish,
The only difference between the two is this - The indian directors take movies just for money and awards (without minding the effect it makes on our culture which is also condemnable) but the britishers have one more bigger agenda - hit the country. That's the basic difference. When decades of our good movies did not get proper notice by the westeners, why this movie alone? Is this the best of Indian productions? that's the question. There is definitely an ulterior motive behind this.
Thanks for your views anyway.

Anonymous said...

Dear Raju,

I fully concur with your views on this film. I cannot have been described more aptly.

Regards,
Sudheendran T L

Unknown said...

i fully agree with your view. if the indian oscar awardees are true indians , they should return the awards. k ramadurai, chennai

Anonymous said...

Hi

The topic discussed here something unusual after the film got 8 awards and more over Rahman winning one in that...I will not say it was his best but this one was good. i think ppl are going through rough patches to win awards, And ppl think oscar something gr8 and it was only in foreign countries.

As a INDIAN i accept the view of what others said above this film making abrupt and it was tongue tight situation to any Indian to write a comment how is film is, But Moral of the film is something different and not the intention of the SPOILING INDIAN CULTURE, But film the way it taken is not good it is like dominating india and that should be noticed. i don't want add fuel to fire which is already burning and i am sure that this film will not be even noted for oscar if it s indian director film
There are more films in india which is sure for Oscar but stil no one know why we didn't get..Any way thanks for the View.s

Sudha said...

hi all
I am watching the awards right now on E!. More than anything, academy awards night has been a "dress up" day for stars here. It is after all another "filmfare" just that it is overseas and has teh "vellai kaaran's" tag attached to it. So does it really matter?. Showcasing dharavi in a bad light did hurt my sentiments but as others have said, it has been done in the past. Just that another vellai kaaran could make money out of th ewhole drama and gt away with an oscar....Coming to it i think now aamir khan should realise how futile it is lobby for an oscar.


Coming tot he recognition AR got for the music....totally agree that he did nothign different this time...his music rather sounds teh same...so if he is qualified to get an oscar /grammy or whatever for it.......he deserved it for ROJA or every other movie he worked for over the years....

Either way, impressions abroad dont change with a single movie...as such after the 26th nov attacks in mumbai, my fellow classmates talk as if the whole india was burning...ellam ignorant fools...and they dont really matter

Unknown said...

I watched this movie in the theater and I did not feel offended about the way it portrayed India. I DO NOT believe that the world is naive or stupid to believe what they see in the movie is the reality.

But, just amongst us Indians, don't you think there's an element of truth in it? Come on, wake up and smell the coffee. I grew up in Mylapore, far, far away from Dharavi and I still found familiar scenes.

Offensive police brutality??? Aren't the recent crimes in "Singara Chennai" a prime example?

I think we should enjoy the movie for what it is and not try to show our patriotism here. There are areas where patriotism is required and we should channel it over there.

Sorry, no offense Mr. Raju.

Raju said...

Thanks a lot Anamika for putting forth your views. I don't expect everyone to concur with me and I am very well aware that a huge majority now will contradict me in this hour of 'fellow Indian getting an international recognition/ fame'. We have to rejoice this moment, no doubt, and I am also in the same mood, for sure, but at the same time I am also aware that our self esteem is at stake in the movie. I feel we should give the importance of just 'you guys..., your ears and eyes have opened (to India) only now and that too because a westerner is involved in it'. Currently we are overdoing, ACCEPTING and dancing to the international tune that we have produced the international quality music/film for the very first time.

FINALLY, AN AWARD IS NOT AN AWARD IF IT HAS TO BE LOBBIED OUT.

Raju said...

Dear Raju,
I quite agree with your analysis of Slum Dog millionaire.Not many Indians with honour and self respect would have anything to admire in this film. As you say old movie 'Awara' pictured things elegantly and in a powerful manner.
well it is a well known secret now that if you wish to nominated for any award by the west in any field decry India and you got it. Take the Booker Prize awards, the same manthra works. The only way one can retaliate is to propose an India Award for books written on similar lines about some of the western countries. I would even further add that nobel Prize for arts are in the same vein.
Alas!
- by a blog reader through mail

Raju said...

Dear Rajendran,

You are right. Anybody who sees today's New York Times headlines will agree with you:

> A ‘Slumdog’ Kind of Night at the Oscar Ceremony
>

- By a blog reader through mail

Raju - Look at the inherent meaning..

Anonymous said...

Hai everybody,

I also went through the details given. But one thing we Indians are not noticing. What we have done for our children in slums of the great chennai, mumabi. All those children when approach us we are not even ready to give a smile to them. The concept in the film also a true which we are neglecting to notice. In that sense i think becuase of a forign crew do the film so that you all are against the film or not ready to slove the basic problem of poverty in our democracy country.

santanam.ppv said...

Dear Shri.Raju
I totally concur with your opening remark. It is shameful that entire english visual media dedicated the entire day till night spent their time for analysis of utter filthy film. Even I concur with you about your comment on Dilip S/O R.K.Sekher turned AR.It is very very sad day that somebody getting award by selling our poverty. I came to know that, the world's biggest slum situated in Newyork, USA.Every bad thing will happen in this country. After all it is headed by sonia myna of Italy thro. proxy. They demolished CBI(now it is mockery stuff)and entered Election Commission. Very soon EC become branch office congress party. My strong and sincere belief that this Country will flourish only at the death of congress party . It must be burnt to death and the ashes must be immersed in to tank full of acid. The highest sin done by mahatma gandhi is that he didn't dissolve the congress. But as true HINDU, I still believe that GOD will help us in this crucial junture.Let us pray GOD.
Regards,
PPV.SANTANAM

Anonymous said...

Oh, Hold on a minute gentlemen, did the author Raju not say that he 'watched' the film 'luckily' on a DVD print...?
As the film is not officially released on DVDs, can we understand that this " holier-than-thou" author bought a 'pirated' DVD on the footpath?( platform as they call n Chennai!)

Bah! so much for your intolerance of street crime...So having paid of slum dwelling thieves who make such CDs what are you being so self righteous about...?

No one said its an India film , its British film! Indian actors and musicisna swere paid what ever they asked to take part in the film...Yes, even the slum kids actors who went to see the Oscar awards at LA..Their tickets werer paid for...

Perhaps we Indians would have empathized and treated them BETTER?

They did their job... If the film is not good for you, so be it..Thousands of films- good and bad do not get liked by millions of viewers. So what? You are entitled to your opinion of films...What you cannot say here is about linking it to "Indians and India and our pride, how we get hurt, unjust portrayal" etc etc"...
Did we not like Lagaan?( And yeah, British audience did not cry about it!!) Did we not like bandit queen?
Then?

I hope the author is not the same Raju...I mean the one from Satyam!

~N Kumar
Chennai

Raju said...

Thanks Mr.Kumar for your views..

Yes, I did watch the movie in a DVD but there is one correction - I didn't buy it in the platform and so I didn't even spend for the DVD cost (worth the act). I am not a regular movie goer and I don't chase DVDs either and that's why I saw the movie so late even after it came to limelight. I see certain movies only in the theaters even if I have a chance to see them in DVDs. Bharthiar was one such and I felt very holy in seeing that in Devi with family. Also I see movies of Shankar as producer (not director), Manirathnam, Cheran etc., only in theaters. When I get a chance to see other goodies in DVDs I do so. I am holy to that extent and I am very much satisfied with that and I will continue to be so (By the way, I never said that I am holy but you found that out exactly and thanks very much for the same. Mr. Kumar, if you wish to be blessed by me, no problem, my blessings are always there for you, really ).

For the people who are in the limelight already and for the main people who are connected with the movie (the slum kids) the tickets were paid for and you portray that!!!!!!!. What a shame!! This is exactly the slavery mind without self esteem you guys are into, which I am condemning. If the kids and people connected with the movie are not there that night right at the spot, it's a shame and huge commercial loss only to the organizers and not to the kids!! Come on Kumar, there is a limit to portray them, hold on to your feet.

In the very first line I said it is a film by "British" on Indian slums and I am very well aware that it is not an Indian film. In fact my botheration is only that. Let my poverty be shown by my fellows and not by somebody who ruled me for several centuries, swindled me and made me poor.

When I honestly feel my country's pride is at stake I write so. If you don't feel so, be it.

Finally, relax, I am not the same Raju from Satyam! but from the same IT field having worked with computes as early as 1982 before IBM PC era under German and French bosses stationed at India, in Tamilnadu!!. I have handled many multinationals right from east to west in meetings and conference calls who will come with a single agenda - "Target Indian Office". I have successfully closed down developments at Netherlands, France, Germany, U.S and Singapore and brought them all to India. So, Mr.Kumar, I am very much an IT guy like Sathyam Raju and I am proud to be, having great experiences with those westerners and I know what I am talking about.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Mr.Raju. Films like these are basically exploitation of our poverty and are nothing less than a rape. After showing the dismal situation of Mumbai slums, are they going to do anything to improve them? Probably the British director and his team would go on a holiday to some exotic location to 'celebrate' the success of the movie when the slum children will still be in sub human conditions.

Even A R Rahman's Oscar acceptance speach of 'All allong my life, I had a choice between hate and love. I chose love and I am here' -is not in good taste. After the death of his father, Mr.Sekar, a Hindu, he, Dilip Kumar, then a Hindu, was the main decision maker of his family. He converted himself, his mother and his three sisters to Islam. Does he mean that his choosing Islam over Hinduism is what he means by love over hate? Can he prove that Hinduism is a relligion of hate. Whether Islam is a religion of love is also debatable after all these jehadi attacks in the name of religion - R. Janakiraman

Britto said...

As you rightly pointed out, even developed countries in the world have slums and darker side. I live in Japan, considered to be a very safe country, even here there are many streets crowded with homeless, and where ordinary Japanese people are afraid to go. Recently, I was ashamed when one of my colleague started asking me shitty questions after seeing the movie. Very bad publicity for our country, and I agree with you view fully.