Pinot grigio, the oscars, slums, and other such stuff

Last night turned into an unexpected celebration of sorts with the roommates. We opened some Pinot Grigio and sipped happily as we cheered Slumdog and Rahman and Pookutty and Pinki. Hugh Jackman is my most recent crush and he comes a close second only to Josh Holloway. The show was massively entertaining and you could not miss the ‘Indian’ presence at the awards if you wanted to. Rahman, a man of few words, and adorably inarticulate revived the eternally Bollywood, “mere paas maa hain,” which can never be fully comprehended by Hollywood (as Gitika's status correctly read) but likely brought the house down in my part of the world. I felt euphoric every time Slumdog won an award but my joy was unbounded when Rahman and Pookutty won 3 ‘direct’ awards for India. Lots of cheering later, I went to bed buzzing with more than just grigio.

The much-loved Rahman has finally found the global recognition he deserves. I’m still trying to get over a wayward reaction that claimed he only won because of a lack of competition. I wish to reserve comment on that statement. I will only say that the man redefines versatility and has belted out fantastic scores that have haunted me for months and stayed with me for years. And I know a lot of other Indians will agree with what I say: Slumdog is by far, not his best work. Unfortunately, Danny Boyle didn’t ask him to provide music for any other flicks and so the rest of the world has yet to see beyond the tip of his immense talent. I like to believe that last night was the beginning.

Did I like Slumdog? I loved it. Not because of the ‘realistic’ portrayal of Indian slums. Prince Charles’ demented “the western world should learn from Indian slums” notwithstanding, most people do not ‘choose’ to live in slums. Part of my never-ending educational training included working with street kids and the children of construction site workers in Bombay. The experience was enriching in ways that an upper middle class, city snob like me would never have imagined. I agree a majority of slum kids will not make it out of there in their life-time. Yet, I saw glimpses of brilliance and resilience that were immensely gratifying. I feel sorry for those who lament Slumdog as a movie glorifying the least glorious parts of India. I read an article somewhere where the author was questioning why the movie did not have a single shot of the more prosperous parts of Bombay. Another article claimed that Boyle has exploited India, Indian slums and even our Rahman. I think I may have missed something here. Did Danny Boyle claim to be making a documentary? Did he claim to be making a film that showed the 'true' nature of all of India? Is that even possible in a single project? Why did American Gangster just show gangs? Won't people who have never been to the US and never watched another Hollywood flick just think that the US is all about gangs and people smart-mouthing each other before shooting? A lot of people feel Slumdog is overrated. Perhaps so, but aren’t a lot of other movies? Isn’t movie-making all about appeal? And if Boyle found a formula that appeals, why is he being criticized for it? He did not exploit anyone; he was just making a movie. I would like to point out that there are countless movies that thrive on the premise that people love cheering for the underdog who struggles to make it to the top. The only difference is that the protagonist in Slumdog is an underdog who makes his way to the top while harboring no such intentions. Yet, when the gawky Jamal wins a crore, the audience experiences an adrenaline rush along with him. He found his love AND won a crore. It’s a triumph of the human spirit in a way that we rarely see in real life. Isn’t that another reason we love movies? Because they allow us to vicariously live another’s life, experience another’s pain and another’s joys? By ensuring that audiences felt Jamal’s euphoria as he emerged an unlikely winner from conditions of squalor, Boyle played his hand and played it well.

The slums in India are hardly the stuff dreams are made of, and I whole-heartedly agree with people who believe that the western world should know India for more than just its poverty symbols. So here’s the thing, the more worldly individuals of the West have already noticed that Indians somehow proceed to win every Spelling Bee and Silicon Valley is crawling with engineers who are more or less Indian. With respect to the awards, yes, there are other Indian films and film-makers, who perhaps deserve as many accolades as were showered on Slumdog last night. But isn't this a good beginning? I think it will surely come to the world’s attention that Rahman and Pookutty in all their respectiv Tam-ness and Mallu-ness are wholly Indian even if Slumdog in its entirety is not. Not to give the Academy Awards undue importance (I’ll always know that some brilliant Indian films will never see the light of day there), but I really think that art and entertainment should cross international boundaries and if the Academy Awards provide an avenue, then hell, why not? If they are incapable of appreciating a Lagaan, we’ll just supply them with a Monsoon Wedding. And sometimes they’ll even receive a Paheli, and eventually, they will forgive us for it. That said, I would like to go back to applauding Rahman and my Bombay in Slumdog. And to all those who criticized it and claimed it was “poverty porn”..whatever gets you off.