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foreign
editorial
India celebrates Slumdog Millionaire's
eight-Oscar victory
After weeks
of controversy over the film's depiction of life in Mumbai's slums
and the paycheques of its child stars, the subcontinent has embraced
Danny Boyle's crowdpleaser
By
Randeep Ramesh
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India
finally laid claim to Slumdog Millionaire - after weeks of controversy
the country basked in the glory of the film's eight Oscars, the
most of any movie this year, including the top prize of best motion
picture.
News channels broadcasting live commentary of the Hollywood event
called the presentation of the best film award - when Slumdog's
vast cast and crew took to the dais - a "victory for India".
Shown repeatedly was the clip of the movie's producer Christian
Colson speaking of the "shared love of the extraordinary city
of Mumbai".
Cameras shot celebrations erupting in the family homes of AR Rahman,
the composer who took home two golden statuettes, and Resul Pookutty,
the Bollywood sound engineer who was part of the winning sound mixing
team.
The star for India was definitely Rahman, known as the Mozart of
Madras, who picked up the Oscar for best original score before scooping
the best song award moments later.
He thrilled the home audience by speaking in his native Tamil, closing
his second acceptance speech with the evocation: "God is great."
His sister, Rehana, told Indian television that "we won't lose
Rahman to Hollywood … he belongs to everyone but he's Indian".
The film's use of Indian actors and the country's landscape produced
a welter of stories in the national press, ranging from fascination
with the rapid ascent of Mumbai model Freida Pinto to the pages
of Vogue; the controversy over whether child actors from the slums
had been paid enough; and even the bad Hindi spoken by British Asian
actor Dev Patel. |
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There
was almost universal praise for Slumdog Millionaire's director
Danny Boyle for choosing to capture, in the words of Bollywood
lyricist Gulzar, "the spirit of Mumbai". "I
am thrilled and happy ... Danny and Rahman helped to capture
the spirit of this city," said the songwriter who penned
the lyrics of Slumdog's winning song, 'Jai Ho'.
A debate raged before the awards about whether the film could
be described as authentically Indian. Film-maker Boyle, who
won for best director and was previously best known for the
frenetically bleak Trainspotting, is British. So is Simon
Beaufoy, who won an Oscar for adapting the novel Q&A by
Indian writer and diplomat Vikas Swarup.
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But Mahesh Manjrekar, an actor who
plays a gangster in the movie, told Indian television after the
awards that "Slumdog is beautifully shot and it's an understanding
film. Actually it's a Hindi movie shot in the English language.
Danny is an Indian guy disguised as a Britisher."
The euphoria saw tributes flood in from India's most prominent actors
and film-makers. Anurag Kashyap, the current enfant terrible of
Bollywood, told Times Now that it was time for "all of India
to celebrate". The country's president and prime minister also
congratulated the "Indian winners" at the Academy Awards.
The movie, a fairytale of a boy from the slums who wins both love
and money on a TV game show, was criticised by some in India for
purveying "poverty porn". Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actor
who became a star in Britain after winning Celebrity Big Brother,
told newspapers that she felt "that internationally recognised
films focus more on our slums and poverty".
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However,
such sentiments appear to have disappeared in the dawn chorus
of congratulation. Reengo, a film-maker from Kolkata, told
NDTV that "the success will energise producers, actors
and directors all over India. I loved the movie and all of
Indian cinema will be celebrating".
India has actually provided the inspiration for two of this
year's Oscar winners. US film-maker Megan Mylan won the best
documentary short Oscar for Smile Pinki, which is in Hindi
and focuses on the work of Dr Subodh Kumar Singh in north
India, whose surgery treats poor children born with a cleft
lip. The main character who provides the title of the film
is Pinki Sonkar. The eight-year-old attended the Oscars ceremony,
along with the child actors of Slumdog Millionaire. |
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-- Slumdog Millionaire
is currently playing in cinemas nationwide.
-- Courtesy: The Guardian
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