[Assam] Slumdog Millionaire

Mon Dec 22 22:16:03 PST 2008

To be honest, as an Indian American, I am just tired of people's attitude and making movies and money out of real lives of the poor. 

I would say the movie would deserve an Academy Award, if all the money goes to make the lives of the REAL "slumdogs" better.

“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a blade of grass.”

 > Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:50:57 -0800> From: jaipurschool at yahoo.com> Subject: RE: [Assam] Slumdog Millionaire> To: assam at assamnet.org; absarangapani at hotmail.com> > Alpana-ji,> > It was a movie about a SlumDog so thats what is portrayed. Why would anyone expect it to portray other aspects of India. You should see Darjeeling Express for a artistic touristy outlook of India - in the royal train Palace on Wheels - another Hollywood movie.> > Umesh > > --- On Tue, 23/12/08, Alpana B. Sarangapani <absarangapani at hotmail.com> wrote:> > > From: Alpana B. Sarangapani <absarangapani at hotmail.com>> > Subject: RE: [Assam] Slumdog Millionaire> > To: umesh.sh05 at post.harvard.edu, assam at assamnet.org> > Date: Tuesday, 23 December, 2008, 12:34 AM> > > *** I think it was a very realistic portrayal of people> > living in slums and also of the beggar children some of whom> > are blinded/ maimed to get more alms. > > > > That's why I said, "as a person of Indian origin,> > I found the movie very very depressing and somewhat> > unrealistic".> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > “In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient> > like a tree and humble like a blade of grass.”> > > > > Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:46:41 -0800> From:> > jaipurschool at yahoo.com> To: assam at assamnet.org>> > Subject: [Assam] Slumdog Millionaire> > Alpana-ji> > wrote:> > Inspite of all the rave reviews, as a person> > of Indian origin, I found the movie very very depressing and> > somewhat unrealistic. Great ending but was also hopeless-ly> > painful.> -------------------> *** I think it was a> > very realistic portrayal of people living in slums and also> > of the beggar children some of whom are blinded/ maimed to> > get more alms. > > ***A guy getting unrealistic> > windfall -- getting hauled up by the police -- first scene> > -- it was very realistic. Infact I was reminded of my> > hauling by the Jaipur Police in June 2004 - called in for> > questioning about my going to Harvard. Some retired Chief> > Engineer Mr Chandra had complained to the Chief Secretary of> > Chhatisgarh that I was "begging through press"> > when I advertised in many national dailies including Indian> > Express, Times of India, Dainik Bhaskar (Jaipur's> > homegrown Rajasthan Patrika's advt chief refused to> > publish even after seeing a copy of my admission letter from> > Harvard - and I knew their advertising agency personally as> > ex-media guy). > > I did escape any beating perhaps> > because I was not a real slumdog - but I caused some alarm> > there when I mentioned I was the son of an army officer who> > was well known in the area. I could also have called the> > Director General of Police (one of the DGP's was a close> > family friend - his children studied in my father's> > school ) and perhaps even the Chief Minister (through my> > media contacts -as ex-Indian Express guy) . But a real> > slumdog has to suffer the beatings - however rich or> > knowledgable s/he may become -- unless s/he has contacts in> > the establishment.> > --------------------------->> > There are also some wrong attitude problem it showed, like,> > the show host (Anil Kapoor) putting the young man down> > saying 'a Chai-wala is gong to win a million' etc,> > and putting him down every chance that he got was> > unrelistic. It does NOT happen in today's India. I watch> > most of the 'reality shows' on TV and have never> > seen the show-host insulting the guest like this. For> > example, in all the Music shows like SaReGaMaPa, Chappar> > Phar Ke, etc., the Music Directors, the judges, the hosts> > are so encouraging to the participants that the> > show-host's attitude was totally unacceptable.> >> > > ***I recall angst on Assamnet etc when in some Indian> > show - I think SaReGaMaPa - when someone in the jury> > excalimed that the NE contestant is going to win not because> > he sings well but because all NE India will vote for him..> > > > Here it is: " >> > http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060214/asp/opinion/story_5818055.asp> > " In the midst of all this began the rumour that some> > people associated with the contest were hatching a sinister> > plot to oust Debojit by underhand means. The conspiracy> > theory received support when Zee TV aired nearly unedited> > footage of verbal duels between the mentors, and among the> > audience on the set.. The format of the show dictates that> > the regional voting pattern be disclosed. This has> > intensified the zonal war. The North-east is clearly pitched> > against the rest of India. More than 80 per cent of the> > votes polled for Debojit come from the region. Extreme> > regional bias in the voting pattern has been questioned by> > the other contestants and their mentors, Himesh Reshammiya> > and Aadesh Srivastav. And this has further angered the> > people of the North-east.> > > Samujjwal> > Bhattacharjee, chairman of the NESO and adviser to AASU, saw> > in it an evil ploy to spoil the chances of Debojit."> > > > ---------------> > The riot scene, and> > caption on the screen "they are muslim, get them"> > was not very constructive either. When trying to portray a> > real life type of story, the media should portray a balanced> > and real picture.> > *** Riots are shown in every> > Indian movie - so whats wrong if a Hollywood movie shows> > it?> > ----------------------------> BTW, the> > theater here at Houston had only 7 people (including us two)> > watching the movie with us.> I think Seven Pounds was> > much more realistic and showed a real purpose of life and> > love. Will Smith showed another side of his acting talent -> > a flip side of his usual acting style.> > > Umesh> > Sharma> > Washington D.C. > > 1-202-215-4328> > [Cell]> > Ed.M. - International Education Policy>> > Harvard Graduate School of Education,> Harvard> > University,> Class of 2005> >> > http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)>> > > http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)> > >> > > > www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are> > used )> http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/> > >> > > http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/> > > > >> > > _______________________________________________>> > assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org>> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > _________________________________________________________________> > Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills.> > http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_122008> > > > 
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