[Assam] Slumdog Millionaire

Mon Dec 22 22:51:04 PST 2008

Alpana-ji,

Well, it seemed to be like the (filmy version of) real-life story of Debojit Saha from Assam who despite the overwhelming odds won SaReGaMaPa thanks to the support of the public which united (over their day-to-day divisions) in his favor. Odds were portrayed -- just like in Wild West movies there is atleast one villain who needs to be tackled. That is realistic to me - and exciting too!! I am not an Indian American so perhaps cannot comment about your perspective.

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, 1:16 AM
> 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.
> 
> 
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> “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/> > > >
> >> > >
> _______________________________________________>> >
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