[Assam] Slumdog Millionaire

Tue Dec 23 05:09:29 PST 2008

> 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

I am neither against nor ever said 'rags to riches' is not possible or bad.  
I very much believe on fighting for survival, independence and self-making. 

I said making money on India's slum dwellers doesn't do any good, unless the money is used for betterment of the slum. 

> I am not an Indian American so perhaps cannot comment about your perspective.

Yes I am. I would still be upset (probably even more) if I was an Indian Indian.

“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 22:51:04 -0800> From: jaipurschool at yahoo.com> Subject: RE: [Assam] Slumdog Millionaire> To: assam at assamnet.org; absarangapani at hotmail.com> > 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.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > “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>> > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________> > Life on your PC is safer, easier, and more enjoyable with> > Windows Vista®. > > http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/127032870/direct/01/> > > > 
_________________________________________________________________
Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills.
http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_122008