[Assam] Slumdog Millionaire
Chan Mahanta
cmahanta at charter.net
Tue Dec 23 05:55:38 PST 2008
Sorry I missed out on some of the fun here.
But Alpana,
>Thank you C'da, and as usual I accept your praise mixed with sarcasm. :)
*** I was not being sarcastic. It could however
have been deemed to be sarcastic, if you really
were sensitive, just reacting negatively on
political grounds - of being offended by airing
of India's dirty laundry.
However, I like to think, you are smarter than
that :-)- I mean to be caught up with your own
arguments.
*** Is this the first time you have been exposed
to someone making money by exposing or peddling
other people's woes? What you are doing is trying
to kill the messenger. The film-maker/s did not
create the conditions that the film portrayed,
did he/she/they ?
At 7:09 AM -0600 12/23/08, Alpana B. Sarangapani wrote:
> > 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>> >> >
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