Slumdog Millionaire, America in Bombay

"Slumdog Millionaire" is the American dream in the streets of Bombay. "I want the best of both worlds." The phrase is one of the Indians winning Academy Awards, AR Rahman, who also won two awards: Best Original Score and Best Song. The two worlds are India and the West, and their relationship has been fastened with "Slumdog Millionaire" director, screenwriter and producer are British. Most of the actors and the stage are purely Indian. The eight Oscars that won the film have given way to criticism of all signs and, in India, to the fever of the middle class, which considers the protagonists heroes because he understands his success as though money was English. Reflection of the Indian desire for recognition abroad.

"National pride has taken a different pose: 'India has finally done something on the world stage'. One wonders why the world stage we care so much. Each portrait of India is regarded with suspicion paranoid eyes. Anything with Indian flavor you get an award is immediately taken as a matter of national pride, "writes today one of many press commentators.

In India, "Slumdog Millionaire", for his argument that looks fantastic, easily passed the actual discourse and everyday life. It is a country full of children as Latika and Jamal, kids who work hard to survive and do not always succeed. The reality of the slums has been widely documented and obvious in any tourist trip, but paradoxically the Indian cinema, much more interested in portraying the growing luxury as a way of escapism, has excluded from the screens to their dirty players. In fact, the main criticism he has received the film in the country accused the film of "making pornography of poverty."

This criticism follows a nationalist reaction against foreign interference. It has been a constant in history, starting with the very Mahatma Gandhi, when he called a "report of inspector of sewers" a 1927 book published by the American Katherine Mayo and considered offensive against Indian culture. Most of the national scribes applauded and still is the reaction of Gandhi and want to justify that India is more than misery and that the West has to look to the country with poor or partial eyes.

On the one hand, the Indian elite had better take seriously the criticisms: 80 years have passed, and there are witnesses the slumdogs. But there is some truth to the Indians who accuse Westerners of focusing on poverty and ignore the many signs of change that India is experiencing in recent years. Traditionally, the visions of the West on this continent have been marked by four prejudice, according to Harold Isaac: first, an India of maharajas and exotic wizards, two, a mystical contemplative religious sadhus, thirdly, devotion and worship of gods of many heads, and, finally, India pathetic: children with swollen bellies who die abandoned in the streets.

All of them are still alive in the Western subconscious. India also add one fifth that has been incorporated successfully in "Slumdog Millionaire": the globalized country, with its customer care centers Western, beautiful class of Bombay, its luxury competition ranks first dreams and squander their wealth posh neighborhoods. India is the fifth and his confrontation with the traditional call it "India (urban middle class is easily stated in English) from Bharat (country name in Hindi: the lower classes and rural life of ancient customs and miserable).

In the slums, religious instability, latrines and garbage collectors, police torture, child trafficking and poverty of Bharat, the film comes to expensive cars, the mansions of the rich (not always in the hands of the Mafia) , designer clothes and elegant costumes of TV, ready to copy Western models. The rise of Jamal and Latika picaresque is a journey from Bharat to India, two blocks of different real-force-perhaps with a more fluid transitions and relationships in large cities than in rural areas.

But the real issue is that "Slumdog Millionaire" is cinema. No one would ever fly a serious analysis of America only with the vision that transmits Hollywood films. Why do it then with India, a country that is almost a continent?

To make possible the story of Jamal and Latika, the writer draws on classical topics in the West, a history marked by the American dream through hard work and a little luck the sky is the limit. "Here's a little of the real America, small. Money. " A dream that India has few exponents, because society is still far less permeable and is marked by almost unbridgeable gaps of caste, religion, language, social class or region. Very bizarre has to be the true story of Jamal, a poor Muslim from Bombay, to start working as a tour guide in Agra, serve tea in a call center or to speak with fluency in English for a game show. No problem for that is Hollywood.

"I want the best of both worlds." And "Slumdog Millionaire" is placed over the gap between India and Bharat, a crucial crossroads to bring a story understandable to Western viewers. Any movie has some artifact: unlike Bollywood, attempts to concentrate the Western canon over a story about two hours under a veneer of plausibility. The question is not so much that its protagonists are real, but to show that they could be: one that manages to connect Jamal from the slums of India with the contests.

Before the rain of Oscars, "Slumdog Millionaire" got a good collection in India, but without reaching the levels of the highest grossing U.S. film "Spiderman 3". After the ceremony, most politicians have been quick to send his congratulations to the team India and some regions have even allowed the tax-free distribution of the film "to create history in Indian cinema." The accusations of "pornography of poverty" has been diluted as a sugar and heroes of Slumdog have gone to the official with an ease impossible for any "sewer inspector's report."

That is, the film has been accepted because although it shows the misery of his message is benign suburbs and the hero manages to rise above all despite the difficulties. The American Dream underpins a bridge between India and Bharat is still in embryo in much of the country.

"An Indian of 45 years knows he is not rich. But if you know your child might be, it already acts as a motivation. I think we should judge ourselves by how much social mobility are able to provide. It really is an old Indian dream, but perhaps we're seeing now, "he says in an interview the head of the powerful Planning Commission of India, Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

In the real India proliferate television contests as a gateway to a better life, but the language barriers of caste or community or prevent the dream is as American Indian. Also, always has been repeated here that the Indians are very permeable to the rules and they are much to the example, as shown in the figure itself of Gandhi. The state, despite its gigantic bureaucracy (perhaps because of it) is unable to dispose of everyday problems and serious citizens, let alone to give welfare to its population. So in many places, people assume the role of the state and build parks, roads and cities.

Proof of this is the story of Dasrath Manjhi, the "symbol of resistance." The village of Manjhi was isolated in the mountains of impoverished Bihar (north), so we had to travel long distances to obtain food or water. One day the wife of Manjhi slipped while crossing a mountain. And then Manjhi decided enough was enough. He took a hammer and chisel and alone, with his own hands, started digging a road in the mountains.

He built a hut with the work to spend less time and did not stop even though people considered him crazy. For 22 years, Manjhi excavated solo and unaided to the people of his town could use the road through the mountains, 100 meters long and 10 wide.

Manjhi died of cancer in 2007 without state recognition, but with a broad appreciation of the local people and much of society: children of his people can finally study and careers that were once 50 miles now ten. Perhaps the greatest achievement of Manjhi has been the force of his example. This week it was learned that a group of villagers in Kaimur district in the same region, is building another road six miles from the mountains to find his young "bride".

This is just one example of how things work in the lives of most Indians. But for once, the two children, slum dwellers of the movie actors (characters Latika and Salim children's) have been lucky: the American dream advocated by "Slumdog Millionaire" really going to be met for them, because the Government has Mahararashtra promised to give to their families two apartments that will allow them to leave the slums where they live.

"Here it is so hot and so many mosquitoes. It takes me hours to fall asleep. "He said Azhar, the boy who plays the role of Selim, on his return from Hollywood to his shack. His father, ill with tuberculosis and unable to work, slapped him for refusing to grant an interview. And Rubina Ali (little Latika), now claims his mother, who had left home five years ago. Rubina and Azhar will have new home, but their lives now belong to the cinema and will be sleeping. Other slumdogs not so lucky.

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Harry Potter fails to prevent the release of "Hari Puttar"

New Delhi, 22 September 2008. - An Indian court has cleared the premiere of the film "Hari Puttar" to dismiss a Warner Bros asking suspend the launch, noting that the name was too close to a known child magician.
The judges accepted the argument of the Indian producer, according to which the film is based on an original script and the title means, both in Hindi and Punjabi, the son of God, Indian agencies reported.
"Our film is different, has nothing to do with any other. The name depends only on the character, called Hari. And Puttar means son in Punjabi, "he said Jenette Efe Banis, Secretary of the producer Mirchi Movies.
The film tells the story of young Dhoonda Hari Prasad, a Punjabi than 10 years with his family emigrated to the United Kingdom, after his father received a commission from the Indian Army to work on a secret project.
The father, Professor Dhoonda, maintains the project saved at home, in a confidential chip immediately attracts the attention of an evil gangster and his henchmen.
In a twist reminiscent of another Hollywood blockbuster ("Home Alone", 1990), the family goes on vacation but leave the small house Hari Puttar, who display their courage every time the thieves try to take over the chip Dhoonda teacher.
"It talks about the freedom of a child when left alone at home with his cousin, and the funny situations that occur when two thieves try to enter the house," he told IANS agency producer, Munish Purii.
To shore up the originality of "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors," the producers emphasize that in the film, as opposed to "Home Alone", there are songs and an animated boy friend who helps him overcome the loneliness.
The "originality" of Hari failed to convince Warner Bros., which owns the rights to the franchise, "Harry Potter", who in August took the case to court to request the suspension of the release of the tape provided the last 19 - at least under its current title.
But today, Judge Reva Khetrapal, the Delhi High Court decided that there is "nothing in common" between the names Hari Puttar and Harry Potter, which allowed the producer to go ahead with the release, scheduled for next Friday.
So far, the Indian film industry has not showered in excess films aimed at children, but producers hope the controversy will serve to bring the cinema to viewers curious.
The Bombay industry has historically been prone to draw inspiration from their American counterparts and using characters, strings and arguments that sometimes do not differ either in the letter that separates Bollywood from Hollywood.
This, in fact, is not the first "little brother" who comes to Harry Potter in the movie "AOpen Ka Dabra ', spectators attending the misadventures of an orphaned child of a famous magician who attends a magic school and are old friends of his parents.
The Indian media came to label "Bollywood" as a "factory of the theft," after last year's film "Partner" suffered a threatened lawsuit by the producer of Will Smith, upset by the resemblance of the tape with "Hitch" (2005).
In the case of the boy wizard, the owners of their rights had already been successful in India that a publisher withdrew the book "Harry Potter in Calcutta", in which the hero knew profuse classic characters of Bengali literature.
Despite his belligerence against the alleged violation of intellectual property, Warner Bros. will now have to resign themselves to seeing on the big screen adventures of the little Hari Puttar and techniques to ward off thieves.
"We have also seen Harry Potter," he told Efe Secretary of Mirchi Movies.

When "Bollywood" begins by hache

New Delhi, 29 Aug 2007. - Taking advantage of the ignorance of Western filmmakers, the Indian film industry, with over 1,000 films a year, do not hesitate to use characters, strings and arguments that sometimes do not differ either in the letter that separates Bollywood from Hollywood.
The ubiquitous Harry Potter has come, for example, a "brother" Indian in the movie "Ka Daabra AOpen" an orphan of a famous magician who goes to the best school of magic, where, making his first steps on the scene, find people who knew his parents.
The Indian film industry championed by Bombay-Bollywood produces more films and sells more tickets than its U.S. rival, but that does not stop taking it as a reference to try to break the box office.
That "passion" for Western frames attest the latest releases, three singles have to take care of a baby, a coach who takes the top with a team of girls who do not trust themselves or a version of "The Dinner Game "that has become a cult title.
A few days ago, the success of the year, "Partner", suffered even a threat of legal action by the production of actor Will Smith, angry that the film is taken too literally to his adventures in "Hitch", the year 2005.
"We know nothing of the producers of 'Hitch'. This is a controversy created by the media. In Bollywood there are 700 new movies every year. Can all be original? "He said boldly about the producer of" Partner ", Parag Sanghvi.
In the list of titles with "versions to India" are classics like "Wonderful Life", "Dirty Harry", "Vertigo," "Irma la Douce" and "The Apartment", naturally with footage kilometer and overdoses of dance and songs to spice up the movie "masala" (spice).
Indian films have also been nurtured by love ("The My Best Friend's Wedding," "When Harry Met Sally") and humor ("Mrs. Doubtfire," "Something About Mary"), have pulled "thrillers" as "Seven" or "Fatal Attraction" and, of course, musicals ("West Side Story," "Annie").
In "The Miracle of Anna Sullivan" (1962) deaf and blind girl manages to overcome his situation by his teacher, in Bollywood enough to switch to the sweet woman by the beard of the national idol, Amitabh Bachchan, who scored a great success with "Black" (2005) but was accused of copying the original sequence to sequence.
And in the film "Koi Mil Gaya", with the popular actor Hrithik Roshan-the critics do not agree on how much of ET and Forrest Gump in the film, but all agree: the writers have cooked counting them.
Is any degree of success and even "The Godfather" has escaped the hawk eye of Asian writers, as evidenced by "Hi Aankank Aakank" about the adventures of a poor farmer who comes to town, becomes a gangster and stars, as the music channel MTV, "a remake superpatético".
Western influence also reaches the hallmark of Bollywood, music: in the 70, the Indians danced, without knowing the popular "Mamma Mia" ABBA, called there "hum ko Saathi Mil Geya" (I found a couple) , and since then, the sounds strangely western mingle with local rhythms.
Is Bollywood a "factory of the theft?", Comes to ask the newspaper "Hindustan Times".
Given the business prospects that plagiarism can bring a clever composer, Aadesh Shrivastav, it is all set to create a company to protect copyright against those engaged in foreign inspiration, after speaking with American rapper Wyclef Jean .
"Wyclef was stunned to learn that they had copied their song 'Mary'. He said many of his fellow Americans do not know what happens with composers Indians, and that something should be done, "said Shrivastav.
The threat, however, - "I know that I will be the most hated man in Bollywood," says Shrivastav, can no longer prevent the popular Shah Rukh Khan canturree "Pretty Woman", accompanied by sounds of disco and mechanics, but creative - Indian choreography in her film "Kal Ho Na Ho" ("It may not be tomorrow").
And while the Indians dance and clap in the cinema actor Shah Rukh when it sounds pretty woman, no one asks about Roy Orbison.

Victory in Big Brother Shilpa Shetty becomes a heroine in India

New Delhi, 29 Jan 2007. - India woke up today between proud and dazzled by the victory last night Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on the British edition of the contest "Great Herma no", which has been hailed as a triumph of the country where abroad.
Shetty television news today opened the Indians, who have reviewed so punctilious his performance during the four weeks cooped up indoors, and this morning offered howl incessantly images of the actress at the time of clinching the award and share the experience with their parents.
"Shilpa Shetty wins the crown" or "great victory" were some of the headlines with which the Indian media hailed the victory of the actress in the UK, while his followers congratulatory messages flooded internet forums and some took to the streets to celebrate.
"Shilpa, India is proud of you. You have fulfilled the expectations of all people and did a great job, "an anonymous netizen wrote today in the forum of the NDTV network, although there were those who described India as a" banana republic "to" spend its forces "to support a contestant.
The actress had unleashed a wave of sympathy for some considered racist insults dumped by one of its competitors, Jade Goody and her mother, who accused her of "wanting to be white" and "finger foods" and called it contemptuously "Paki" (Pakistani, an insult to an Indian).
Goody's confrontation with the Indian actress has caused spontaneous demonstrations in several Indian cities and even led the Government of India to demand explanations from Great Britain, whose prime minister, Tony Blair, had to make a statement against racism "in all its forms "in a session of Parliament.
To succeed, Shilpa competed with the likes of famous brother Michael Jackson, the famous actor who played "Phoenix" Series "Team" or the former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd, although it was his confrontation with Goody which triggered the hearing.
In profuse comments on the controversial Big Brother in the Indian press has been much in favor of Shilpa, although some exasperated because the actress was behaving like a "baby" after agreeing to participate in a contest that was to take economic good slice.
She came to India for Celebrity Big Brother with a curriculum of second in Bollywood, the Indian film industry, which has supported him during his "hell" in the contest, as he called the director Tanuja Chandra, who just days ago confident that she would be able to "hold on and win."
Another producer of Bollywood, Shashilal K.Nair, announced last Friday that it has prepared a script about the rivalry and friendship for which Shilpa and Goody would be the perfect protagonists.
The truth is that Goody, who after being expelled from the program has been very critical of him, intends to visit India to apologize to his people "face to face," he said Thursday in a live interview with Channel delhi NDTV.
In a "mea culpa" to millions of viewers of NDTV, whose presenter gave him a bad time making fun of if I could understand English with an Indian accent, a contrite and nervous Goody admitted to having behavior "wrong" with Shilpa .
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, said in quite a bad mood that had been granted a visa to see if visiting India and is "cured" in it "as many other people have been cured."
The competition has allowed Shilpa also boost its contribution beyond Bollywood, with an offer from Fox to film in Hollywood and to present a TV documentary, a program of cricket and an awards ceremony, and a book deal to tell experience, an exclusive interview with the British newspaper "The Sun" and sponsorship of branded apparel, cosmetics and jewelry.
Shilpa's victory "has given a good lesson" to the British, told Efe Ram, a clerk in Delhi, insults upset because his star had nothing to do with it being "good or bad career, but India", which "hurt the feelings" of his people.

The "paparazzi" of India, like crazy after Brad Pitt and Angelina

New Delhi, October 7, 2006. - The media pairing of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has come to India so secret that the "paparazzi" they want to see and make photos as the actress makes a film about the murder of a reporter.
"Brangelina" do not appear together in the first photographs published today by the newspaper "The Times of India" of his stay in Pune (west), where they arrived on Thursday accompanied by his three children, two of them adopted.
Yes Angelina is a nearly lying in the cool, his eyes covered by sunglasses and the expression of someone who has just awakened from a long nap.
In another instant, poor quality, can barely be glimpsed in the distance the ruddy head of Brad Pitt, his shirt half open and torso wrapped in shadows.
"Brangelina" will be in India for the duration of their participation in the shooting female half of a film about Daniel Pearl, an American reporter kidnapped and murdered in 2002 in Karachi (Pakistan) by an extremist group while investigating the links between members Al Qaeda and Pakistan.
The couple landed in Bombay on Thursday with their three children, Shiloh Nouvel, Maddox and Zahara, and from there took a Mercedes, followed by two other vehicles, led them to a private accommodation in the nearby city of Pune.
After getting off the plane, Pitt and Jolie exchanged friendly greetings with airport workers, according to local newspapers reported jubilantly.
"Brad was carrying her daughter Shiloh Nouvel, while Maddox was transferred to the car by one of the attendees," said an airport official, demonstrating their knowledge of this particular "nobility rose."
While in Pune has broken the "hysteria", picks up the newspaper "Hindustan Times", with the arrival of the "Most Beautiful Family" in the world by the magazine "People" and speculates on the "secret" place where lie the famous actors.
Now the "paparazzi" all kinds of skirmishes plan to overcome the discretion of the couple, whose policy is to provide photographs to the media if these high amounts disbursed to charitable foundations.
Both the picture of Shiloh, the natural child of both, as the children that Jolie had previously adopted (Maddox, a child of Cambodian, and Zahara, an Ethiopian girl), are sought after by photographers hoping explore Pune to reveal the residence of Pitt and Jolie.
While some newspapers are saying that are housed in the elegant Hotel Meridien, others speculate that they are in a luxurious villa on the outskirts of the city.
In any case, the media contrasted the silent arrival of "Brangelina" to India with the traditional noise they create in their public appearances the "famous" Indians, usually surrounded by a cohort of motorists and armed guards.
The discretion of the Pitt-Jolie family in a country accustomed to noise has been well received by serious newspapers, very critical of the guild of bodyguards bollywoodienses that, as a newspaper columnist says "The Times of India", "have always finger on the trigger of the gun. "
Pune will host part of the movie "Mighty Heart", in which Angelina Jolie plays Mariane, widow of slain reporter in Pakistan and author of "Great heart: the brave life and death of my husband Danny Pearl ".
The actress, goodwill ambassador for the UN, visited Pakistan on several occasions, as when he went to visit the victims of the earthquake that struck Kashmir last year, causing over 70,000 deaths.
Angelina Jolie has developed many solidarity actions, and the aid he gave to Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders with money raised by the photographs of their baby Shiloh.