Slumdog Millionaire

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/24/oscars-india-slumdog-millionaire-ian-jack

The article firstly speaks about how before their was a film made by a foreign director about Indias cruelty and poverty and when this film was produced by the government the Indian government was not pleased at all. However when a foreign director came again after fourty years and created a film which is even more horrid most of India are pleased as the film wins 10 Oscars and Four Golden Globes.

The Slumdog millionaire movie represents india in a negative way this is as it shows India to be a poor country in which people are not given a fair chance and how so many people are so cruel to kids who are poor. The representation of India in the movie is not accurate as the movies director has not even in the slightest form looked at India being wealthy or going up economically but only looks at the poor parts of India and as the director is someone foreign and white it could suggest that the movie is biased as it is based upon his opinion of what India really is. For example in the movie their is a part where some americans have come to look at 'The Real India' at they are looking at the poor areas this suggests that foreiners and richer people from other countries think that India is just a poor country and real India is 'The Slums'. Also economically the Indians can be seen as 'The Other' as they are not as wealthy as some other countries.

However in a way the movies representation are slightly correct also as it shows how the life of some indians is, as not everyone has a home, most of the population is poor and Jamal and Salim are examples of how those peoples lives are.

Although in the movie it is shown that some Indians and lower class people are intelligent but they are just not given a fair chance in society this is shown through the character of Jamal who is intelligent and has learnt from his life experiences whereas the person playing Chris Tarrant gets Jamal arrested as he is doig so well i the game, this in a way reinforces a Capitalist society as Anil Kapoor (Chris tarrant) is richer and he is like the ruling class and he has the power to get Jamal arrested as it is not seen acceptable for someone who is poor to be able to be so intelligent and therefore the people from the slums are seen as 'The Other'.

In a way the movie reinforces 'Coloniolism' this is as a white director has come from a different country and made a movie about Indian and earned loads of money from that and 10 oscars and 4 Golden Globe awards. This links back to when the British took over India to earn money from the goods of their land.

Jaspreet Pandohar, 35, a freelance writer, says she feels the film portrayed the city and its people in a truthful, dignified manner. "India's commercial capital may be booming but there's a dark underbelly of crime, deprivation and poverty that is often ignored or misrepresented by Indian cinema and the government." Although Jaspreet Pandohar says this it is not fair as the real india is not all about crime. depreviation and poverty as most of India nowdays is doing really well and going up economicallly. However this shows how as their are many movies and programmes nowdays that show india poor that people have got used to this stereotype and acepted it.