Dog Day Afternoon

It is indeed the most recent validation that we have not got over our colonial hangover as yet. Nor the need to measure ourselves in terms of phoren acceptance to anything that we do.

I am truly baffled by the Indian media euphoria about the success of Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars, what with one leading daily devoting several, full pages of its newspaper to this event and related news, you would think we just discovered life on other planets!

Do you recollect a five page coverage of last year’s Olympic medal wins – probably a more balanced measure of true capability, or for that matter the environmental (peace) Nobel win?

Not for a moment to take away from sterling performances by the actors, the excellent music, good direction or any of the other facets that won it so many accolades. So it was a good movie and yes had lots of Indian stars who did really well. Good for them!

How many of you really believe that stuff about ‘a sign of hope for the underprivileged and homeless’ kind of nonsense that is being spouted by many a urban Indian, the glitterati and chatterati folks and their ecosystem; rushing to give those sound bites about how they loved the movie and the acting and how some were childhood friends some of those on the dais etc. Oh please give us a break. I’d like to ask how many had even read Vikas Chandra’s book Q&A when it came out a few years ago. Q and what ?

Guess what, what if I said that smart British team used the well tried and tested formula that worked for their forefathers for centuries of colonization of us eager natives viz, take all the rich raw material (in this case from story to cast) from India (at a relative pittance) and enjoy the fruits of the finished product (last heard to have raked in $ 160 million at the box office).So its about the money, stupid!

My Dear Desis, as the BBC website proudly announced a few moments after the ceremony, … British Film sweeps the Oscars……!

So wake up! Let’s be proud that we make good films (or clothes for that matter) ourselves even if they don’t appeal to the executives of the American Academy of Motion Pictures.

Why don’t we instead ask the US and British Film society to start submitting their films for award nominations here in India? That would start some thought leadership for sure!

Jai Ho!