Movie Mania

{This was written when the movie was released}

Slumdog Millionaire, 8 Oscars! Wow!

I had heard of a pet dog, a stray dog and even a mad dog but slum dog? Not till now! No, it is not another variety of a four legged animal but a child from the slums, what a reference to a poor Indian child!

I knew only Danny Denzongpa our very own 70s Bollywood’s handsome villain until Danny Boyle entered the Indian scene now!

AR Rahman, a genius musician par excellence won an Oscar for Jai Ho, when he said he has his mother with him, I heard a small laughter coming from the audience and Rahman too did that bit instantly. Imagine the same scenario in any Indian award function, all the mothers who would have been watching would have shed an emotional tear or two and all the men would have vouched that they are what they are because of their mothers!! Yes Rahman, you said it! Mere paas ma hai, is Amithab Bachhan listening? Every one uses this sentence at one time or the other, “Behind every successful man there is a woman?” Is it a mother or a wife, a debate can start.

Dev Patel, who ‘still’ lives with his parents in south England or is it north, east or west says some news print.

Still? In India even to this day many sons live with their parents however old they might get and in some families the son cannot even think of moving out unless he has a job transfer or some domestic dispute. The whole family lives under one roof happily or otherwise ever after. That is common in India. But it fascinates the west and this is news for them.

Yesterday morning I sat glued to the TV set for a while to watch the Hollywood’s beautiful swans strutting their stuff on the red carpet.  Every time their gowns swept the red carpet my thought was, ‘Did their designer stuff rub the bit of star dust which might have settled on the red carpet?!’ How could dust, even if it is from a star settle on the RED CARPET! I must be joking.

Our NDTV’s Sara Jacob too was rubbed off by the opening question asked by the various other news channel’s correspondents who were interviewing the stars. When she caught up with Anil kapoor she greeted him with, “You are looking fantabulous if I may say so and her next question was, “Who are you wearing, Armani?” Anil beamed, Armani, yes it is… it is!

Well, imagine this happening to our gorgeous looking Rekha who always walks into an award function with the heaviest of Kanjeevarams one can think of and the TV reporter goes, “Who are you wearing”? And Rekha replying, “My wearer from the small town of Kanchi”… Please note here, not revealing her wearer’s name because of obvious reasons, any copy cats around? This doesn’t work in India, or does it? Now, I am doubtful. This question from the reporter is typical ‘Hollywood style’ you see.

Last but not the least; it is Anil Kapoor who walks away with the cake. Why, you thought, I felt he was like a wonder stuck kid walking the streets of America, be it New York or LA, he had this funny ear to ear grin, walking briskly promoting his movie or talking to people about it and the best scène was his elated joy at the award ceremonies, why is he so excited or was he over doing it or maybe that is what he is? I laughed at him every time he came on screen. He was funny. Jai Mumbai! Jai Maharastra! His words not mine.

With Slumdog Millionaire sweeping the Oscars, now there will be an influx of all sorts of film makers on the poor shanty slums of Mumbai or will it be added as yet another tourist attraction while one is in India. Just wait and watch, we will get to hear and see them all! Good luck India. They are coming. A rag to riches story is a huge crowd puller and India has variety.

I’m yet to see the film.