Just another slum story

Slums in Dharavi. Pic/iStock

Despite the winner being declared a few months ago, viewers across the globe learnt about the eventual winner of Masterchef Australia's Season 13 only recently. He was Justin Narayan of Indian-Fijian origin. The 27-year-old chef, touted as the underdog throughout the series, dazzled the judges and social media with his culinary wizardry and steely determination to run away with the $2,50,000 prize money and countless endorsements that come with winning this prestigious contest. In his post-win interviews, he shared his plans that included either opening a food truck or restaurant that would celebrate Indian flavours. What was interesting to note from an unbiased Indian observer's point of view (read: this columnist) is that he also wished to share some of the profits to help feed and educate young kids who lived in India's slums. In some sections of the Indian press it was reported that a Mumbai-based NGO was in the mix of things to execute Narayan's plans. Naturally, as a Bombaywallah, I was curious and poked around to check if any progress had been made on that front since it would directly affect our city's kids. Until the time of writing this column, there was none.

But it was the mention of the once-favourite used (and abused) term and its iterations - ‘slums of India'/'Indian slum kids' - that got me wondering if this possibly ushered its return of sorts on global platforms. Who can forget how Briton Danny Boyle gave these terms a grand Hollywood red-carpet welcome, all the way to ensuring multiple wins at the Oscars. The world's attention had been captured to this poverty-lined fairy tale, and off-shoots of this success had caused an impact everywhere, including right at the heart of the Slumdog Millionaire story - Dharavi. I recall going undercover for a reporting assignment into this maze, to gauge the extent of the slum tourism network that was cashing in on the film. It was all true. To my horror and discomfort, I witnessed tour guides selling the idea laced with lies, dripping with victim syndrome stories and false claims of charity work, all the while causing a serious breach of privacy as groups of firangs entered kitchens of unhappy residents or clicked frames of snot-faced kids by choking gutters.

Much before that filmy stardust-y avatar caught the eye, we had already gotten used to the rehearsed replies of our beauty queens at national and international pageants. Almost always, the jury was won over with replies like "help the slums of India" or "educate India's poor," in reply to queries about their life mission if they won the crown. Ask Madhu Sapre. The 1992 Miss Universe contestant paid the price for giving an honest reply [she suggested better sports facilities of Olympic standards in India] and was heavily panned for it. We can wistfully smile now, given how hard we try as a nation to get a podium finish at every Olympics. We'll need another column to debate on that sore issue.

As we watched video snippets of Narayan's victory and his interviews, we were not sure what to make of his claim to help kids in India's slums, and if it would reach its genuine end result. Don't get me wrong. His heart seems to be in the right place with the intent to make a difference in the country of his mother's birth. But how far would he see it to fruition is the question.

Boyle and Co. and god knows how many countless others have been intrigued by this microcosm, for their own creative pursuits, financial gain and other wishlists, and now, a culinary show winner has mentioned it as part of his post-victory plan. If Narayan actually goes ahead and walks the talk, we'll be the first to applaud but if it dies a slow death it will be perceived as just another feel-good part of a speech to woo judges and public sentiment.

‘Slums/poor of India' is not a dispensable or a marketable term. It's reality here. It will be unfortunate when and if even people of Indian origin fail to understand its true meaning.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com