The lingering Bachchan-Slumdog saga
While the film fraternity has disagreed with Amitabh Bachchan's remarks about Slumdog Millionaire, the bloggers reaction is mixed. u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Bachchan had complained on his blog that India has been portrayed as the Third World's dirty underbelly in Slumdog Millionaire. u00a0His comments that the film made big internationally because of its Western director Danny Boyle had kicked up a row.u00a0
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Here is one Amitabh fanu00a0who is angry at Nirpal Dhaliwal for criticizing the thespian Bollywood actor in an article in The Guardian.
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Nirpal had taken exception to Bollywood's obsession with money-churning movies targeted at the NRI crowd, without being able to show the harsh realities plaguing India.
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In a post titled Sloppy journalism at work, the above blogger says: "I don't know which words Nirpal interpreted as Amitabh being riled, but to me, Amitabh seems to be presenting facts about Indian cinema," says the blogger and goes on defending him.
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"Nirpal doesn't bother to explain what makes it a fact that Slumdog Millionaire is the best film about India. Does winning awards at the Golden Globes make it a fact?," he asks.
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The blogger doesn't buy the Slumdog-is-the-best idea. He feels it is wrong to ignore "realistic and hard-hitting" movies like Page 3, Chandni Bar, Traffic Signal, Satya, Company, Rang De Basanti, Swades, Welcome to Sajjanpur, etc.
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There are people who still support Bachchan like this blogger who says: "I agree with quite a bit that Mr Bachchan has written. I'm sick and tired of Poverty Porn and will not be watching the movie. Instead of highlighting stories of people who 'make it' through sheer hard work and overcome the hand fate has dealt them, people choose to glorify someone who wins on a gameshow! Bravo for misplaced priorities."
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"Whatever has been captured by Danny Boyle in the movie exists and things maybe worse than depicted," says this blogger,u00a0u00a0who seems to be taking a middle-path in the Bachchan controversy, neither supporting nor indulging in outright condemnation.
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"Karan Johar can create a facade of the rich, helicopter riding, designer wear Indian but the reality existsu2026My hypothesis is that Mr. Bachchan feels when the west laps this reality, it becomes the only reality about Indian and when this becomes as a singular image about India he in turn becomes part of this image, which in his mind is not true hence the outrage," says this blogger named Fictitious truth.
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According to this bloggeru00a0Slumdog Millionaire is certainly not for the weak hearted who love typical bollywood movies. Yes, this film is about hope but its heart wrenching to see the condition of our so-called economic capital-Mumbai. In short great performances, great story and great direction is how you can sum up Slumdog Millionaire.
Here's another sensisble post from another bloggeru00a0who feels that the audiences and critics are often indiscriminate about the films that are made in India. "Everything churned out of India is branded as Bollywood, which is probably why good Indian films do not get due notice (Omkara, Matrubhoomi, Rang De Basanti, Dilwale Dulhaniya, Masoom)."
The problem, says this blogger, is that all the movies are bracketed under the Bollywood tag.u00a0
He feels that the way out of this situation is to get rid of the 'burdened tag' of Bollywood altogether and allow Indian films to foster a new identity that falls under the "encompassing umbrella of the Indian film Industry."
And then, the blogger hopes, the criticism of Indian movies will escape the shackles of the stereotype. Indian films needs a break and so its time to bid adieu to Bollywood, concludes the blogger.
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