For 25 years, India has thirsted for an Academy Award™ also known as the Oscar™. Some really dumb movies (Shankar‘s Jeans, for one; Paheli for another) have been sent out of hope more than conviction. But is Slumdog Millionaire, which won four Golden Globe awards today, including for the soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, going to do the trick?
Also read: Gandhi didn’t get the Nobel. He got the Oscar.
churumuri 
obviously. india-bashing on this scale is all our films lacked till today.
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Its a jewish conspiracy ! Its another coup by Zionists after Mumbai Nov 26th outrage !
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…er so what was all the noise about needing or hankering for a white man’s approval?
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I think this movie deserves to win. It wasn’t like the typical Indian movie… at least to mainstream Hollywood. This movie winning made it one of those picture perfect nights for this genre. I am excited for the Academy Awards.
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Now we can look forward to lot of fecal content in our bollywood movies. Yay :)
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I loved this movie and it is such a stylistic film, part fantasy, part reality. And the kids who play the slumdogs have done the best work in the movie. The sad thing is it is a limited release, I live in a county of about 2 million and it is playing in only 4 theaters. It was so weird to watch it in a small room and the capacity was less than 50 though most seats were full. Urban India may watch but how will it do in the UP/Bihar rural heartland ?
And if India is serious about winning Foreign film Oscars they better start sending good films instead of kissing the ass of Bollywood royalty. Seriously Jodha Akbar for Oscar? 3+hr running time for Lagaan — when most people don’t know cricket rules in the US ? Nothing wrong with either movie but they have to do better than that if they ever want to win enough votes. As serious contender can win as long as it is of international standards and is not just a Bollywood blockbuster.
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I have seen the movie, its an out and out Bollywood movie but very well made (hollywood touch)….though India bashing is not open, its covert…but can be dismissed as the reality of India which indeed is true……another its a British film made by British about India (of course few Indian actors and music)…..they deserve the credit if any
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Honey, we’ve just won the Golden Garbagecan ! Do read vikram doctors wonderful article in todays ET . Why arent we surprised that the movie the west liked about india is the one that showcases the degraded lives that chunks of our citizens endure? It holds up a mirror to our city and what kind of citizens are we that we can be proud of that image ? If this cannot shame us then nothing else will . Oh like any good hindi movie, SDM shows the eventual triumph of the underdog.
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Sonee,
Are you dumping on the movie just because an outsider made it? How real and accurate are Dostana, Tashan, Race, Ghajini or the other timepass films? Even the so called realistic movies made by Bhandarkar feel like fiction with a sprinkling of reality thrown in.
I was in Blr when Gulabi Talkies opened, and it was available in just one theatre in the city of millions of Kannadigas. Can you imagine how inconvenient it is to be asked to go across town in hopes of watching some good acting? Why not nominate regional language movies for Oscars instead of masala bs movies from Bollywood? Great movies should be recognized no matter who makes it – Malayalis, Tamils or foreigners.
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Well Said Putti,
Its been a norm to portray only bollywood filth as Indian Cinema… which is nothing but Hindi Imperialism at its best… Whoever is going ga-ga over this movie … have you even attempted to watch a Kannada movie : ‘Slum Bala’…. its a true story well made by Agni Shridhar’s Story, Screenplay, Dialogues and a debut Woman director ‘Sumana Kittur’ who is the music director and the lyricist too…
Because of the disgraceful worship/promotion of Bollywood crap.. lot of such well made movies are getting trampled ….and this is Indian Democracy (World’s Largest Democracy)
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Sonee,
Do we even have an idea of what we want to show the world? A lot of excellent stories and cinematography originate from regional languages, about how our traditions have symbolic meaning and how they blend into our modern life. But does bollywood care to promote this even in India, leave alone to hollywood? Along come people like karan johar, going to new york and making the mainstream idiots dance in their sherwanis and lehengas. And you’re saying the west is stereotyping us??
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Now we can look forward to lot of fecal content in our bollywood movies. Yay :)
Yes and bollywood movies have no fecal content? Can you sit through any one of the recent Bollywood movies? It is not a pathetic reflection of the culture? I recently saw the one about Akbar. It was in NY. It was too much to sit thorough the PC garbage, and since it’s made by a Hindu, that’s when I realized Hindus are beyond redemption—
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I watched the movie recently. It is indeed very well made. It focuses on the darker side of India and probably this is wthat wins awards inthe west. However it does not stray far from reality in its protrayal of misery.
I had read a novel a few years ago written by a retired Indian diplomat. i cannot recall the name exactly but i think it was titled 20 questions. The plot of the movie is very similar to the novel. Have there been any copyright issues?
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the name of the book is Q&A, author Vikas Swarup
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sanjay:
lemme help you –> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/ (search for writers).
– s.b.
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When the Indian Producers Association decides which movies goes where no wonder the masters of Indian cinema movies never end up at Oscars. Though atleast film festivals still exist to celebrate them outside India.
I saw the film and Slumdog is a good film, and one one can take that away from Boyle and he deserves every accolade. He showed the ” hollowness” of our filmmakers and Bollywood whose patent theme and space became the base of an International superhit directed by a British.
Hope one of our filmmaker looks at the composition and learn how to create a relationship between subject, surrounding and shot to create ” cinematic” magic, and not just hope that narrative will do the talking while cinema takes back seat.
But I guess this might not happen and we must see 100 more Slumdog clones.
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the movie got award since India was portrayed on a bad way only slums,and illegal activities taking place there film is very much biased westerns see only negative side of india and enjoy it?adiaga got booker award b ecause he negativly picturised india ,If you want to win an award in any field just blame india and hindu and the hindusim your job is done!slums are there in newyork and london also and also beggers nobody dares to talk about them in us just for few dollors they will commit murder please see positive side of our country
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