A young boy is caught while pick-pocketing and is in the process of being thrashed senseless by the police. "You wanted to see the real India? This is real India", claims the kid as he falls into the arms of an American lady. The lady who had been overflowing with the milk of human kindness, responds. "Here, let me show you a bit of the real America," and nods to her husband who in turn proceeds to empty his wallet for the boy's defence.
A country as sensitive as India where every third or fourth film is banned for hurting the sentiment of some section of Indians or the other, did not find above scene from the 'Slumdog Millionaire' inoffensive. It seems the Golden Globe Awards were bribe enough?
The Man Booker 2008 went to Aravind Adiga for the 'White Tiger', as it again showcases the real India.
Real India? Real India! Real India my foot! Both the above-mentioned literary pieces only portray one side of real India - the only side that the wesetern world seems comfortable with. And not only comfortable with, but the only side that must be advertized and made the single important thing about India.
Do tell me, is the seamy side of India the only, mind you, only significant thing about us? Are we nothing else? How can responsible people like Adiga and Vikram Swarup not recognize these awards as sweet poison, as a roundabout tacital method of India bashing?
I am angry. Seriously angry. I want Adiga to throw back his Man Booker - not because he does not deserve it, but because of the reason he has been given it. I want the spurious love of the west for the Indian underbelly exposed for what it is. I want a comlete picture of India to be presented to the outside world, where slums do not out-balance sky-scrapers.
But then, this has another side to it. Let them sit complacent and comfortable about the weak us. Maybe one day we shall surprize the living daylights out of them! Let's do it!
7 comments:
you get angry when someone shows you the truth? its quite human of course!
How many Indians would have found pity on the poor boy and handed him rupees equivalent to 100 dollars? at max we would have given him Rs 10!! yes because Indians are poor, the poor are poor at wealth and the wealthy are poor at heart..
have you not seen people shooing away the tiny beggars on the streets infront of mercedes, innova? because the owner of the mercedes doesnt care about his fellow men dying on the streets.. this is real India, that face of India which needs to be changed or we can never be a developed nation.. so why are you angry on those who have written about the reality?
but yes.. "Maybe one day we shall surprize the living daylights out of them! " but this does not happen by thinking, action is important and we Indians are just too lazy!!
Another example of the west's penchant for real India - read 16/01/2009 Times of India front page article.
Also recommended, Bachi Karkariya's article on the Editorial page.
Preeti, as far as I know, even Americans spend 100 $ on beggar boys in movies only :)
Recommended - take a look at Amitabh Bachhan's view on Slumdog Millionaire.
p.s. for the first time I am finding that my view about something is being mirrored in part by some bigwigs. Don't mind my excitement. Indulge me!
Deepti,
YES IT IS THE REAL INDIA. PERIOD.
Am sick of the make believe idealistic answers that are found in stories and poems and speeches.
Lol, the poems and stories have snapped off ties it seems.
There'll be more I fear.
If this is the vaccine to the venom, so be it.
I am sorry that Amitabh bachchan belongs to the class to those hippocrat Indians who are too afraid of dirty truth.That b@@@@@@d
talks about india ,culture,family after ruining the lives of rekha,parveen babi etc.He is called the icon of india where his wife is Member of Parliament from a party which is known for feilding murderers,rapists,dacoits.I dnt give a damn about his thoughts after he defended his works in films like Nishabd.
You see the way america had screwed its president for having an affair with secretary,you see the way westerns acknowledge dirty truths about their family. You see the way they have exposed their preists for being peidophiles.Which India do you want to show...that some guy chirag is giving big talks on some blog who never stood for a cause in his entire youth.
It happens with every culture,like hindus only discuss polygamy and bakra-kurbani about muslims. South Asians see westerners as an open society where every body is sleepin with other one.Like every Christian gal in India is considered as promiscuous as the lead actress in film JULIE.Simmilarly westerners are fascinated by our spiritualism,castism and poverty.
Some of us are too afraid that dirty aspects of our families,society,nation being exposed.You tell me how many times have you filed an RTI to enquire about any policy/scheme/budget of a project.How many times have you rediculed your relatives(working in Govt Org) for not getting transferred often to villages,how many times you got a teacher suspended for not taking lectures.How many people do you know in your neighbourhood who are having Govt Jobs and still doing some part time job(tutions etc).
How many times did you complain against them.Reading 1000 novels in english and hindi may make your thought process artistic but doesnt make u a human,one just masters the art of hippocracy.
@Chirag,
While I appreciate your sincerity towards the make believe crust we are used to project abroad, yet I'm concerned the way you set standards for others to conform to.This very didactic approach inevitably leads to stifling of the real self from coming out. I hope you would take my words to reflect upon.
The question is not of setting a moral standard primarily, but being honest to your self and your society essentially. Morality will follow on its own.
I second your comments that like we find pleasure to bracket everything related to the western society as loose and superficial, likewise they also tend to bracket us into a land of snake charmers, elephants, sadhus and slums.I guess both of them are right in their own perspectives.If certain thing is generalised, then there must be enough pointers to it for generalising.
As for Amitabh Bacchhan, he's the most hypocrite person in the Indian film fraternity. Infact his whole generation was and is. I'm glad that the new crops of actors are much honest and forthright in their views and lifestyles.
As for availing the RTI, I doubt if people know about it to avail it. We are not even good consumers, let alone availing of our rights.
Lastly, there is no antagonism between being artistic and hypocrite, but yes, when artist start wearing the costume of a politician serving ART, then it is most unfortunate for not only the Art but also the artist clan as well.
Thanks.
Do check my review on Slumdog Millionaire here:
http://musingsofjunen.blogspot.com/2009/01/slum-dog-millionaire-vaccine-to-venom.html
Thanks.
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