Made for a Western audience

Rating: 3/10 (25 January 2009)

Imagine a movie made in America, by an Indian, that only has gang violence, teenage pregnancies, rabid racism, gun toting semi literate youth from the ghettos, young girls in bikinis with multiple partners, fornicating all the time without protection. But, you would argue, America isn't just all about the above, there is so much more to America and Americans than that! Exactly! Welcome to "Slumdog millionaire" a movie that looks at everything that is worst about India, and nicely packages it for a gullible American audience.
For every slum in India, there is also an educational institution that offers some of the best education in the world. For every slum lord that makes money off little children, there is also a sympathetic lower middle class housewife who despite her daily struggles, finds time to teach her maid 's son or daughter, some basics of education that the child may have a better life than the parents.
That this movie, has been nominated for all those Oscars comes as no surprise to me. American society does not want to hear about how high educational standards are in India, the respect shown to elders, abstinence and moderation of the Indian middle class. Which is why movies like "Born into brothels" and "Slumdog millionaire", are the only ones that make it to mainstream American audience (Perhaps a secret gratification in seeing the misery of others, and feeling better about oneself?). You want to see some really good movies made for an Indian audience? Go watch "Jodha Akbar", or "Rang de basanti" or Water.
The real irony is that Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), is a Hindu in real life, but is portrayed as a Muslim, tortured by a Hindu police inspector(Irfaan Khan) who is a Muslim in real life. Put that in your Hookah and smoke it!