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And the Oscar goes to….NOT INDIA

Posted on | March 8, 2009 | No Comments

“Slumdog” was truly the star of the Oscars, sweeping 8 awards, Slum Dog Millionaire rewrote history for the Indian film industry – Not! Indian film industry! Slumdog, Danny Boyle, Oscars. What does it all fix, how does it all fit, What Indian film industry?

It is time we Indians woke up and realized how the world around us is cashing on Incredible India. While we sit, wait and watch, the world applauding the story of ghettos to glory.

After the super success of Slum Dog Millionaire it makes me wonder why we Indians never took note of the thousand gritty looking Jamal’s running around our streets, peering into our vehicles. Never thought that any such child had an untold story behind them, and a lesson to be learnt from their story. It took a Danny Boyle to tell a story of a simple slum boy roughing it out in the big bad world.

Not only Slum dog. Take for example the original novel which captured the true soul and spirit of Mumbai in its writings. A novel of love lost, battle, rage, humanity, and compromise, all of Mumbai’s characteristics wrapped into the one and only Shantaram. Once again from a population of 1 billion Indians, it was a David Mcgregory who got to tell the story of one of India’s most populous, hardworking, soulful and dynamic cities through teh script of Slum Dog.

The list does not end there. I have more.  The most accurate and gripping biographies of our legendary and colonial rulers being retold by none other than William Dalrymple and Sarah Mcdonald who tells the story of India’s over powering religious beliefs in her book, Holy Cow.

This list extends to lifestyle as well. Today the US has 15 million people practising yoga daily. While we Indians have discarded it as an ancient science left only to the mercy of the Ramdev followers.

We boast endlessly about our rich culture, heritage and ever encompassing traditions. Yet we miss out on the simplest stories, the transparent truth and the known facts.

Are we immune to sights of children begging, is it not important to tell the truth to the world even though it may be horrible and heart wrenching.  Has the time not come when we look beyond aping the west in terms of lifestyle and trends and inculcate their concept of respect for new ideas, creativity and original thoughts?

Is it not time we live up to the name of our blog and truly be “The Creative Indian”.

Category: Awards, Film, Futurism, Knowledge, Opportunity, Video
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