Yet Another SlumDog Millionaire Blog [English]

Yeah I know, everybody wants their share of glory and shine, using Slumdog Millionaire's much publicised name, May it be some small time politico of slum-dwellers association or some Bollywood star.
As for me, I have always considered myself a movie buff ever since my childhood. After arriving in Tokyo, this liking often became the preferred means to kill some lonely time in the evenings and weekends.
One of my purposes to begin blogging was to publish my outlook on various movies I have seen and will be seeing, to the rest of the world. What better cinema to start with for this, than the latest talk of the town 'SlumDog Millionaire'!! it can make me famous :P
A well-maintained continuum to the various chunks of story, excellent inter-weaving of modern day dream-run with a sequence of mind-shattering events, A R Rehman [the name speaks it all :-)], balanced momentum, superb acting by everyone - especially the kids playing the three protagonists of the movie, and except Anil Kapoor, who did nothing more than being a TV show host and was under-used in the movie, Athos, Parthos, Aramis .. there is so much in this movie to like and admire.

you may find two threads - Salim the anti-hero of movie, and the overall vib which this film conveys to be more prominent in this blog.
Yes, Salim - the Big brother, one who is more enterprising, more cunning, realistically more close to the present day kids, teenagers, youth and as much in love with Latika as Jamaal..
so, lets start our journey through the movie ..

Welcome to the dark under-belly of Mumbai, where priority is to existence, survival and food and then appreciate the gesture of Mother of these two kids to arrange for schooling of her children.
That's the first positive vib I found in this movie.
And did you feel sad seeing the dirt and shit around in Mumbai, when the two siblings are being chased by security gaurds? and did you also felt agitated about some foreign director making money exhibiting the malice in India to rest of the world?
Now time for vib number two.

The same display of shit continues and we see a vast field of shit and garbage. But, check this out..
in middle of this is a raised wooden plank pathway to a box, which has has a hole at its bottom and serves to provide privacy. And so, in middle of all the garbage, we have a low cost toilet, operated by our anti-hero Salim.
Yes, this business venture of his is adding to the existing unhygiene and shit and yes, it would take years for administration to clean up the place and provide proper infra structure in this region. But, in middle of all this, can we catch an enterprising vib from Salim? An attempt to earn some money with all the resources he has, even though this resource means a garbage studded ground or a well-deserved Amitabh's autograph taken by Jamal?

I must say here that the resourcefulness and guts shown by Jamal, for getting that one autograph of Amitabh are simply inspiring!! When you passionately love something and want it, just go for it - do not care of the shit you may need to take in your journey, and in the end, you will achieve your goal.

As the story proceeds, the siblings find themselves in the middle of rioting mobs and also lose their mother in the violence that takes place.
It also marks entry of Latika in their lives.

By the time its night, Salim has realised that they have no one to look upto. 'I am the elder of house now' .. he speaks. The scene which follows next is my favourite scene in the movie. Both brothers are lying down in the container. Jamaal manages to sleep, while Salim is awake all the time. This reflects the feeling of being safe in Jamaals's mind, as his elder brother is still around him. But then the day had been a hell-ride for them and none of the two kids could prevent having nightmares about it. Jamaal wakes up and calls out his savior 'Salim'. Salim in himself is just a kid, equally frightened.

But, he is too reluctant to reveal his fright and so is shown sleeping with a back towards Jamaal. He is the head of the house and Jamaal should not see him frightened. Even when Jamaal wakes up in middle of the night and calls his name, he prefers to be ignorant than being reflected as weak.

A small kid who had to grow up all of a sudden!!

Love for Latika is expressed by tender gestures and sweet talks by Jamaal, while it is reflected by protective actions of Salim.

As soon as he gets control over the lot of kids which included Jamaal and Latika, he snatches an infant from some girl and hands it over to Latika, so that she would earn more. This scene gives first indication of love which salim has for Latika, due to which he wants her to be better than other girls.

By the way, just a passing mention, did you realise how Anil Kapoor's character of TV Host, in a very subtle manner, uses religion for his help?
He is hell-bend on maintaining his uniqueness and his identity ' the only winner of 'who wants to be the millionare' so far, and it is this desperation which makes him use all the tricks of trade which were available at his disposal. A muslim lad
with incomplete schooling - questions about Hindu mythology [lord Rama] and Hindu religious history [Saint Surdas] were perfect strategies to make Jamaal lose!!

:D ofcourse was something else.

Coming back to the siblings, even while Jamaal is busy sharing his singing dreams with Latika, salim is exposed to the brutal realities of life. He witnesses making of a beggar as Arvind's eyes are ripped out. And then comes the moment of truth. Life as a dominating dog watching over a pack of beggars [Jamaal being one of them] or death for denying induction of Jamaal in blindhood.

The choice is made, signals shared between musketeers and the plot succeeds. They escape the dreadful trap of mamman and grow up around the 'Taj' as petty thieves.

There is one incident which I wish to particularly iterate while the siblings are around Taj.
Jamaal brings an American couple to show a dhobighat, his brother and gang loot the tourist car in which they, Jamaal gets beaten up.
"You wanted to see real India, this is it!!" He cries out while getting kicked in his face and then the lady replies "well kid, here's the real America for you", signals her hubby and gives Jamaal with a big USD bill.
So, again the director stresses on the extent to which people can go, just to protect their identity.
The couple is looted to the maximum possible extent and even in this situation, they dont want to just walk away from the scene in anger. When time demands, they want to make sure that their identity, of being rich [and generous] citizens of a rich country, is maintained.

Another memorable scene is the one takes place between Jamaal and Arvind.
Arvind is so happy that he got an 100 USD bill from Jamaal, but he has faced the harsh reality. 'You owe to mamman' .. he shouts. He is pretty sure that Jamaal has a certain death waiting for him.
'Ab to teri mayyat pe hi gavunga' - I will now sing only at your funeral. One statement - it indicates the rich and relaxing feeling Arvind has after receiving a 100 USD bill. He knows he can now afford a little vacation. It also indicates his feeling of gratitude for Jamaal. You have given me so much - I will now sing free of cost even on your funeral, you dont have to pay me for it, is his shout. And then, an absolute threat and confidence that Mamman will kill Jamaal, now that he is in Mumbai and wants to reach Latika.

Peela street - Cherry: Latika has turned into a prostitute. yet, it does not stop the two musketeers from looking for her.
Finally they arrive at the room where she is taking dance lessons.

This particular entry of hers has always made me think that the film has two directors - one with an Indian thinking and other without it.
I mean only an Indian thinking director would want the lead actress of movie to be a prostitute and a virgin at the same time. Supposedly, mamman has saved her for a jackpot price!!

Few days back, one of my friends here, Prateek, actually confirmed that yes there are chunks in the movie which were directed by an Indian.

Anyways, back to the room. Jamaal is desperate to find the love of his life, but is innocent enough to believe that things will all go well.
Salim on the other hand knows that he can end up facing his old-time foe Mamman and comes prepared with a revolver.
When they encounter Mamman and his goons, he does not hesitate to shoot them all. What is necessary must be done!! No drama, no emotions, plain action!! I liked this bit as well.

When the three are finally united, Jamaal is busy being a good-boy to Latika, while Salim takes the necessary next step for survival. He meets the person who can protect them from remaining of Mamman's goons and asks for a job.
Even while he is doing all this, he is still a teenager. How much can his mind take? So, what better way to relax than to have a little booze.

Drunk Salim returns to the hotel room and now he wants his prize. He wants to be with Latika. But then, he wants to maintain himself as a tough guy around. He throws out Jamaal at gun point and grabs Latika - his love, his prize!!

Time passes by and it is revealed that Salim and Jamaal have gone different ways, thanks to Salim deserting Jamaal.

Again, Salim in his own way of thinking chooses the best place for Latika to be - as a mistress of the big boss, staying in a lonely, big house. The house itself is a dead investment made from some of the mafia money and power - maintained as a possession, to be used if felt like using it. A perfect symbolism for the phase of Life Latika is leading!!

Another strong symbolism comes in the movie when Javed bhai and his goons [including Salim] interrupt the meeting between Jamaal and Latika and take her away in the car. The moment Latika is pushed into the car, Javed makes a knife mark on her face. A cut - to remind her every time she looks into mirror that never to cross Javed again, and a typical male gesture to mark his territories and possessions!!

Towards the end, Jamaal wins .. and he wins not the contest but his destiny. The very sound of Latika indicates her love for him and confirms his destiny. He is to be a winner.
Millionaire contest is immaterial for him now. He had anyways entered the contest only because Latika is a fan of this and would be watching him, even from her restricted abode.

All the questions Jamaal has answered till the last one, were related to his past and he 'knew' the answers. There was no destiny in effect. But Latika is his destiny. She is his third musketeer, and once she is with him, whatever name he gives to the third musketeer is immaterial. To complete the game, he picks up first option 'Aramis' and it turns out to be the third musketeers name. Bingo!!

:D It is Written :-) as director puts it ..

Even while these celebrations are about to begin, Salim is preparing for his death. And, he has to make sure that Javed is down before him, for Jamaal and Latika to live.

By now he has come to believe that a 'good life' for Latika is with Jamaal, away from his world. Besides, his world is no more good to live without her. He asks her for forgiveness and gives her a way out. A way to happy and better life.

So, what was the whole point of Salim's life - where he managed to be at the center of center, looking over his childhood slum from a high rise building? He has already made sure that love of his life will be happy. He has to now make sure she will be safe. And he has to die a rewarding death - a death when he is surrounded by money all over. He remains steady till he sees Javed and shoots Javed, taking bullets of his earstwhile collegues while doing so. But, who cares .. He has achieved a satisfying death.

All the time, when Latika was with Javed and Jamaal was away, he prayed to god. He prayed to god for forgiveness of his sins and a better life for three of them.

So, when he knows for sure that Jamaal and Latika would now have a life he had dreamt of and for which he prayed, and when he has already captured the glimpse of forgiveness and love for him in the tearful eyes of Latika and when he is dying with hundreds and thousands of Indian Rupees all around him, he has only one last thing to say .. 'God is Great'!!

During the discussions I have had with my friend Prateek here, he came forth with another important aspect of this storyline.

He related this presentation style with the midnight children - two kids born at midnight and their journey till their thirtees. Here, he pointed out that the similar analogy stands with Salim as the Indian youth in practical sense and Jamaal
as Indian youth in theoretical sense!! I liked his analogy and we may find a blog by him soon elaborating this theory.

Talking about the vib presented by this movie - I am always tempted to compare this movie with the hindi movie Aamir, which was recently released. The chief protagonists of both movies are leading a normal life in their own ways till the religious discrimination strikes. Aamir, an Indian Muslim Doctor in London, begins to feel oppressed because he is an Asian muslim and returns to Mumbai. Jamaal looses his mother in Mumbai riots. As both the stories unfold, we are taken to the dark underbelly of Mumbai - the slums, the garbage, the shit. Guess what, while Aamir shows an old building with a properly constructed toilet in a bad shape, where Aamir is sent to pick up something, SDM shows a vast land of garbage and attempt by people to have a toilet facility. Are you catching the difference in vib?

Lets talk about the results which all the sequence of wrong events lead to in both movies - a medical professional turns up being labelled as a terrorist, even as he saves lives of atleast 50 people and chooses death for himself in Aamir and a un-educated, slum orphan turns up becoming a millionaire, even as he grows up begging and stealing whenever time demands!!

There is so much positive vib in SDM, a exact contrast to Aamir, and when you are done with the cinema, you feel happy about the movie and its characters - a perfect time to sing and dance to the tunes of 'Jai ho..'