I stand corrected

A couple of days back, I had said that I am liking “Slumdog Millionaire”. I think I wrote a bit too soon because by the time the movie ended, I was a bit bored. There are a lot of good things in the movie, for example the cinematography is absolutely stunning. Editing is crisp. The story moves at a rapid pace, doesn’t slacken a bit. It does cover the slums in a very candid way. But then in the end it is a simplistic story. I don’t think an underworld don would move to a new address and not do anything to Jamal as portrayed in the movie. The movie also doesn’t delve into the psyche of any character although Anil Kapoor does manage to portray an arrogant superstar in the limited time that he gets on the screen. The casting masterpiece however is Tanay Chedha as (Rajan in Taare Zameen Par) Jamal (middle one). That boy exudes charm and is mighty talented.

Its quite sad that whole of India is going gung ho over a movie that is not Indian even if it has an Indian star cast. Sure the movie is good but not great. If you want to see truly great movie then perhaps Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool and Omkara are better. Even the side characters have been developed nicely in these movies. But then it it is directed by an Indian so it won’t get an audience beyond India.

Or may be the world is really interested in the slums of Mumbai.

Slumdog millionaire

I just saw a few glimpses of the much talked about Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” and I admit I was enthralled by what I saw. The humour is subtle. The portrayal of Mumbai’s slum, dark and very real. I think last somebody captured Mumbai so starkly was in “Aamir“.

However I think Rahman had given much better music in “Lagaan”  than this movie and he should have won accolades much earlier.  But then unless Indians work in International productions they do not get their due.