Slumdog Millionaire

Okay, fourth and last: Slumdog Millionaire. I just (like an hour ago) rewatched this movie and made so many different observations about it than when I had first seen it. First of all, I could understand a lot of the simple Hindi (yay!!), even when they didn’t provide English subtitles. I also realized how much of the movie is in English, which puzzles me a bit. I suppose it was produced for an English-speaking audience, which is evident in other aspects of the film as well. For example, the main characters throughout the entire story are wearing extremely western clothing, something that happens rarely here (at least in Uttar Pradesh, where I am and where parts of the movie take place). The Indians I’ve met rarely wear western clothing, and women would certainly not even leave the house in the garb that Latika, the love interest, wears. (Slight tangent: Today Amy and I took Riti, our host sister, to a café in the morning for a snack, and she pointed out some Americans to us and told us that they looked really silly. She said that they were all showing so much skin that it looked like they were in their underwear, and then giggled. Most visitors do not know this, I suppose, and just walk around in what is considered underwear here, getting even more stares than they normally would.)

At the same time, I appreciated the visual aspects of the film more and more, as I’ve been to similar places. There are a few slum areas near us, which we have to be cautious about, but nothing like what they show in the movie. Also, I heard that there was some controversy about the use of the word “slumdog,” as it is a pretty insulting thing to call someone, and was perhaps not used respectfully. Also, the movie does not mention caste at all, which is something that is so incredibly present in every aspect of life here. Perhaps this omission was purposeful, and served to allow Jamal to become a “slumdog” millionaire. (Not that caste can be equated to wealth—the two are almost entirely separate.) Unfortunately as well, children born to economically or socially disadvantaged families, and especially orphans, have a very slim chance at bettering their circumstances so dramatically. I did find the part about the economics and business side of child beggars interesting, though. I would like to research the topic more someday.

All right, I have finished my essay! Thanks for sticking with it. As always, I welcome constructive criticism or comments.