Bitter Bachan

Has Amithabh Bachan’s outsized ego finally exploded out of his head? On his blog the “King” of Bollywood says:

“SM [Slumdog Millionaire] projects India as [a] third-world, dirty, underbelly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky underbelly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations……..It's just that the SM idea, authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a westerner, gets creative globe recognition. The other would perhaps not."

I’m confused Amitabh, are you pissed because you didn’t get nominated for your song and dance number in Kajre Re??

The idea that the film is only getting press because there’s a Western director is absurd. What about Mira Nair? Were you asleep when she was nominated for an Oscar? The reality is that there haven’t been many Indian directors that are capable of not only making a non-masala film, but bringing it to a large audience.

The reality as we all know is that India does have a dark side founded on corruption and baksheesh. There is a huge percentage of the population that lives beneath the poverty level and yet many people (some in my own family) want to pretend it doesn’t exist. The fact that Bachan loves playing the hero in Bollywood films is probably the same reason he hates Slumdog. Why portray anything real, when you can gloss it over with songs, dancing and predictable story lines? We’ve all seen the beggars with limbs missing, the child servants, the animals on the street, and the filth, and you’re lying if you haven’t.

What's even more silly is the expectation that one film is supposed to represent all of India? Is Revolutionary Road supposed to represent every marriage? Is Amelie supposed to represent France? Is ABCD supposed to represent every American-born Indian? The implication that any form of art is supposed to represent an entire group of people is a completely ignorant and absurd assertion.

What’s amazing about this film, is how Danny Boyle takes these seemingly negative elements and weaves a visually stunning rags-to-riches fairy tale where love triumphs all. If that isn’t Bollywood I don’t know what is. So do us all a favor Amitabh and suck it.