Newshour Debate 'Are we touchy about showing poverty?' Part 1

[AlphaDraconis7]

theres alot of inequality in india. a small proportion of the population command a large majority of the country's wealth..

of course india would be touchy about showing poverty..just like any other country would. but that's REALITY.

[inder19852000]

Rich Indians live insulated from the rest of India.They have their own world

[puluxdjx21]

All right, I made my mind . I found a story . It's not great story but I am sure I'll make fortune. I want to make movie about that white father from california who fucked his own doughter for 20 years and made 6 babies. Let me know if any of you crackers are interested in the role of that father or that doughter.

[puluxdjx21]

It's like an Indian guy is making movie about central America and showing how white toxic people live in a trailer houses and fuck their own sisters. I am sure if i make movie like this , it would be big new topic and big hit for asian viewers, and I might be able to get some asian oscar award if we have any.

[hippocampus23]

Not really no, because Indians understand the concept of respecting foreign cultures when it coms to selling products to the international mass market, it is the Americans who have no guilt in their actions.

[puluxdjx21]

Amitabh is not an asshole, he is a great thinker. I saw the movie slum---millioner, there was no fucking story at all. One slum kid participate in a game show to get his girl-friend is not a story at all. When danny was making this movie, he knew that he doesn't have good story or money . He just wanted to spend less money and make fortune by showing this crap to western viewers.

[thepatahn]

india needs more people like that old guy in white. "murder is messy but truth is messier" "whitewash of bombay" SOOO RIGHT

[rizee7]

stupid indian what was in trafic signal same shit,

[jaxdacool1]

Ok, I can see now where Mahesh Bhatt is coming from, I am an Indian and I have spent major part of my childhood in India and so I am fully aware of the poverty in India. Yes, people are aware of it in India too but sometimes people want to forget their worries and tragic lives via the movies they watch, I am not saying they are avoiding it but more like trying to lessen the pain in their daily lives. Yes, we say India is progressing and everyone is moving up, but seriously don't get me wrong...

[jaxdacool1]

This movie may depict a part of life which some of us may find a bit stereotypical, and to all those people I say, please step forward and atleast try a poor man in need. To all those Amitabh Bachchans out there, I say please step out of your Bentleys and address poverty as poverty and do not consider it as a swear word on society. If India needs to progress as a nation it needs to stand united with all its citizens and that includes the poor people.

[sobenergy]

Indians are funny. They think they are richer than Africa, but even the slums in Africa don't look as bad as that slum in mumbai and I understand that it's much worse in reality.

[safaridave1]

Seriously, stop trying to say that the US and West have worse problems and poverty than India.

[safaridave1]

Why do people always try to say that the West has worse problems? Im an American and I can tell you that is not true. A small percentage of our people live in "poverty" (quite well compared to India) whereas 9 million of the 20 million in Bombay live in slums like Dharavi. Children are kidnapped and stolen and have their limbs cut off by doctors at hospitals and they become part of the beggar mafia.

[cassielover2007]

I have to agree with Kabir about the thing with Amitabh (I'm not so sure how it's spelled). It was really petty of him to not be able to have an open mind about the fact that there is a HUGE amount of poverty in India and we just can't sweep them under the carpet for the western people.

[cassielover2007]

As for the fact that they didn't show the rich part of mumbai it's because the movie wasn't about a rich guy who goes on "Millionaire", but about a poor kid who doesn't even care about the money and just wants to find the girl that he loves.

[cassielover2007]

I have lost a tremendous amount of respect for Amitabh (Again, not sure how it's spelled :P).

I went to see the movie when it opened here in Norway yesterday and they had ths huge party with indian snacks and dancing, just thought that I should mention that :P

BTW, I am Indian of origin, but was born and raised in Norway and visit India almost every year

[swamink1]

There is nothing wrong or false that the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' shows. I grew up in Mumbai for 23 years and loved the movie -- Why cannot some of us face reality & stop being hypocritical? It is because of some of the hypocrites like the Protesters of the movie, Amitabh Bachchan etc. the actual social problems of India never gets addressed--There is NOTHING WORTH ARGUING. Start accepting Truth and start acting rather than feeding the social evil.

[swamink1]

I forgot to add: Amitabh is a CHEOOTH.

[kannanramakrishnan3]

yes absolutely amitabh is a chuth asshole,bastard, motherfucker.....see we in india have to fight poverty,illiteracy and aids instead of running away from our problems.......the fact of the matter is the rich in india are not doing enough............great points bro i agree withu!!!!

[pritamsaha]

i mean...forget the accent...he wasnt even putting a sentence together...and he works on tv...i have cuzins and frnds in india who are much more "articulate" and smarter...so dont give me tht bull ...graduating from a good college doesnt make you the best guy for a jo by default...

[pritamsaha]

i have seen those indian correspondents speak when they were covering the attacks in bombay and i loved the way they spoke...this guy was stuttering every other sentence...and HE IS UR BEST SPEAKER?? REALLY !!! AND DONT COME TO ME WITH THAT '' U R AN INDIAN TOO...RESPECT INDIANS"...I RESPECT PEOPLE ...i hated how this guy conducted this interview...he was just stuck on this one guy who was kinda agreeing with his opinions...and tht pissed me off...

[pritamsaha]

dude...so...just because he graduated from a good college doesnt make him perfect...in tht case just so u know i go to CALTECH and going to stanford for my masters...but tht doesnt make me perfect for everything ..does it now...and i have seen other indian correspondents ...especially those who covered the attacks in BOMBAY...those people were Indians too and they were articulate..not this guy.....

[firemoonshadow]

Who cares about his accent?! He spoke and I understood him!. English is my first language and I can't imagine having to learn such a difficult language. That issue aside, maybe it's my taste or something - I'm a debater, public speaker and studied English Literature (the internet is grand as it fosters some anonymity which is wonderful for someone like me!) and I can tell you that he would not be considered coherent or articulate by many individuals, regardless of where he went to school. Sorry.

[pritamsaha]

mann i agree with firemoon...the host on this show is a douchebag...lol...his accent cracked me up...i mean critics din like this movie in the west...its leading on movies like "curious case of benjamin button", "milk", "the wrestler"...and they are all amazing movies...people in india need to grow up...n i mean those people who think its a stereotypical and wrong portrayal of India...its a movie tht shows the truth in india..there were bad elements [most of em]... but it had good elements too

[suyashh77]

Yeah!!

His accent is Indian.

And from what I can conlude from your sreen name, even you are Indian!!

Then why have so much fuss about Indian accents?

Oh, by the way, Arnab Goswami, the host of this show graduated from St. Andrew's college at the University of Oxford with a Felix scholarship.

Point I am making here is that he is smart and spontaneous and quite articulate. And that's more important than this petty thing about how he speaks. Largely this show is for the Indian audiences.

[madarchot]

kabir bedi rocks.Always!

[bettybangs]

People need to stop being so sensitive about poverty. The film isn't a documentary, but only shows poverty because it exists, and I have a feeling those who hate the film have a serious inferiority complex.

Danny Boyle is doing much for Indian cinema by using an Indian crew and cast and has admitted his love for Mumbai. People are not focusing on the poverty, but on the talent coming from India because of the film.

Why focus on the supposed negativity? I'm getting sick of this debate.

[Phekdo]

I have been fan Amitabh since I watch teenager. I had great respect, but after his petty comment on Slumdog, I felt so disgrace of him. However, I am still a big fan of his son. Hope he will stay as he is. Not as ego freek as his mother and father.

[firemoonshadow]

8. Take the film for what it is - a great film (despite its flaws) based on an old formula but presented in a fresh fashion with universal ideas...

....Loved most of the panel members' ideas, especially Kalpana :)

...And since this seems to matter (especially on IMDB) I am of mostly Indian ancestry, and I am not of American, British or Indian nationality

Peace!!

[bettybangs]

I agree with all of your points. I really hope this debate dies down. Why are people so touchy about the film? Is it a matter of bruised egos?

All countries have made films showing some negative slice of their culture, so why can't India?

Overall, the film is more positive than negative, or do they just see the negative?

[suyashh77]

People, I don't think are that touchy also about the film. It's the media that has created such a hype about 'why show Indian poverty so candidly' thing or something...

[firemoonshadow]

7. The impression I get is that a certain segment of the Indian population is very sensitive about how India is portrayed by western media, as if validation from the west is needed while simultaneously decrying the west/its ideas. If everyones all up in arms about the way poverty, etc. is depicted in the film (which is rather realistic IMO), then do something about it; show the world it isnt so instead of talking endlessly about it all. India still doesnt seem comfortable in her own skin...

[firemoonshadow]

6. Im afraid I cannot like the host/editor He seems to want to incite a certain reaction and does whatever he can to get that reaction. Is this how it is in India? I've watched some other interviews he has done and he tends to jump from one topic to the next in a random, frantic manner, constantly interrupts when panel members were trying to make fair and valid points, and asks silly questions (IMO). In the interview with Anil/Irfan/Danny/Dev, it was the same as in this debate...Why?

[firemoonshadow]

5. Danny Boyle has been so complimentary to Mumbai/India and has repeatedly shown his enthusiasm and how much he loves the placeWhy not use that to promote India, etc, rather than bashing the man/film. Further, it IS a feel-good film the host seems to be focusing on "negatives" in the film but life has both and people identify with all of thosethe negatives in the movie are there to forward the ideas/themes of the film and its story...

[firemoonshadow]

4. It seems that the host is more focused on the "west's" impression of India - poverty, violence, etc. Well, the "west" has the same problems and likely more, what with supposedly less moral behaviours, etc. What's the big deal?? India is gorgeous in all of its facets! Do you care what ignorant, unenlightened persons think? They would hold negative views about India regardless of the film. Also, it is a story/movie (not a doc.) that depicts a slice of Indian life...Again, what's the big deal?

[suyashh77]

True.

If you go down LA downtown, you will come across this street called 'Skid Row'.

Apparently, it has got the largest population of homeless street dwellers in North America!!

If you see their condition, you will see that they are ever more vulnerable and unhappy staying in that condition. Whereas the people of Dharavi are satisfied and content with their poverty and stuff.

[firemoonshadow]

3. The film does not glorify/sell poverty and it is definitely not "poverty porn." It is based on a novel by an Indian diplomat who believes the film is true to his book...please read the book before passing judgements on the film...the main idea/theme is a rags-to-riches one...if any indian can say there are no slums in mumbai, then the novel and film were rightly false...as this is not the case, ask Vikas Swarup and not just Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle. Reverse stereotyping going on?

[firemoonshadow]

2. The movie has been critically acclaimed, has re-made its budget many times over, and has been nominated for/won numerous awards-I know of no other film that has been so embraced, to the extent that it received a standing ovation when first screened in its final cut; this cannot have occurred if the film did not have some sort of global appeal/ideas/themes rather than merely Indian ones...it transcends nationality in other words as every country has poverty-stricken individuals, not only india

[firemoonshadow]

SEVERAL ISSUES RE: DEBATES ABOUT SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (SM):

1. Please get your facts straight before having a "debate" about the topic. SM has been almost universally acclaimed in "the west." The majority of critics LOVE this movie. Even the "negative" reviews have been merely lukewarm...your show must have picked the only really negative review out there...