The print and electronic media in India seem to have gone into frenzy about the ‘success’ of everything Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars. Some of them prefer to take this as a victory for Indian cinema.

How we just love to bask in reflected glory and try to believe that its our own!

But lets not forget, it is a British-American film with a story line set in Mumbai, as a result they could not help but involve Indian actors (including Indian-origin Britishers) and shoot it in India. So, it’s a non-Indian film which happened to have an all-Indian cast.

We shoot entire films abroad nowadays, especially in the US, but they are not called Hollywood films!.

Lets keep the reason for rejoicing in India, very straight – Slumdog Millionaire, a British American film has won awards, including the Oscars and has brought a reason to be happy for the six children who acted in it, they are the real stars of the film and recognition to Reesul and A. R Rehman. Though the music for which Rehman got his two Oscars for is not even of his average quality, forget his sublime and exhilarating stuff..

It’s a different matter that it took a British-American film to recognize A.R Rahman’s genius- maybe a case of white man’s burden…

I don’t think Slumdog Millionaire was ‘oscar stuff’. It is not an extraordinary film. There is no doubt on Slumdog’s quality as a film nor on the ability of its director Danny Boyle. But there were better films in the competition- better storyline, better treatment etc… but as the saying goes….every dog has its day…. this time it was Slumdog……..

The other day I was watching a CNN Special Report, ‘ Scream Bloody Murder’, it showed stories of Genocide from Cambodia, Iraq, Rwanda, Darfur, Bosnia and how some courageous individuals did try to stand up against this henious crimes, and attempted to make the voices of those unknown sufferers heard by the world.
Living in a democratic country, I could not relate to such an anarchy that can lead to people killing each other because of their race/ ethinicity…..
I could not but help thinking about the terror attacks in Mumbai and the crisis thats faced by India. Gave me some solace that at least the systems here are not defunct, atleast we are not in the state of anarchy….. somewhere theres still hope.

“A person should not be too honest.
Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first.”

“Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”

“The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. If you cannot keep secret with you, do not expect that other will keep it. ! It will destroy you.”

“There is some self-interest behind every friendship.
There is no Friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”

“Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

“As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”

“Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and
don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

“The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.
But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.”

“A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

“Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend.
Your grown up children are your best friends.”

“Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere.
Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

Happy….. Hope …….. Fun