Its a movie that’ll keep you glued to your seat till the very last minute. Its a movie that’ll make you believe in coincidences. Its a movie that personifies the ”tell it like it is” attitude. Yes, Mumbai has been shown the way it is. Slums, filth, crowd, traffic jams, survival, opportunities, dreams, Amitabh Bachchan, prostitution and the ever popular – Childhood Love!!!
The very first word of the movie is motherfucker, albeit the Hindi version and I knew this flick’s a winner. Liberal dosage of expletives ranging from motherfuckers to bastards and all.. There’s more but never mind. Im not here to discuss this. C’mon its Mumbai and if its Dost in Hindi, Friend in English, Freund in Deutsche (German), its Abey Kutte n Kamine in Mumbaiya Hindi.
What surprised and saddened me is the fact that it took a firang to show us what we have and what we are. A Brit at that! Ha! In our face people!!! The way Danny Boyle has treated the story is simply astounding. A story based on the wildly cliched rags to riches and love theory. But its the characters that give the movie the life and a heart. Jamal’s terrible past repeats itself again and again and again but this time by way of a series of questions that in turn give him the chance of making a killing. Of becoming a millionaire!
My favourite scene of the movie is the most hideous and stomach churning scene of the movie! Where li’l Jamal jumps into a pile of poop, comes out, runs shouting “Amitabh Bachchan”, makes his way past the crowd (touching and garnishing everyone with the poop, YUCKK) and gets his hero’s autograph!! The three stages of Jamal, Salim and Latika’s life are played by absolute first timers I guess (excpet for Tanay Chheda – Rajan Damodaran from TZP who plays the 2nd stage Jamal), but what performances! Jesus!!!Our very own SRKs and Sallus and Hrithiks are bhikaaris when it comes to performances as compared to the kiddos. Its the youngest lot that stole my heart, giving awesome performances! Esp. the youngest Salim..
Now for music (something that’s my life) – A.R.Rahman – Sir, I have always been a fan, but now, you have my highest respect and regards, alongwith Joe Sat, Vai and Knopfler.
Its not often that I keep my mouth shut after coming out of a cinema hall. The dissection follows immediately. But things were different this time around. May be I was thanking God for not letting the script fall into Karan-I’m-So-Gay-But-Wnt-Admit-Johar’s, Yash Chopra’s (he’s still alive after having survived Tashan, Rabi Ne.. whatever), RGV’s (THANK YOU GOD, THANK YOU) or Sooraj Bharjatya’s hands. There would have been atleast 5 songs, for starters!
Before seeing the movie the question that I was asking was “Would the flick have had received the same amount of adulation, that its getting now with Golden Globes n all, had it been directed by very own desi?” After having seen the movie, I got my answer “No desi could have ever made such a classic masterpiece”. Sad, but true.
PS: This movie will win atleast 1 Oscar. It should.
