【貧民百萬富翁】: 印度崛起 / "Slum Dog Millionaire": India Shining

The news of "Slum Dog Millionaire" being nominated for several Oscars has stirred up controversies in India and many ex-pat communities around the world.

The nationalists are saying the movie was made by a "white" Danny Boyle 丹尼鮑育who had exploited the poor by reinforcing westerners' perception of a backward and poverty-stricken India, thereby ignoring the recent achievements of the government(s), the growth of the middle class and the country's fledging/strong economy and wealth.

On the other hand, the movie supporters are contending that high-rises that have sprouted in previous slums only serve to displace the underprivileged elsewhere without really solving the poverty issue that is still plaguing many parts of India. According to the more liberal-oriented arts performers and critics, the mere fact that the movie has stimulated discussions on India's poverty problem is in itself a successful demonstration of why real-life should be played on the big screen, even if it is the underbelly of Mumbai that is showing. "Pretty things up" will only sweep dirt under the carpet, or in a slum setting, into the communal Sh*t hole.

So, is India shining? And what is the future of the many children still living in Mumbai's slum?

References:

* "India Shining" Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Shining

* "Bombay/Mumbai" Photo credit Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay