Slum Beautiful
People are right to be itchy about how outsiders portray them. Rebuke will always go down better if it’s delivered by someone who cares about the recipient. If we’re not convinced that the outsider cares about us, we’re unlikely to listen to them, no matter how reasonable their feedback. As an Israeli, I know this all too well. We take criticism like water off a duck’s back; insecure in our standing in the world, we are dismissive of those who question our behaviour, whether friend or foe.
What about India? The world has only begun to give her the attention she deserves since the economic liberalization of the 1990s. Increased interest inevitably leads to increased sensitivity, of which the reaction to Slumdog Millionaire is a case in point. Directed by Danny Boyle, this magnificent homage to the ethos (if not the substance) of Bollywood is obviously an “outsider’s” production. As a result, it has come under attack. Read more
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