Fresh off the cinema, just watched the premiere of Slumdog Millionaire a couple of hours ago. Winner of 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Bollywood has just entered Hollywood. With all the hype and publicity it's having and the music soundtrack featuring the Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho a dance hit now topping the airwaves since I dont have anything better to do, I decided to watch it since its free. This might be a spoiler so if you haven't seen the movie yet don't continue reading.
Set in Mumbai, India where poverty is almost a way of life. Very much like the Philippines, I just wonder whose country is much better in terms of way of life. If the average person can eat three meals a day and still afford an education.
Jamal Malik, is an unusual story an orphan at a young age forced to live in the dumps, just like the Smokey Mountain of the Philippines. With his brother Salim, and another orphan named Latika.
They were taken in by Mamam, (if the spelling is incorrect the names its because the subtitles are fast)who runs a syndicate of children to beg for money. All seems well, until Salim saw what Mamam does to kids who sing well. They are drugged and then blinded. Until it was Jamals turn, Salim and Jamal ran for their lives but Latika was left behind.
It was not mentioned how Jamal was able to join the contest. It is very difficult to join, I remember the time when we had our own version of Who wants to be a Millionaire? here in the Philippines hosted by Edu Manzano on IBC 13 now hosting Game KNB on ABS-CBN Channel 2 which was on primetime hosted by Kris Aquino.
Our jackpot prize back then in 2002 or 2003 was 5 Million Pesos if I still remember it right, for India there jackpot prize is 20 Million Rupees which is equivalent to 19 Million Pesos. If the show wasn't cancelled probably it would still rule the primetime block on TV, now its still Telenovelas.
But we all know that winning the prize money is anyone's ticket out of a life of poverty and misery. Which is luck and wisdom combined, the story itself shows that human spirit can thrive even through all the adversities.
Jamal's story is from rags to riches that anyone can relate to, and hope not to live in as he tells his story to the police who arrested him on suspicion that he cheated.
And his ultimate goal reuniting with a lost love.
The last scene, where in Latika and Jamal finally meet at the train station was very Bollywood, enter Jai Ho music and the entire cast and crew dancing to the song. Its definitely a feel good movie and another asian film enters hollywood.
I just hope we could make more movies like that, recently weve been making a lot of horror films that leave you wishing they have more budget for the effects alone. India is proud of their culture, with the colorful costumes, music, and also their artist.
I think we could make a better movie given the right people,cast,crew,director and studio. And also a mean soundtrack album we can make Hollywood have a run for the box-office.
Did I forget to mention that Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls has Filipino Lineage. If we could put together Arnel Pineda of Journey, Charice, Apl of the Black Eyed Peas together and then write a story.
Let's put our thinking caps. Congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire. Nice Movie. Goin out of the theater I wanted to dance to Jai-Ho.
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