GauravBlog Logo

A Lion’s eye on the Bulls and Bears

“In India, companies may fall sick, but promoters rarely do!”

Gaurav's Blog

Categories

Slumdog Millionaire

Jai Ho ! A R Rehman wins Two Oscars as Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the Oscars with Eight Awards

Jai Ho !

Saw the 81st Oscar Presentation Awards Ceremonies beamed out Live on Star Movies this morning from the Kodak Theatre in LA,USA

Oscar Recognition of a Genius finally came with Two Oscars for our Music Maestro, A R Rehman for Original Score and Original Song ‘Jai Ho’ ( Lyrics by Gulzar) for Slumdog Millionaire (SM)

Rehman warmed the audience when he remarked in lighter vein,on winning the Oscar for Best Original Score for SM, that he was excited and terrified as he stood there…a feeling he last experienced at the time of his marriage !…SM is about Optimism and Hope.

Today is Monday here in India and is a Holiday on account of ‘Maha Shiv Ratri”…celebration of Lord Shiva…so it was truly apt that Rehman concluded one of his acceptance speech with a Tamil Saying that meant ‘God is Great’…he also told the audience that all his life he had a choice between ‘Love’ and ‘Hate’ and he chose ‘Love’ and that’s why he was at the Oscars !…Hmmm!…He also got a bit sentimental about his Mom’s presence commenting in true ‘filmy’ style ” Mere Paas Maa Hai !”  

Resul Pookutty  also won an Oscar for Sound Mixing in SM…he spoke on behalf of his two other co winners…he was initially overwhelmed on stage and took some time to get his breath back !…he dedicated the award to India,which has given the world the chant of ‘OM’…preceded and followed by the Power of Silence …Pookutty,who grew up in the Village of Vilakkupara,80 kms from Thiruvananthapuram,in the State of Kerala, will inspire thousands ,if not millions,of Indians who reside in Villages that they too can achieve big in Life  

SM swept the Oscar Scene by winning Eight Oscars Today,taking the coveted Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director ( Danny Boyle) too

Boyle was simply overjoyed and overboard too when he, in all humility and grace, acknowledged that all people in Mumbai simply “Dwarf this Guy !”…the Dwarf Guy was the Oscar Statuette he held in his hand !….and it was terrific to see over Twenty People,cast and crew of SM…including kids flown in from Mumbai specially for this occasion !,come on Stage to accept the Best Picture Oscar !  

Freida Pinto,the SM Star also was bestowed the honour of co-presenting one of the Awards at the Oscar Presentation Ceremony

Another heartwarming  feeling was that ‘Smile Pinky’ also won the Oscar in the Short Documentary Category.It’s a 39 minute film made by Megan Mylan on a six year old rural Girl Pinky,from Dabai Village in the State of Uttar Pradesh in India…becasue of a cleft lip deformity she is an outcast…Dr Subodh Kumar Singh,who too was in the audience,perfomed corrective surgery on Pinky for free and enables her to get a normal life…In her acceptance speech,Mylan was gratitude and humility personified in praising and acknowledging the work of Dr Subodh Kumar Singh and the many Indians who helped her create this Documentary  read more

Just saw ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.. I was disappointed… It ‘craftily’ translates, onto the Screen, a host of negative Indian Images entrenched deeply in Western Minds !

This Saturday afternoon I saw the highly acclaimed ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, winner of Four Golden Globe Awards and just nominated for the Oscars in Ten categories. It was released in Mumbai just yesterday

The Movie did not tug at my heart like ‘Taare Zameen Par’ which was not shortlisted in the Oscars in the Foreign Films Category… I was disappointed.

Amitabh Bachchan’s Blog http://bigb.bigadda.com/2009/01/13/day-265/ raised controversy as media played up that the ‘Big B’ slammed the Film for portraying poverty…. ‘Big B’ accuses the Media and especially two Delhi based Indian journalists of the Gaurdian, Uk for their incontinence

Relevant Extracts of  what Amitabh Bachchan actually blogged from Paris on January 13, 2009, for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ are as below:

A couple of hours, a few damp smelling minutes of those under the English Channel, self mobile operated pictures, early morning French countryside and PARIS..!!

The Salon du Cinema team meets me at the entrance to Paris-Nord station and after an exchange of greetings and flowers and video and stills, out into the wet and cold Paris streets, chased by a huge group of women, who scream and shout and clap, making you wonder what it is that I may have done to receive such an enthusiastic welcome in a country that hardly knows who I am. But, Fouad my driver and sincere personal guide during all my recent visits to the city, gathers me quickly into his car and drives off. They are migrants or asylum seekers from nearby or distant country and are begging he informs me. My ego brought into place I am saddened by their plight. Conditions the world over are so similar. Perceptions differ, but the reality of life and existence, unchanged.

On blog, comments for the film ‘SlumDog Millionaire’ and the anger by some on its contents, prompt me to say the above. If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not.

The commercial escapist world of Indian Cinema had vociferously battled for years , on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray at all the prestigious Film Festivals of the West, and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass oriented box office block busters that were being churned out from Mumbai. The argument. Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism,  fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes and Berlin and Venice. But look how rapidly all that is changing.  read more

Sad that in a Country of 1.2 Billion People we have just 1 or 2….or 3 Business Role Models

Ratan Tata,Narayan Murthy and Deepak Parekh….Just Three Business Role Models who score top percentage on Personal and Business Ethics and Integrity and sense of Fairplay

What about all the rest in Business !?…Yes,we are patriotic,yes we are sensitive and self righteous…..but many in Business may succumb to the adage ” What’s Integrity to Opportunity !”

Something is adulterating our Value Systems…a lot of nexus in both public and private domains…. and scaringly it’s deep rooted…and worryingly the coalition era will continue even in the upcoming general elections…so governance constraints will continue too….so if you see our PM with his hands behind,he’s aware but can’t act as his hands appear tied…and if his hands are in front with fingers entwined,it’s like he’s standing humbly and helpless before a Judge!   

Maybe Corruption and Capitalism go together !

Thankfully in other disciplines than Business we have world icons and role models…be it in Sports,in the Fine Arts or in Science among others…the Genius of A R Rahman has just been globally recognised by a Golden Globe Award for his score in Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire, MHADA and Me !

Instead of greeting me this morning with “Happy Makar Sankrant, Darling”, my wife got me thinking and argueing with her Greeting ” You’re a Slumdog ! Now, when will you become a Millionaire ! ?”

India Infoline must have been inspired by Women when it tagged it’s line “It’s all about Money, Honey !”

I cite to my Wife what happens to Millionaires by reminding her about the Satyam Promoter Millionaire.. actually billlionaire…. and now disgraced and in the snare, Ramalinga Raju….. and the possibility that he must have been inspired and pushed by his wife to do what he did !

This was really impulsively foolish of me….. “What are you implying !?” was her fierce and threatening response……. I’ve now got to fend for myself and eat out tonight ! 

She’s told me to get up at 3 am tomorrow morning and stand in the Line at the HDFC Bank Branch to get the Form to apply for the Lottery Allotments of Flats in MHADA Schemes in Mumbai at cheaper than market prices !

Serves you right, Gaurav, for arguing with your Wife !… you would have won against Aristotle, Plato and Socrates ! 

Danny Boyle ! could you not have titled your Hit Film anything else but “Slumdog Millionaire” ! 

Scroll to Top