Can a film made about India by a British team and company be a third world film? The director of Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, the screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy, and the lead actor, Dev Patel, are British. Indian film director Aamir Khan has stated that Slumdog Millionaire “is about India but it is not an Indian film.” The film has further been criticized as unrealistic in its fairy tale like view of the slums and Jamal’s rise out of it. It is as if the slums and Jama’s struggles are glamorized so western viewers can have the typical underdog to cheer for. Even the scenes in the slums are rather pretty with the colors, excitement, and up-beat music. The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? framing brings further western connections because it uses what was originally a western game show as a major plot device. But, does Slumdog present only a western view of India?
Slumdog Millionaire was co-directed by Indian filmmaker Loveleen Tanden, is based on a book entited Q & A by Indian author Vikas Swarup, and the lead actress, Frieda Pinto, is Indian as are many of the other actors. The film also has an interesting Bollywood quality in its glossy film style and the musical number at the end. Slumdog is not fabricated in the fact that it was entirely filmed in India and depicts actual slums, but that does not mean it accurately portrays India. Even with many Indian filmmakers and actors involved, the question remains if the film simply focuses on India clichés such as the Taj Mahal and overly glamorizes the slums? Is it authentically Indian? Some critics, either Indian or western, say yes and some say no. The question will remain unanswered as critics from various backgrounds react to the elements of the film differently. Almost all agree that Slumdog Millionaire is a compelling and visually stunning story. But is it Indian or some western interpretation?
Third World Literature 