Slum in a world of millionaires!

Anil Sinha
(ऑस्कर की जीत ने 'स्लमडॉग' और 'जय हो' इन दोनों शब्दों को ग्लोबल विस्तार दे दिया। इस नयी लोकप्रियता की बदौलत अब ये दोनों शब्द एक नयी दौड़ में शामिल हो गए हैं। वह है अंगरेजी भाषा का दस लाखवां शब्द बनने की। इस दौड़ में ७३ और शब्द शामिल हैं। बहरहाल, इसी बहाने हम 'स्लमडॉग' की दुनिया की एक झलक ले लेते हैं वरिष्ठ पत्रकार अनिल जी की नज़र से जो नागपुर के लोकमत और मुंबई के जनसत्ता के बाद रायपुर और हैदराबाद की परिक्रमा करते हुए अब दिल्ली आ गए हैं. )

I would start with my some reflections on Slum dog Millionaire because I think that even in an age of small screen explosion; the big screen is still much more effective। I think Slum dog Millionaire is a film which carries a strong statement from the forces of globalization and liberalization. The naked capitalism has shed all its pretensions about humanity and has come out in the open in vulgarizing the dehumanized atmosphere a poor is living in. The film clearly spells out that there is no visible hope in the world poor has woven around them. The change comes from the show business of a globalizing economy but this change is also not without condition.


The film has good number statement about the nation state called India। It depicts a ruthless, cruel, dehumanized society which is communally divided with no regard for human rights। It is a monolithic world of gangsters and corrupt officials (here police)। This post-modernist construct does not trace the origin and development of such a society and tries depicting in matter of fact way, as if the victims themselves have created this society. The brother of the central character has been created to extend a simplistic metaphor where a victim becomes oppressor. The film maker is very much alert that the character does not take up a role of liberator. The like a ad film it takes help of human relationship to sale the idea of a ‘static, ‘inhuman’ and hopeless society of a nation state which has overthrown its colonial masters not many years ago.


We can compare the film with classics like ‘Boot Polish’, ‘Jagate Raho’ or ‘Chakra, a film from alternative cinema। The system has been exposed and horrifying experience of a dehumanized world around has also been depicted with all its details but the belief that life is great and humanity should triumph, has not been lost sight of। We come out by learning lesions to make this world more humane. The learning process by which Jamal comes to win the Kaun Banega Krorepati game show is a very cautiously worked out theme in which the entire third world society has been ridiculed and new Macaulay’s children of globalization has born. The alphabets he learns form the cruel world around is not of compassion or love but of a deep seated lust. The film maker is cautious in depicting the very common theme of sacrificing one’s life for the kin that it should not run into a field where the humanity makes a triumph over the villain design to defeat it. Salim dies for the reason that Jamal should not lose the opportunity of becoming a millionaire. His inspiration for sacrifice comes from the thrilling world of modern market where every one has got a chance to become a millionaire.

The ultimate denial of the nation state comes from an altogether different corner. The legend of Mahanayak has been punctured through a well articulated scene where Jamal baths the filth to meet the great star. The depiction finds its climax in which the host of KBK becomes a villain by trying to stop him from winning the game. Here the disbelief generated against the myth of a Mahanayak is not to create a space for brave and humane kind of heroism. It is a part of grand design of denying the struggle for a democratic and plural society in third world. The agenda is clear a new kind of American Hope should capture our mind. We must refer Noam Chomsky for his depiction of western media. The entire agenda is of manufacturing the Consent. The dog of this slum has not been attributed with the ferocity of the dog Faiz Ahmad Faiz has described,

'ये मजलूम मखलूक गर सर उठायें / तो इन्सान सब सरकशी भूल जाए / ये चाहें तो दुनिया को अपना बना लें/ ये आकाओं की हड्डियाँ तक चबा लें / कोई इनको अह्सासे जिल्लत दिला दे/ कोई इनकी सोयी हुई दुम हिला दे