Bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan, the only commercial Bollywood filmmaker whose movie – Lagaan – received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign film at the Academy Awards in 2002, has said he didn’t like Slumdog Millionaire. A film which has captured the imagination of the world and continues its glorious run at theatres all over the world.
Read what Aamir has to say about Slumdog Millionaire and the technicians who won the Oscars yesterday.
“I have seen Slumdog and the film didn’t work for me. This is my personal view. I can understand why the film is being appreciated around the world because outside India people see it with a lot of fascination and feel quite engaged to the story. But for someone who lives here, the film goes over the top. Nevertheless, I am very happy that the people like the movie.”
“I am thrilled to know that Resul (Pookutty) has won the award (Oscar). He is a very talented guy, it is amazing and a very proud moment for all of us. It’s great to see that Indian talent is getting recognised abroad. Now the world has seen the work done by Indians. Resul is extermely meticulous and everytime tries to create fresh sounds. He really loves and enjoys his work and does it with a lot of dedication.”
Aamir on his Blog (titled Jai Ho) congratulated all the Indians who won at the 81st Academy Awards, it was a short but sweet message, which read “Congratulations Rasul, (AR) Rahman and Gulzar Sahab. Well done.”
this movie was something that the whole world enjoyed…not because it showed the underbelly of Mumbai…it just gave hope to the more that 90% people who live below the poverty line internationally. i am truly tired of watching the same old formula. Jai ho to all the Indians that performed so excellently in this movie. congratulations as well to Vikas Swarup, the author of the book. we are proud to have you here in South Africa.
With all due respect Big B,Amir etc with their mega incomes have lost touch with reality. They have become used to luxury and the grim reality of the pockets of poverty in our country, have been relegated to the depths of their sub-conscious minds. The scenes in slumdog were certainly not over the top. Infact they were an underplay of the actual reality.
Big B,Amir,SRK too bad you missed out on a good film! There is no use crying over spilt milk by making derogatory remarks about the film. Instead let the film be an eye opener for you. Use your immense power influence and wealth to help improve conditions in the slum areas of Mumbai. If you do that you will have repaid abit of God’s debt for having given you so much in this life.
Also this will be far more satisfying to you than producing mediocre films, sponsoring cricket teams and all the time politiking against your colleagues in the industry.
I heard on NDTV channel, the director Priyadarshan saying that he found Slumdog Millionaire just an average movie and said: we could’ve done it better!
What i think the main reason for the success is the following:
1) Western people never watch bollywood movies, never listen to indian songs, and if some does like Sandra who used to submit her comments sometimes on this website, so that rarely happens in this world, and as this movie about India and all the cast were indians but was made by the hand of a British director and hollywood produced it, therefore, it was a good opportunity to introduce bollywood thru hollywood.. so everyone watched it and loved it.. loved A.R. Rahman’s music although he got many songs which are even better than Jay Ho.. Jay Ho is a lovely song, I loved it but for Western people, it’s a great music, indian music and songs are much better than english ones.
2) the cinematography was great for this movie, we could feel hollywood touch in it.. just different than what bollywood normally do. It was a small budget movie, a simple script but came out “great”.. so what does this mean?! It means that the direction is everything.. the director is the main reason for any movie to be a hit or a flop e.g. Delhi6.. I’m sure this movie won’t do well at the box office, not because of the script, performance, songs, etc.. the script was good but the direction wasn’t great.
fathiya, i live in that so called western world, we are exposed to everything that comes our of the Indain film industry. we are tired of the old formula’s. we need to to watch interesting stimulating movies that respect our intellect. slumdog was good, appreciate and accept that. to the rest with negative comments, its just sour grapes.
@ SAIFA, Dr. Patel et al.
Output of any and every for of Art will appeal to some while for others it will not work. Hell, why only Art? We humans don’t even believe in the same God!!
So, isn’t it just natural that there are people who like Slumdog and few who don’t like it? You liked the movie fine, but don’t criticize those who didn’t like it. And Saifa, why this urge to impose your views on others “slumdog was good, appreciate and accept that. to the rest with negative comments, its just sour grapes.” ??
One more thing – just go and check Mr Bachchan’s blog (Day 308 on http://bigb.bigadda.com/) and see whether he actually criticized the movie or his statements were distorted and publicized by Media? This blog will also give you a very good idea on how news are ‘Made’ now a days…
Aamir is one of the most sensible and balanced filmmakers we have got today, lets just respect his opinion. We are not forced to accept his views anyways!
Hope you take my views in right spirit..
GodBless,
– AA
to AA, what irks me most is that there are a billion people in India. hundreds of thousands of them and mind you some very talented people can simply not get into the film industry leave alone someone from the slums. some actors give flop after flop and some people can just not act to save their lives BUT you will see them act in another movie after the flop movie, the reason is simple, they belong to a certain clan or family. this gives them the right to act in the movies. the world has changed, we the audience has the right to question the industry that churns out hundreds of movies every year. things have to change. if you are from the slums, you can not act – thats what the industry has shown so far, i have yet to see an actor from the slums act in a movie made in Bollywood, “slumdog” has proven the industry wrong.
Respected AA,
It was nice to read your diplomatic views but I beg to difer. After the disastrous Ghajini, with its numerous flaws and ridiculous climax, the Amir of Lagaan and TZP is lost.
Further proof of this the way in which he has started a feud with SRK. Having followed their activities closely we have come to know better the characters of Big B, SRK and Amir.
It is easy to see therefore that they are as jealous as hell about the great success of Slumdog. Even before their comments were published by media, I knew they would be negative and I was right.
SRK has been diplomatic, but then Priyadarshan has spoken out against Slumdog, something he has never done before hmmm…was it not Priyadarshan who directed Billu for SRK???
So my friend AA, in the case of BigB,Amir and SRK it is necessary to shed diplomacy and become hard hitting, so that they realise that the Janta does not have the word STUPID engraved on their foreheads!
And Filmfare just because if Amir decides to attend the ceremony, does not mean he should be given the Best Actor Award. Hrithik was far more superior, so please do the right thing.
Dr. R. C. Patel: but Shahrukh loved the movie Slumdog Millionaire and was happy for the awards received by them, I read in masala website as well as some other websites that shahrukh is proud and happy and he said a sentence ( in direct) for bollywood directors that they should learn how to do good movies and also said to the people who didn’t value the Golden Globe awards for the movie – before the oscar function – that these awards are not given to them from people on the road.. they’re some valuable and int’l awards
I think that the success of Slumdog Millionaire is just like a slap on some bollywood director’s face coz this like an evidence that bollywood so far, and after doing hundreds of movies, couldn’t achieve this position, couldn’t yet get any int’l awards.
And ofcourse Aamir, as a director, would feel the same way!