Recently, when A R Rahman won the award for Slumdog Millionaire, Indians were happy & sad. Happy because an Indian had won the 'prestigious' award, sad because the film had shown India in badlight. A colleague was all jubiliant that A R Rahman, his favorite, had won an award he truely deserved. The other colleague was happy that India had made it to the international arena. Another colleague retaliated, "There are so many homeless persons in the US, why highlight India?". There came the sane voice, "We have so many slums and government does not do enough to get rid of them" (I believe he meant the slums and not the dwellers). Came flying the explanation "On my last visit, there was this slum in Poona/Pune. Those guys were given new houses, but they did not move, rather they started renting the new place!".
The events turned, one nationalist voice said, "There have been very nice movies like Lagaan, which was better than this movie, but it did not win!". There came the explanation, "The difference is that a firangi had made the movie." Yet another thought came flying "There are a couple of resons, firstly it was made by a westerner, and there are entering the Indian cinema for the big buck. Remember, how Indian women started winning the beauty pageants in a row back in the ninetees. It gave a big boost to fashion in India and opened new markets for brands like L'Oreal etc. Now, the africans and south Americans have started winning the beauty titles, I see new markets there!". Another voice echoed, "Lagaan showed Indians winning, but this movie showed India in a poor light, moreover it was made by a westerner. So, it had all elements to win the awards." An observer retorted, "Anyway, in India there are at lest slums to be depicted! Just imagine, what would they have to show if they made a movie on Pakistan? It would have to be the Taliban. What else would they be able to show in a country like Pakistan". I thought people would have some insight into the thought process of the bad firangs and westerners from whom they get to know about the Taliban. But strangely they had nothing to add.
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The sorry state of affairs is most of Indians feel that they are 'informed people' but the ignorance is palpable. Those who depend upon others for common things like Afghanistan should ponder as whether there is a change in the psyche of an Afghan. Leave that aside. Even if we think in pure business terms, what wrong has the Afghan done to the world that they are being treated the way we get to see. Surely, Reason and Truth has been a casuality here. What we get inveting with all those who do not have mass base? This is extremism and nothing else.
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