Originally written for Passionforcinema.com. The article has been published here.
Disclaimer: Please avoid this post if you haven’t seen the movie. If you have, come and join in the fun.
Quite a few questions came to my mind after watching the Slumdog millionaire. One thing followed to another and we(PFC authors) started debating on some of the things in the movie. The debate came to an interesting point and we thought of sharing it with everyone. It runs down as follows:
Tanul Thakur:Just watched Slumdog Millinoaire. The first fifty minutes blew me apart. Absolutely brilliant execution. It is both exhilarating and breathtaking. But, after that the film kind of digresses and it became one of the movies that could have been. I have some questions,
-Since Jamal is a street guy, and as we all know the questions asked to him during the show was a part of his journey. And since he is a street boy(young is the point I want to stress), we don’t expect him to pick any subtelities, the facts learnt by him during the period should be ‘told’ to him or experienced ‘first hand’. But, some of the answers told by him looks as if the incident involved the particular thing but I fail to understand how he extracted(or learnt) an answer out of that. For instance, I can still expect that 4,000 Ram Bow-Arrow question, I’m even ready to buy that Surdas waala bhajan(though there is no discussion regarding who wrote the bhajan,when he was with the gang, and I mean why would anyone? It is just a gang who wants to earn money. Or, is it when Jamal grows up he sees the things in that context? Blind children connection to Surdas?).
-Also, his answering that Benjamin Franklin question looked a tad forced to me. I mean first of all why would he give his begger friend $100, when it is not going to be of any immediate use to him? Why not give him a mere 1,000 rupees?(If the intention was to help him). Logical and common sense. And then the boy explaining to him about who is on the note, it again looked a tad forced to me.
-Then the question of who invented the pistol? Only an incident is shown with the gun and his brother involved. How can that be related as to who invented the gun? Who will give a gyaan about who invented the gun amidst all that tension? The point I reiterate is the answer was not ‘learnt’ by Jamal during the incident, as far as I know(If I missed something here, please tell me, my girl friend told something was mentioned!)
-Now, the most important thing. Probably everyone knows this but why did no one touched upon this when analysing the movie. The show ‘Who wants to be a millinaire’ is *not* a live show, so the whole phone call thing, Latika escaping, police arresting, and all that drama is just for the sake of being drama. I didn’t like that. People murder a movie when there is a slight flaw, but this is a gaping hole, in my opinion.
-Why, oh why, is the host of the show shown to be a cunning, two faced sly man? All the hosts of the show(Big B, SRK)put the contestants at ease. SRK occasionally took the case of contestants, but nothing as severe as what Anil does here. Why? Because, he doesn’t want another Slumdog to become a millinoaire? Just like him? So he gives him the wrong answer? Why? Regis Philbin was nothing like what Anil is shown here. This is not ‘Kamzor Kadi Kaun’ or ‘Who is the Weakest link’, and even in these shows the host would like the contestants to win, unlike our Main-Grey-Hoon-Kapoor.So I didn’t see any explanations for Anil’s behaviour. Totally escaped me. And more than that, it comes as a shocker when it is shown that Anil is the man who is responsible for Jamal’s arrest.
-How can you just arrest someone on the mere’suspicion’ that he cheated? Without substantiated proof?(Or, can you? Not very certain on this ground, but still, just arresting and giving 3rd degree on a mere suspicion seems like stretching it a bit too far!) I’m sure the show organisers makes sure that no one cheats. Why weren’t they questioned?
These are some question that didn’t leave me. I would appreciate and be able to see the movie in a better light, if someone answers those questions for me. The first half of the movie is like a breath of fresh air, but these questions just refuses to leave me. Academic? Over analysing? Boring?
I want answers!
Shripriya: Tanul,
- the beggar master says something like “it is his favorite surdas bhajan”.
- he gave the beggar boy $100 b/c that was the note he was given when the driverwallah beat the shit out of him and his tourist buddies gave him the note.
- the bro says something like “my colt will kill you” or some such thing.
- live show thing - yeah. that’s why you need the “willing suspension of disbelief”
Why can’t the show host be cunning? It is a personality thing, not a show thing. It adds to the drama. If the host was a kind uncle type person where’s the added drama? Who cares if Regis and Amitabh are nice cuddly bears?? This guy isn’t and it makes it so much more interesting.
You can arrest anyone for anything if you are powerful enough in India and the person being arrested is a slumdog. That’s reality.
Tanul Thakur: - One more point. Regarding ‘English’. Had they used English from start to beggining(as in, the characters conversing with each other), it would have been fine. Because, in that case, what it would have meant that the characters are just interacting, english is only a ‘medium’ to showcase what they are thinking/speaking. But, the movie wants us to see the young Jamal speaking in Hindi and couple of years later speaking in ‘correct english’ , that seemed more like a transition to me, without any proper explanation. How did he learn english during the period?( He could have, but the sudden turn around in the mode of communication didn’t sit pretty well). Same for his brother, Latika.
Tanul Thakur: Shripriya,
Ok, I might have missed the point of the first three questions. But, I don’t quite agree with the ‘willing suspension of disbelief’, I didn’t went in expecting a fairy tale.
And why should the host be cunning? Just to add drama for the heck of it? Logically speaking, it doesn’t make any sense why would anyone want to piss the contestants off and jeopardise their own TRP’s(I may be taking it a bit too far, but still he didn’t ring very true and consistent to me). Zabardasti drame baaji, didn’t work for me.
Shripriya: I think the suspension of disbelief is required to some degree to enjoy any fiction (here’s the history on the term - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief)
The host doesn’t *have* to be cunning. But why should he be bland?? You think hosts are bland b/c of Regis. But why can’t a host be vicious and mean spirited - wanting to pull down others? He’s not pissing off contestants. He is two faced. So, to the contestant, he seems like a nice guy. But in reality, he only wants them to go “so far”, but no further. Let’s say Jamal believed him and picked B, Ricky Ponting. What would Jamal do later - say the host lied to me? Who’d believe him? So, the host has an airtight way in which to get him.
Now, as to why the host does not want someone to succeed… from what I could get it is that he’s a rags to riches guy and he wants to be the only rags to riches guy around (for now anyway). He doesn’t want someone else to take the glory, the press and the adulation that comes with such a story. Is that strong enough motivation? I agree that it seems a bit stretched, but still within the realm of possibility for me. [Edited to add: His TRPs are guaranteed even with someone getting that far - a win is not needed]
OM: Tanul..i too had a problem, coz there was no explanation, as to what was the motive behind AK to be cunning…but, then i made myself believe that, he is an individual..and every individual behaves differently in different situation…so no explanation was needed..it is how you take it. Others are answered by shripriya pretty precisely…
If you notice the film carefully..all the answers given by him to the questions posed to him..had life changing experience wrt to jamal..and if YOU too had to list 5 things in your life..you wud remember somethinh which had an effect on your life and not wat u ate at a restaurant, nai? plus..it was destiny as was made clear at the begining it self
OM: “Now, as to why the host does not want someone to succeed… from what I could get it is that he’s a rags to riches guy and he wants to be the only rags to riches guy around”
Shripriya..this could be a very interesting topic to discuss and i was talking about it with my roomie too…the chracter that AK plays..is lying so much or conning or being mean..so, it could also mean that he as well might not have been the rags to riches guy..it was just a way to fool..it could be either ways..hence i loved AK’s character so much..there is soo much ambiguity in it…its a trip.
OM: “why should the host be cunning? Just to add drama for the heck of it? ”
why does the sun rise from east? why is garvity downwards? why are villians always mean? why does rama has to win against ravana?
its a story yaar…thats the way you projected your characters..
Tanul Thakur I do get the fact about the Suspension of disbelief, but when the whole movie hinged around it(especially the climax), it was just a tad difficult for me to gulp. Anyways, thanx for the answers!
Mitch Guys its magic realism. If your looking for logic you won’t find it.It’s majorly influenced by Midnight’s Children and I think that Jamal will be a better Salim Sinai than even the authorized version.
Tanul Thakur @OM: Yaar, I still believe that Anil Kapoor waala angle was kinda forced. They could have done away with that ambiguity. Had they only left at the host being cunning, it would have been still okay with me. But, Kapoor making sure Jamal is arrested is really stretching it a bit too far. I mean he is a millinoaire, why the hell should he be bothered about a slumdog?( Or, was it *this* eccentrity in Kapoor’s character they wanted to portray). Escaped me. Totally.
OM - ” I mean he is a millinoaire”
that was not explained..how did you get that?Tanul ThakurHe himself tells it in the bathroom. And is that too difficult to guess? A guy hosting Who Wants to be a Millionaire would surely be a guy with better standing!
Shripriya - @Mitch - oh yeah!! That is totally spot on. He would be a great Salim! I hope they pick him!!
OM- @ Tanul“He himself tells it in the bathroom. And is that too difficult to guess? A guy hosting Who Wants to be a Millionaire would surely be a guy with better standing! ”
ahahha..that answers your question brother…its waht you let yourself to believe..it is waht Shripriya says about willingness to suspend urself…and the thing he says in bathroom..is what he says to Jamal…he could as well have been lying..but its your willingness to believe it..and as i said..it was ambiguity of that character…would you believ such a cunning man or not..that makes it so much more interesting…
not trying to convince you, which is not possible, not just to you but anyone with a different pov, but, certain things one as a viewer takes it for granted, others dont, and others accept it in the whole milieu of situation..and there are others who dont bother abut it as there is more of much more importance happening around
but i am loving this debate here…plssss tanul take this to the main..you can quote me as it is…
Tanul Thakur @OM: It is not about what I want to believe but that is what things *are*. Why would anyone but a celebrity host a show as famous as Who Wants to be a Millionaire. He has to be a known figure and thus, a celebrity. Even if he hadn’t told this in the bathroom, would it have been too difficult to guess? Or, for that matter, who hosts(or have hosted) the ‘major’ game shows on TV? It is/has been the stars.
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18 comments:
I haven't seen it yet. Still, I read the whole post. I have been following the posts related to Slumdog Millionaire on PFC and now after reading this I am way too excited about it.. :)
P.S. Btw, that host being two-faced n all doesn't go well with me too. Come on, for heaven's sake it is not 'Tonight Show With Jay Leno', 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' or 'The Devil's Advocate with Karan Thapar' where you can show your slyness. It is a game show and I do not see host being that what you mentioned.
@Oxy: Yea, and everyone is gushing about the movie. It is a nice movie, but why overlook or not question such glaring facts? when the very same people are ready to rip off a KJ or a YR movie on the pretext of it being detached from reality?!
The bit about Benjamin Franklin. We need to do some research before we dismiss it as yet another 'suspension of disbelief'
The British and Indian currency are user friendly for the visually impaired/illiterates. The different denominations have different colours and different sizes. A special feature in intaglio has been introduced on the left of the watermark window on all notes except Rs.10/- note. This feature is in different shapes for various denominations (Rs. 20-Vertical Rectangle, Rs.50-Square, Rs.100-Triangle, Rs.500-Circle, Rs.1000-Diamond)
The US Dollar is not so user friendly. Their size is all same. They are all greenbacks. Other than the amount, of the note in figure and the words, the main aspect that differentiates the notes is the photo - on the 100 dollar bill it is Benjamin Franklin.
The blind beggars have been taught by the bosses on how to recognize the Bill by folding up the bill and asking a literate person to read out the name
So to cut a long story short, Jamal gives the 100$ bill to the blind boy because he reminds him of his past and how he managed to run away just in time. By feeling the bill, the blind boy knows it is a dollar bill and makes Jamal read it and Jamal finds out it is Franklin
Does it make sense?
Here is a comment to answer the concerns about the "Colt Question":
The whole point of the movie is that ... "It is written." The fact that he answers the final question based on pure luck demonstrates that Jamal was "destined" to win the money and find Latika. That being sad, we need to look a bit differently at how Jamal learned the answers to all the questions. Since it was Jamal's destiny to win, he did not have to learn all of the answers with 100% certainty. Yes, he didn't know for sure who invented the revolver, but he had the image of his brother brandishing a gun and a saying "I'll shoot you with this Colt." That was enough for Jamal to go forward and answer the question. In the beginning of the movie we first think that Jamal succeeded on the show because he "learned" all the answers (i.e. the name of the Indian actor, etc.) but ultimately we come to find that it was destiny that he, a slumdog, would become the millionaire.
So my question, why didn't Jamal answer "B" to the question about the cricket player? Is it a lack of trust or is it that he doesn't want to cheat?
*maurabrida
On the B-D cricket question. I watched the film for the second time just yesterday. In the loo during the break, the Anchor Prem Kumar tells that he too was poor once and from the slums and would like Jamal to win. He then writes B on the wall as the right answer. There was 'private' sympathy and empathy displayed by Prem Kumar. During the show there was 'public' humiliation when Jamal was repeatedly called Chaiwala in a condescending manner. For Jamal, this flip-flop indicated that Premkumar is not trustworthy and decided D is better than B.
Just a speculation, what do you think?
Sudhir
Do you think the host once played the game himself and won? How did the host get to where he is now? He compared himself to Jamal...growing up as a slumdog,etc. Why didn't he want Jamal to win? Did he not want to share the spotlight?
For the Colt question, Jamal remembers his big brother pointing his revolver to him and shouting "Man with a colt 727 says shut up". Jamal was smart enough to connect that to the options he had for the question.
Raj,
You are absolutely right about the colt question. You know, when I read the original book written by Vikas Swaroop, I was intrigued by something which the author had written. He said a quiz is a test of a person's memory rather than knowledge.
I mulled over this and found it fascinating - A person A could have learnt about COLT from the books and remembered it, while a Person B could have learnt it from her own experience of life and remembered it.
Thanks,
Sudhir
The host was cunning for a reason. The entire movie is entwined with the second question Jamal didn't know: The words under the seal. Though everyone supposedly knew the correct answer (The Truth), Jamal didn't because everything Jamal knew revolved around the concept of money. So, in his mind, he wasn't sure if India in turn revolved around truth or money since he had been fed lies as shown in his childhood.
When the host gave him the answer in the bathroom, this moment ties in with the second question. Should he use trust? Or was this man solely about the money?
I still don't buy the colt logic. I knew the brand "Colt" existed too, but that doesn't mean I would have bet one hundred thousand rupees that Colt was also the inventor. It's just not logical. It is a kick ass movie though.
I can accept everything about the movie - I loved it. The only thing I just didn't understand was the random kid during the riot dressed up as the Hindu god. Can somebody explain that to me?
(last question) : i think there was a part when jamal mentioned that, "the reason i joined the show, is to find latika.." so that explains why he is not in for the money, even though the host gave him an answer in the bathroom.. not because he knows that the host is cunning.. imho
I am sure I heard him answer "A" for the cricket question. He said "A" twice. And yet only B and D were available answers. Was this an editing error?? Anyone else hear that? In the end he said he chose "D" as his answer.
this movie is based on the book "Q&A" .. and personally, after reading the book, and *then* watching the movie, I thought it was very well directed, albeit some deviations from the book. To quote TT, "everyone is gushing about the movie", it is so, because the movie ***IS*** that good. I think the movie did a fine job of portraying a young man, who has been thru' some tough shit in life and finally gets rewarded in the end. Just take it & enjoy for what it is about... instead of nit-picking the heck out of it.
But Tommy, all the fun is in the nitpicking! :)
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