Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Dr. Shashi Tharoor is Chairman of Afras Ventures, a prize-winning author of ten books, and a widely-published critic, commentator and columnist (including for The Hindu, The Times of India and Newsweek). In 2007 he concluded a nearly 29-year career with the United Nations, culminating as the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. For more information, please visit www.shashitharoor.com.

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Chairman of Afras Ventures and former Under-Secretary-General for the UN

Exuberant, exciting, gaudy and gritty in a way that can only be called Dickensian, Slumdog Millionaire brings contemporary Mumbai to life from the seamy side up, with brio, compassion and all-round cinematic excellence. For the first time since Gandhi, there's genuine Oscar buzz around a movie set in India, with Indian characters, Indian actors and Indian themes. Though its depiction of Indian poverty and slum life is searingly real, slum life is depicted with integrity and dignity, and with a joie de vivre that transcends its setting. Danny Boyle's film is the work of an artist at the peak of his powers. India is his palette and Mumbai—that teeming 'maximum city', with 19 million strivers on the make, jostling, scheming, struggling and killing for success—is his brush. It will stay in the mind's eye a long time.

7:19 am, Jan 31, 2009

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Shashi Tharoor, India Times, Mumbai, Slumdog Millionaire

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SDMichael

The luke warm response to this film in India has been interesting. I wonder how much is genuine offense taken at a stylization of poverty ("poverty porn," as I've seen it described) and how much is denial on the part of middle and upper income Indians that the vast majority of their countrymen live in squalor.

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3:53 pm, Jan 31, 2009

Mycroft

As an Indian professional, watching the Indian response to Slumdog Millionaire has been interesting. Those of us who are willing to face the realities of a billion plus country which has (and does) suffered from tremendous poverty, exploitation and religious riots cannot but support Boyle's masterpiece. Anyone who has faced a street child, done volunteer work in a slum or simply lived in India will agree with Shashi's point of the movie depicting accurately the joie de vivre amidst the desolation. India's biggest strength has been the resilience, optimism and willingness to seek the truth in spite of how painful it may be. Hiding reality (whether through fudged data, censorship or government diktat) in the name of saving face has never been part of Indian democracy and all Indians should be proud of this.

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6:28 pm, Jan 31, 2009

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