Slumdog, now a Billionaire !

So.. yesterday was oscar night. I seldom watch it completely, but yesterday I did... almost. I missed a couple of awards, and Ben Stiller's mockery of Joaquin Phoenix. On the whole, it was good, except for I hate all the hype and pompousness, and the artificiality in praising everyone on the red carpet. Whatever. I do feel disappointed with the fact that the only attire for men is a black tux. Mickey Rourke was a welcome change in white. If the physical world tends to be biased towards men, the fashion world is utterly biased towards... u guessed it.

Lets get down to the awards. Hugh Jackman put up a decent show. The opening was good. I wanted more from him, though. However, this is my first start to finish oscar night. So...

I have not watched most of the movies nominated, so I am not going to judge the results. Apparently, most of them were expected, even if it was not obvious. Nevertheless the excitement is super when someone wins an academy award. Hathaway is ofcorz talented, and was simple. So was Kate Winslet who broke the oscar jinx. Penn, son of a gun, is very very talented and certainly deserved it. I always appreciate people who can poke a little fun at themselves and have a good sincere laugh when others do it.

The biggest winner of the day was, undoubtedly, Slumdog Millionaire. By winning the oscars (as many as 8 out of 10 nominations), it won the hearts of a "Billion" people, and more. Yes, its not an indian movie. Yes, it was not made by an Indian. Yes, Yes, Yes. But, you cannot deny the fact that everyone associates the movie with India. A majority of the cast and crew is Indian. More importantly, everyone involved in the project now has a new love for Mother India. Her beauty, her diversity, her history and her hospitality. For the west, India is not anymore that mystic land of snake charmers and farmers, eventhough they are still there. Its a rapidly developing nation, with youth and innovation. 

It is very ironic that Indians are celebrating the success of a movie that depicts one of the evils of their society. It is true that the film shows the darker and murkier side of India, and one cannot brush it aside as lies... coz its not. Its the sad and unfortunate reality. But, in a way it serves a purpose. Makes us more aware of the harsh environment/treatment that some people have to put up with for the sake of "Survival". Whats even worse is that its the same story in a lot of developing countries. A lot of people choose to ignore that fact. Every society has its share of good and bad. We should embrace the good and work towards minimizing the bad.

Rahman derserves all the fame and recognition, eventhough it was not his best feat in music. Technically, I dont know. But soul stirring music - Roja, Bombay, Lagaan..  and may more were much better. Two oscars is a great personal achievement, and also for the nation. And it is very humbling to see such a talented guy say "Ella pugazhum iraivanuke" after accepting the award. His live performance was superb too. He mentioned his mother, his country and his mother tongue. Danny Boyle was terrific. All the SDM kids were excited and fantastic. I personally want to thank the producers and others who went out of their way to give those kids the experience of a lifetime, and in doing so may have the changed their and many others' lives.

For me, the best moment of the night was when Resul Pookutty won the oscar for Sound Mixing and said "I dedicate this award to my country. This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me". Indeed !