Slumdog Millionaire !!!

Danny Doyle’s Slumdog Millionaire seems to have caught the imagination of almost everyone. Almost all the people I spoke to, have already managed to see the pirated version of the movie. Am told, the pirated version is like the uncensored version……making it that much more captivating.
It’s a movie that depicts Mumbai slums with stunning reality…..it has criminals, politicians, communal bloodbaths, sordid underworld activities…..scenes that apparently make you cringe. Danny Boyle, it seems, has been extremely efficient in getting authentic pictures of Dharavi….Asia’s biggest slum!!!!....symbolically showing the darker side of Mumbai, ugly secrets exposed, raw & brutal. A slum which continues to thrive & catch the imagination of foreigners, while we are just sitting & allowing it to grow beyond control.
However, with the movie winning almost all categories in Golden Globe awards, India gets a lot of attention & media glare. AR Rahman, with his music score has been among the most popular faces in front of the camera. As expected, on the dais, he thanked the one billion Indians, who he believes are behind his success. Kudos for keeping our country’s name & fame AR…..we are indeed proud of your achievements. Known for his originality & immense talent, AR was destined to touch international fame & accolades. May he continue to revel & mesmerize us with his repertoire of music in days to come.
With Tare Jameen Par out of the race for Oscars(that’s really sad), we are left to rejoice the awards, Slumdog Millionaire has managed to get.
Am told that the central character, Jamaal, is a protagonist from the slum world of Dharavi, who is hopelessly romantic & dreams of a life beyond all the dirt, mirth & dark of the slums. He believes that Love would show the way & have answers for all problems. Hope & optimism prevails.

Just a word for many of you who visit my blogs, Art of Living has been working towards rehabilitating Dharavi. The active volunteers, first managed to convert a big dumpyard area into a beautiful playground & a garden. The place earlier was a den for drug dealing, country liquor, & other antisocial activities. As a garbage dumpyard, it was also a haven for spreading various diseases. With the help of the locals, educating them & empowering them, Art of Living volunteers, managed to transform the area into a beautiful garden & a playground.
Today, Art of Living also runs a school in Dharavi, which has more than 250 students. The school takes care of the uniforms, books & other study materials, breakfast & lunch, for all children. The funds are generated through various donations & help from people across the country.

Now thats, what I would call as a positive step towards improving our society. Let us all come forward & help the cause. For any information on this, do write in to me.