Slumdog win seen as big boost to Brand India

‘Great endorsement for Indian talent’.

Mumbai, Feb. 23 Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight Oscars in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, has redefined the image of India on the international film map. Or has it really?

After all, other films dwelling on the India theme and its belly of mass poverty, be it Salaam Bombay or City of Joy, did not capture the fancy of the world as Slumdog Millionaire did.

Mr Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, has a view on this. “A great film holds a mirror to its times. Slumdog Millionaire won not only because it was a good film, or because it was about Mumbai and India, but because it reflected the zeitgeist: the overwhelming desire for optimism and hope,” he says.

Mr Mahindra, a Film major of Harvard College, is passionate about cinema. His observations on Slumdog Millionaire, sociologists say, make sense in the context of the global slowdown that has literally ripped people of not only their jobs but also self-confidence. To that extent, the film epitomises the ‘great American dream’.

What Slumdog has definitely done is catapult its composer, A.R. Rahman, who won two Oscars, to the centre-stage of global cinema. It is very likely that he will be sought after in the coming days for his expertise in the bigger Hollywood landscape.

“Rahman joins a list of global Indians who are recognised, admired and, sometimes, even revered. This list includes the likes of Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwariya Rai, Sachin Tendulkar and Vishwanathan Anand,” says Mr R.L. Ravichandran, Chief Executive Officer of the cult brand Royal Enfield Motorcycles. He believes that the sky is now the limit for Rahman.

Mr Philip George, Chief Manager-Sales (South India & Asia Pacific), Saregama, says: “Rahman has provided the right platform for Indian cinema to be taken more seriously. This is a major, major boost to the music, not of any particular language or State, but to Indian music as a whole. Rahman will become the icon of the Indian music industry.”

Big for technicians

“This win and publicity definitely adds more charm and variety in brand India. More than Indian films having a global audience, the Oscars will open doors to Indian technicians such as Resul Pookutty, and to Rahman’s music,” said Mr Madhukar Kamath, Managing Director and CEO of Mudra Communications.

“This is a great endorsement for all technicians in our country. It just proves that Indian sound engineers, musicians and cameramen are world class. This will encourage Indian filmmakers to have international aspirations,” adds Mr Madhu Mantena, producer of the recent Hindi blockbuster Ghajini.

Would Slumdog have clicked had it been released in happier times? Would it then have been dismissed as yet another Indian film? Incidentally, Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi also won eight Oscars and, like Slumdog, was an Indian theme made by a British filmmaker.

“Slumdog is not actually an Indian film. It is made with foreign currency. Though it will put India in the limelight, it will detract tourists from visiting poverty-stricken areas.

The movie does little to market the image of India. It is just a heart-warming film with high entertainment value,” reiterates Mr Alyque Padamsee, Chairman of the London Institute of Personality.

Ms Lynn d’Souza, chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Lintas Media group, concurs with this view. “At the end of the day, this is a British production. But with Rahman and Resul Pookutty winning the award, the international market will look at India for its technical strengths.”

However, Mr Sam Balsara, Chairman and Managing Director of Madison, is clearly more upbeat. “This is good news. After being known for our trade and commerce, we will be now recognised for our creativity. This will definitely generate more interest in Indian cinema, which would mean a direct advantage to talent here,” he says.