“Rahman should have got this recognition a decade ago”

Three-time National Film Award winner, Madhur Bhandarkar welcomes the global recognition that has come for musician AR Rahman

What is your view of "Slumdog Millionaire’s" worldwide success?
This is expected. Though the film is directed by a British Director, Danny Boyle, the star cast is from India. Music is scored by our own legendary AR Rahman. Most of the production team is from India and the film was shot completely in India. So, we have popular faces like Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla and Mahesh Manjrekar in the movie. When four Golden Globe awards, 11 BAFTA and 10 Oscar nomination type of international recognition comes, people certainly go gaga about it. It’s natural. Because, we Indians are sentimental people and we always look towards West for recognition.

Does it mean Oscar is the ultimate stamp of cinematic excellence in world cinema?
In commercial and popular sense, yes, but in the artistic sense no. Forget about the controversies and forget about the `Indian slums and poverty sell in the West’ theory. For the first time our own Rahman has been nominated for three Oscar awards. That itself is a great honour.

Would you rate the background music of "Slumdog Millionaire" as AR Rahman’s all time best?
No, I am not saying that. Rahman would have got the Oscars at least eight to ten years ago. He is a genius and God of cinematic music world. The Mozart of Madras has scored much more melodious back scores. If you go through his career, from Roja to Ghajini, he has scored many memorable and heart wrenching original back ground scores. Today, he is the world's topmost music composer. I am sorry to say but it took long time for global recognition to come and fall into his lap. At last the so-called West has recognised his talent through "Slumdog Millionaire" and he truly deserves that award. No doubt about that.....Continue

Patel and the Princess

"Slumdog Millionaire" has caught the imagination of people worldwide and catapulted its actors into the limelight, as they grace film festivals and the world’s leading award shows. At one such do, its young star Dev Patel was found floored as Hollywood’s lead actress Anne Hathaway complimented his work and told him how much she loved him in the film. The 18-year-old thanked ‘Mrs Hathaway’, but was soon corrected by the lady that it was ‘Miss’ not Mrs Hathaway! Dev immediately began to apologise to the amused Hathaway, who took no offence of course.....Continue

Killing of a Hindu savant has exposed a deep schism

Though this is the first ever poster and handout released in Orissa under the signature of Saket, the language resembles other literatures issued by the Maoists. “We are examining the authenticity of this material and investigating into newly surfaced intra-party conflict within Maoists,” said a top police official of the state.

Sabyasachi’s clash with his party bosses has also resulted in the Maoists' first ever split on religious lines. Hindu members of the organistaion, protesting against Laxmanananda's murder, broke away to form a rival group and named itself “Ideologues of Democrat Guerrilla Army (Maoist)". This development came to light when they put up posters threatening to target Christian members of the party. Sources say the new group was formally launched on January 3, under the leadership of a guerrilla identified as M2. IDGA-Maoist also proved its existence by observing successful bandh in at least three sensitive districts of Orissa.

Though so far no reaction has come from Sabyasachi Panda, sources close to him reveal that he differs with other top leaders of the party regarding selection of members for the central committee and communal issues revolving round Laxmanananda killing. Is this the first alarm bell for the beginning of disintegration of Maoist stronghold in Orissa?....Continue

License to Kill….

Consider this: the price of any CNG-run auto-rickshaw running on the Delhi roads is something around Rs 1,30,000. Yet, the buyer eventually ends up paying around Rs 4,50,000 for the same. Sounds shocking? Well, that’s what licensing system does. To make sure that the number of auto-rickshaws plying on Delhi roads don't go beyond the stipulated, it is mandatory for the buyer of a new auto-rickshaw to deposit an old one. And as it creates a major demand of the old and rusted auto-rickshaws, their owners make a killing by selling the old ones to the people who want to buy a new auto. The average price of a junk auto rickshaw, whose scrap price in the market won't be more than a few thousand rupees, then becomes nothing less than two lakh. In fact, there are instances where middlemen buy such junk autos in scores to make a fortune later. And, thanks to the hassles faced by buyers while seeking a bank loan to buy a new vehicle, they (mostly poor and lower middle class) often end up taking money from private financiers at high interest rates. All of it together takes up the price to the tune of Rs 4,50,000. The government doesn’t see a problem with a rise in the number of radio cabs in the city but for the auto-rickshaws, such irrational systems only create entry barriers for those in the lower strata who want to get respectfully self employed.

In the same league, a few days back it was reported that more than thirty people died in the suburbs of Kolkata by drinking illicit liquor. Such deaths are not rare but a frequent happening in India, thanks to the prohibitive pricing of the much safer and better quality Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL), due to high taxation for restricting consumption. Net result? The poor lot of this country ends up resorting to lesser priced, lesser refined and more toxic country-made liquor as it’s perhaps in mankind instinct to have an affinity for alcohol and no amount of lecturing on morality would dissuade them from gulping it down. If restrictive licensing practice for opening IMFL shops (which only adds to corruption in disbursal of such license) and prohibitive pricing is done away with, it would go a long way in reducing the number of untimely and painful deaths caused by consumption of illicit liquor.....Continue