Slumdog Millionaire as a film, may appear to show the daily lives of people living in Indian slums, but it is a globalized representation of Eastern culture, done through a Western director who effectively portrays a plot empathetic full of anguish and violence that ends in love and happiness, where “The characters are a selection of half-drawn stereotypes, barely sketched notions of criminals and slums far removed from the complexities and sufferings of real life” (Amlani, 2009). Through the typical plot of an underdog who ultimately prevails and finds love, the utterly clichéd film unsurprisingly resonates with “the Western consumer values of monetary gain and the universal values of love” (na, 2015). This essay will argue that, through globalization and an undeniable level of orientalism, the representation of the slum within this film is not only fabricated to valorise a journey, but also derogatory and a façade used to attract Western audiences and gain recognition for its supposed representation of the real India. Further up for discussion is the fact that Slumdog Millionaire fails to show the true extent of urban poverty in the Global South. The film not only benefited from local representation, but can also be considered poverty pornography, as it uses a Westernized theme that fails to understand the depth of inequalities in the South. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Slumdog Millionaire depicts a problematic depiction of India and its slums through cultural and national issues, partly because the film was made for profit, and also because of a Westernized approach towards the plot that it continually demonstrates a sense of orientalism. While the film attempts to highlight aspects of “child prostitution, gang violence and thematic exploration of poverty” (Chan, 2010) through scenes such as blinded children and Jamal's mother being beaten, Western audiences perceive this as “ an authentic third world experience”. of poverty, squalor and repression” (Chan, 2010). This in turn is problematic as the representation of India in the world is reduced to the concept of slums and a sense of inferiority, cementing the idea that the film is steeped in orientalism. Another reason why the film should be criticized is the knowledge that the story was produced and directed primarily by Europeans, while the actors may have been local, the adaptation and cinematic experience were all completed by people who thought they convey the real India. Further criticism notes that “Boyle conveniently embodies misperceptions about India (and the East) that continue to support the dominant Western view of the subcontinent” (Chan, 2010). While Slumdog Millionaire portrays realistic aspects of India to some extent, one must also take into account the culturally mixed background music, the protagonist wearing Western clothes in an attempt to fit in and succeed, and the final cliché of being with his love. Considering all the aspects mentioned above, it continues to become more and more evident that this film was made to support long-held Western viewpoints and aestheticize the slums of India, leading to a sharp increase in poverty tourism, but without any real positive effect on people living their lives. in the slums. Appealing to audiences in the Global North, people are seen as empathetic towards those living in slums, yet few or.
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