Case Study: SLUMDOG: FAD OR FASHION?
"And the Oscar goes to . . Slumdog Millionaire." This line was delivered eight times in Hollywood at the 81st Annual Academy Awards. Not bad for a film produced on a mere shoestring by Hollywood standards (budget of $15 million). It is the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who overcomes all odds to beat a television quiz show—the Indian equivalent of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and wins an award of 20,000,000 rupees. The movie was a hit with worldwide critics, but the audience reaction in India was mixed. Many Indians claim that this movie cannot be considered a credit to India because its director is British, and the lead actor, Dev Patel is also from England. However, Indians are proud of A. R. Rahman, a well known Indian musician, for his Oscar-winning film score. It's hard to deny that the film turned the world's attention to India. Some were excited by the global interest, but others were not pleased. They felt that the film did not depict the "real" India. Many from Dharavi, the Mumbai slum featured in the film, protested that the name "Slumdog" was derogatory. In an interview, director Danny Boyle responded, ". . . basically it's a hybrid of the word 'underdog and everything that means in terms of rooting for the underdog and validating his triumph—and the fact that he obviously comes from the slums." Whatever one's attitudes toward the filmmakers' rights to portray poverty and injustice in India, it's clear that the film increased awareness of what UNICEF estimates as 11 million children who currently live on the streets of India. Slumdog has, in fact, been credited with inspiring a boost in donations to organizations that fight homelessness in India including Railway Children, SOS, Children's Villages of India, and Save the Children. Railway Children reports Web site visits at 10 times what they were before the film, and many groups report an increase in donation.
Q1. Summarize the key facts of the case.
Q2. Using the Internet, research "Bollywood," India's file production industry. What are the key characteristics of Bollywood?
Q3. Does Slumdog's success reflect the Americanization of India or the reverse? Explain.
Q4. Is the success of Slumdog a fad or a fashion? Explain why?
Q5. Assume that you are an Indian Bollywood movie producer. You want to extend the appeal of your films to the US. How would you approach this project? Who would the formal and informal gatekeepers be and how would you appeal to them?