Oscar win opens doors for Indian Cinema: Shabana Azmi
It was an incredible night at the Oscars gala in Los Angeles. Slumdog Millionaire swept eight of the most coveted honours at the Academy Awards 2009 on February 22. India's celebrated music director AR Rahman took two Oscars. Rahman's first Oscar was for the best original score. Rahman also shared the Oscar for best song, Jai Ho with Gulzar, a celebrated poet-lyricist. More cheer awaited India as Resul Pookutty's Oscar for best sound mixing created a record of sorts.
Suddenly, India's ample technical and creative talent in filmmaking was at the centrestage in the world. Everyone sat up and took note of the sweep of Indian cinema. With recognition comes acknowledgement and opportunities.
CNN-IBN quizzed actors Shabana Azmi, Kamala Haasan and composer Ehsaan on the big haul at the Oscars and what it means for Indian cinema.
What does this day mean for Indian cinema? A film based on India with AR Rahman winning for his music, Gulzar winning for the lyrics, Resul Pookutty winning... what does it mean?
Shabana Azmi: It is celebration time. It is absolutely delightful and I congratulate all of them from the bottom of my heart. For me obviously this opens doors for Indian cinema. But to me the most important thing about Slumdog Millionaire winning the Oscars is that the slum dwellers sense of self esteem is now heightened. It gives the world a big picture of the slum dwellers, which is different from the one they are used to. It is largely that they are the scum of the earth and that they don't do any work and they are not to be respected and along comes this film, shows the truth as it is and makes you realise the resilience and the spirit of the people who live in slums.
Will the lives of people living in slums change or should this be just taken as cinema?
Shabana Azmi: No, no! There lives are not going to change because of this film. They are not going to get more money; they are not going to start living in better houses overnight. There is no magic wand. But definitely perceptions of them will change to a little degree and that's all that art can do. It can create a climate of sensitivity in which it is possible for change to occur and that change occurring in perception about people who live in the slums and work towards the city... to me is the most magnificent achievement of all.
The movie uses Indian landscape, uses Indian actors and is set in India. Does this do anything for Indian cinema? Do we call it and Indian victory?
Kamal Haasan: We should allow this baby steps and we should take step by step but this day means something to Danny Boyle, Rahman and to an extent some of the Indians. But it doesn't mean anything to Indian cinema till Indian cinema tries to make quality films. So when it does that, it will deserve the recognition and it doesn't mean that we are not making quality cinemas. We are not respecting quality cinemas as it should be. That is because content might be king but placement is very important. S you have to place good cinema in the right perspective. I am talking about the distributors, investors and the producers of good cinema. If you good think of good cinema as won't do well, it is the general opinion that film acha hai par nahi chalega (film is good but won’t be a hit)… this is a bad attitude. You are not a businessman, you are an audience. That should change and when that changes and everyone wants to get into the share market business of cinema that is silly. That is not what cinema is all about. It is an art and you should enjoy it like that and every cinema is art and every art cinema is cinema. We don’t know what they mean by art cinema nahi chalega kind of a thing. Everything is changing now.
Suddenly, India's ample technical and creative talent in filmmaking was at the centrestage in the world. Everyone sat up and took note of the sweep of Indian cinema. With recognition comes acknowledgement and opportunities.
CNN-IBN quizzed actors Shabana Azmi, Kamala Haasan and composer Ehsaan on the big haul at the Oscars and what it means for Indian cinema.
What does this day mean for Indian cinema? A film based on India with AR Rahman winning for his music, Gulzar winning for the lyrics, Resul Pookutty winning... what does it mean?
Shabana Azmi: It is celebration time. It is absolutely delightful and I congratulate all of them from the bottom of my heart. For me obviously this opens doors for Indian cinema. But to me the most important thing about Slumdog Millionaire winning the Oscars is that the slum dwellers sense of self esteem is now heightened. It gives the world a big picture of the slum dwellers, which is different from the one they are used to. It is largely that they are the scum of the earth and that they don't do any work and they are not to be respected and along comes this film, shows the truth as it is and makes you realise the resilience and the spirit of the people who live in slums.
Will the lives of people living in slums change or should this be just taken as cinema?
Shabana Azmi: No, no! There lives are not going to change because of this film. They are not going to get more money; they are not going to start living in better houses overnight. There is no magic wand. But definitely perceptions of them will change to a little degree and that's all that art can do. It can create a climate of sensitivity in which it is possible for change to occur and that change occurring in perception about people who live in the slums and work towards the city... to me is the most magnificent achievement of all.
The movie uses Indian landscape, uses Indian actors and is set in India. Does this do anything for Indian cinema? Do we call it and Indian victory?
Kamal Haasan: We should allow this baby steps and we should take step by step but this day means something to Danny Boyle, Rahman and to an extent some of the Indians. But it doesn't mean anything to Indian cinema till Indian cinema tries to make quality films. So when it does that, it will deserve the recognition and it doesn't mean that we are not making quality cinemas. We are not respecting quality cinemas as it should be. That is because content might be king but placement is very important. S you have to place good cinema in the right perspective. I am talking about the distributors, investors and the producers of good cinema. If you good think of good cinema as won't do well, it is the general opinion that film acha hai par nahi chalega (film is good but won’t be a hit)… this is a bad attitude. You are not a businessman, you are an audience. That should change and when that changes and everyone wants to get into the share market business of cinema that is silly. That is not what cinema is all about. It is an art and you should enjoy it like that and every cinema is art and every art cinema is cinema. We don’t know what they mean by art cinema nahi chalega kind of a thing. Everything is changing now.
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