Just came across an interview of Manoj Night Shyamalan on NDTV. Yes, our very own “Indian” Hollywood director. No point in doubting over his Indianness. After all he was born in Pondicherry and has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shree award this year. After some discussions over American politics revolving around the forthcoming Presidential elections and his past movies and the upcoming The Happening, as a typical Indian talking to an NRI, the interviewer Shekhar Gupta being very buoyant started delving into Shyamalan’s Indian roots. Not much of identification could established with those “small kids making big” stories. So then began talks over the masala Bollywood movies which these days are making big news all over the world.
After all those tears shed by Shilpa Shetty on UK television and all those appearances of Aishwarya Rai at the Cannes Film Festival, sometimes making news for her unfitting dress or sometimes for walking hand-in-hand with her newly married husband, it has been a general belief among the Indians that Bollywood is a household commodity across the seas as well. The Indian media has left no stone unturned in trumpeting about these events which hardly hold any relevance to the world outside the subcontinent. These publicity-seeking attempts have only been engineered and ably supported by the elite class of movie makers like Yash Chopra, Karan Johar and Subhash Ghai, the success of whose movies largely depends on the collections from the NRIs. Movies like Yaadein and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna which were flops in India did major part of their business overseas.
Coming back to the Shyamalan interview, considering the “popularity” of Bollywood, it was no surprise that that Gupta expected something from Shyamalan about his views on Bollywood. But as it turned out, he had watched only 3-4 Indian movies and could not remember who was Shahrukh Khan! This after being an Indian (why else was he awarded the Padma Shree ) and being a front line movie maker himself. Wonder how much he knew about Sachin Tendulkar when Gupta told at the beginning that Shyamalan gets three times the money for writing a screenplay that Sachin gets for playing in the IPL.
Well, there should not be many questions raised over Shyamalan’s choice for Padma Shree. Awards like these are almost always maligned with political favoritisms and it is not the first case where the Indians have shown that they are best at finding the slightest connection with those who have become famous or successful and identifying them with one of their own land. V S Naipaul, Lakshmi Mittal, Salman Rushdie, Indira Nooyi, Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams and so on. They all have had their share of fanfare in India. I don’t know how much do they attribute their success to being Indian.
Its time for the media to go through a quick reality-check. Instead of blaring about these NRIs, its high time they started talking about thousands of those who contributed towards building this nation and taking it forward by living within it.
Shyamalan had his chilhood outside India and made his first film at Toronto film festival being an NYU student.Despite being of Indian origin he cant be expected to have familiarity with Bollywood.But this is really a noticable fact that he has no idea who is Shahrukh Khan. I am sure like Kabhi Alvida na Kahne there are few movies which made a lot popularity in the NRI Box Office.I hope the rest of the NRIs have a few ideas about India.
Well a funny thing that I have noticed.
Kashmiri woolen clothes are exported to variuls countries.But in many places they are sold as “Casmere pure” [:P]
shyamalan is NOT an NRI… he is an american of indian origin
and i definitely respect him much more than shahrukh khan. infact im glad he doesnt knw shahrukh khan~ srk doesnt deserve that ~
Arupendu
Well I don’t expect Shyamalan or for that matter any American of Indian origin to be familiar with Bollywood. Its just that we Indians assume them to be so.
And apart from filling their own coffers, the NRIs have done little to patronize Indian products like the Kashmir shawls.
Aditya
I also do respect Shyamalan.. but just in a similar way as I respect any other Hollywood director. My only point was that if he is considered so much of an “Indian” that he is conferred one of the reputed civilian awards, he must at least know a little about this country. And yes Shahrukh Khan does deserve to be known by every Indian.
Well Sumit does knowing Sachin or Shahrukh or for that matter even Mahatama Gandhi categorize you as an Indian.
well i dont think so..
Does the tribals living in Jharkhand are not indians…??
Does the people in ladakh not indians…??
And i dont think so they will be familiar with Shahrukh or Sachin but they are equally indian.
Its not who you know makes you an indian but who you are and what your roots and values are.
@ Sumit
I agree with your Comments on both.