Subhash Ghai vs. Danny Boyle

It seems that the international success of the film is not making everyone happy. In fact, Subhash Ghai, an Indian film-maker, is quite perturbed by the film's achievements.

In recent reports Ghai has said, "'Slumdog Millionaire" was a film made by a westerner, who had a plot and hired a few local actors for it. We cannot claim it to be an Indian film."

The director seems to believe that the film's failure lies in the cultural discrepancies between the east and west. He claims that Westerners are interested to learn about other countries, while Indians want to see themselves in films. The international success of "Slumdog Millionaire" can be attributed to the fact that the international audience is intrigued by how a poor boy from the slums can be such a success. It is the curiosity in "the other."

On the other hand, the Indian audience is more interested in song and dance and stories with longevity and relevance.

On the positive side, Subhash is pleased with music-director's, AR Rahman, emergence as an international artist. While Ghai thinks the Oscar-winning song, "Jai Ho," is not Rahman's best work, he is pleased with its success. "Rahman himself acknowledges he has given better music than `Slumdog Millionaire`," said Ghai.

Let us know what you think about Subhash Ghai's negative feelings? Do you agree with the xenophobic opinion of the film, or do you think that the film was a good launch of Indian cinema onto the international screen?