26 July,2021 07:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Fiona Fernandez
Slums in Dharavi. Pic/iStock
But it was the mention of the once-favourite used (and abused) term and its iterations - âslums of India'/'Indian slum kids' - that got me wondering if this possibly ushered its return of sorts on global platforms. Who can forget how Briton Danny Boyle gave these terms a grand Hollywood red-carpet welcome, all the way to ensuring multiple wins at the Oscars. The world's attention had been captured to this poverty-lined fairy tale, and off-shoots of this success had caused an impact everywhere, including right at the heart of the Slumdog Millionaire story - Dharavi. I recall going undercover for a reporting assignment into this maze, to gauge the extent of the slum tourism network that was cashing in on the film. It was all true. To my horror and discomfort, I witnessed tour guides selling the idea laced with lies, dripping with victim syndrome stories and false claims of charity work, all the while causing a serious breach of privacy as groups of firangs entered kitchens of unhappy residents or clicked frames of snot-faced kids by choking gutters.
Much before that filmy stardust-y avatar caught the eye, we had already gotten used to the rehearsed replies of our beauty queens at national and international pageants. Almost always, the jury was won over with replies like "help the slums of India" or "educate India's poor," in reply to queries about their life mission if they won the crown. Ask Madhu Sapre. The 1992 Miss Universe contestant paid the price for giving an honest reply [she suggested better sports facilities of Olympic standards in India] and was heavily panned for it. We can wistfully smile now, given how hard we try as a nation to get a podium finish at every Olympics. We'll need another column to debate on that sore issue.
As we watched video snippets of Narayan's victory and his interviews, we were not sure what to make of his claim to help kids in India's slums, and if it would reach its genuine end result. Don't get me wrong. His heart seems to be in the right place with the intent to make a difference in the country of his mother's birth. But how far would he see it to fruition is the question.
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Boyle and Co. and god knows how many countless others have been intrigued by this microcosm, for their own creative pursuits, financial gain and other wishlists, and now, a culinary show winner has mentioned it as part of his post-victory plan. If Narayan actually goes ahead and walks the talk, we'll be the first to applaud but if it dies a slow death it will be perceived as just another feel-good part of a speech to woo judges and public sentiment.
âSlums/poor of India' is not a dispensable or a marketable term. It's reality here. It will be unfortunate when and if even people of Indian origin fail to understand its true meaning.
mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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