Newswise — Ananda Mitra, professor and chair of communication at Wake Forest University, can comment on the Academy Award-nominated film "Slumdog Millionaire." Mitra is the author of the book "India Through the Western Lens," which explores how Indians have been represented in more than 60 films during the past several decades. In the book, he also examines how Indian immigrants are viewed in the West today and looks at the role films play in shaping public attitudes.
"In keeping with the tradition of telling tales about India, from the days of 'Gunga Din' to the 'City of Joy,' Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan have again successfully mythologized the brown-skinned child as the source of inspiration for people sitting in plush multiplexes of America and lamenting the condition of the downtrodden on the other side of the world," said Mitra. "The directors have updated the surface content of the movie to include the changes that have happened in India since the making of the very similar 'City of Joy,' but it falls into the same genre of movies that have exemplified Hollywood's look at India."
Originally from India, Mitra has written extensively about Indian culture and is the author of several articles on Bollywood. "The booming Bollywood film industry has directly influenced the aesthetics of 'Slumdog'. The famous Bollywood movies of the 1970s almost always included the 'running children trying to get away from evil by jumping on a train, getting separated, and then living their life trying to find the lost one' theme. Films like 'Yadon Ki Barat' (1973) directed by Nassir Hussain) exemplified this theme that 'Slumdog' packages for the 2009 audience."
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