Will Slumdog Millionaire Bring About any Changes in the Lives of the Real Slumdogs?

Slumdog Millionaire, a feel good film about a boys journey from the slums of Mumbai to the winner of the biggest game show, has been received very well across the world. For a movie which was destined for a straight to DVD release, the movies real life journey parallels the plot of the movie, "underdog beating all odds to achieve unprecedented success".

Though the movie provides an inspirational story line, it also raises some serious questions about the level of poverty and living conditions of people in real life in the slums of Mumbai. And this depiction of poverty in the movie has raised some controversy, with even Amithab Bachchan slamming the movie for portraying India as athird world developing nation.

With all due respect to the critics, criticizing a movie and its makers for portraying a side of India that is ugly and not pretty will not make it go away. Instead, it would be worthwhile if the same time is spent devising ways to inspire these people find their way out of the squalid conditions and achieve their dreams. Ultimately that is what the movie is supposed to be about: "Achieving ones dreams, no matter the odds".