[Reader-list] "Millionniares" and "slumdogs" unite

[Yousuf]

21 January, 2009
Slumdogs Of The World Unite

We live in times when satire is redundant—for what can beat real news such as this?

An office bearer of a slum dwellers’ body has filed a defamation case against music director A R Rahman and actor Anil Kapoor alleging that the award winning film Slumdog Millionaire calls Indians dogs and slum dwellers slum dogs.

[...]

The meaning of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ in Hindi is the millionaire dog of slum-dwellers, Vishwakarma alleged, adding that such a name was a violation of human rights and honour.

Vishwakarma said he has already approached the national and state human rights commissions for necessary action against Rahman and Kapoor, who portrays the role of a game show host in the film.

On an email group I’m part of, Devangshu Datta says, “Now what we need is a millionaire to file alleging insult at being compared to a slum dog.” And lo, Hari Shenoy does the needful (see below).

Also, Paras Berawala suggests: “Let’s also draft a petition by dog owners against Tapeshwar Vishwakarma for implying that ‘dog’ is an insulting word.”

The possibilities for such WTFness are endless: Someone can sue the makers of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi on behalf of God, alleging that they insult God by implying that one can see Her in any random person. Every Indian Idol contestant criticized by Javed Akhtar can sue him for the way his son sang in Rock On. The Chinese government and the Chandni Chowk mohalla committee can sue Akshay Kumar for you-know-what. Torture academies can sue Himessss Reshammiya for making them redundant. And so on and on. Immense potential simmers.

http://indiauncut.com/iublog/article/slumdogs-of-the-world-unite/

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Millionaires of India, Unite !!!

We the undersigned millionaires, wish to file a defamation case against music director A.R.Rahman, Anil Kapoor, Danny Boyle, Dev Patel, that cute girl who stars opposite him and the assistant director to Danny Boyle who is good-looking but whose name I can’t remember right now.

Heck, we’ll even throw in Vikas Swarup for having written the book that inspired the movie in the first place, and the Golden Globes and the AMPAS for giving this movie so much publicity as co-defendants.

To file this defamation suit, we are collecting signatures for an online petition which you can sign by leaving a comment on this post.

We object strongly, just like our fellow countryman Tapeshwar Vishwakarma (who has also filed suit against the aforementioned characters, both fictional and real), to being equated to dogs from the slums. We have worked hard for our millions, and it seems unfair to be socially bracketed along with non-millionaires.

Of course, Mr.Vishwakarma’s argument stems from the other end of the spectrum, and he’s angry about how the movie title allegedly violates the human rights and the honour of slum-dwellers.

We millionaires would also like to get publicity for kicks, and think it would be a good idea to get more of our kind to sign this particular petition so that us rich people don’t remain an oppressed lot.

We need to show the world that we can get mileage out of a successful movie should we feel like it.

So come one, and come all. Let us join hands in ensuring that we millionaires aren’t treated shabbily simply because we’ve worked hard to get where we are.

* - (Zimbabwean) $ 1,000,000 = INR 2.3.
Some slum dwellers, as a consequence, would be millionaires too, and if Tapeshwar Vishwakarma is ok, they can join our crusade as well.

http://harishenoy.com/blog/?p=987