You searched for Book review - Page 19 of 19 - DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

The Jaipur Literature festival

By DUBeat July 20, 2010

The much anticipated annual fest turned out to be as amazing as promised. The event partners which ranged from Goldman Sachs to Merrill Lynch, British Council to American Centre, Indian Council for Cultural Relations to the Asia Literary Review, were as varied and versatile as the events organized over a period of five days. The same could be said for the speakers which comprised of an eclectic mix of writers, lyricists, actors, social activists, journalists and economists.
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Girish Karnad, Gulzaar, Mark Tully, Alexander Mccall Smith, Lord Meghanand Desai, Hanif Quereshi, Indrajit Hazra, Anne Enright, O.P Valmiki, Chetan Bhagat, Barkha Dutt, Rahul Bose, Om Puri, and Javed Akhtar were some of the speakers amongst the many other eminent personalities.
The cultural heritage of Diggi Palace provided an ideal venue with its sprawling lawns and intricately designed but spacious halls and baithak. Where literature is, can music be far behind? The literary events of each day were concluded by a well enjoyed musical night.
Day one: Though there was a slight deviation in schedule due to Girish Karnad’s delayed arrival, a host of remarkable events like Shabana Azmi’s reading from her mother’s memoirs Kaifi and I, Gulzaar’s poetry reading. Some people did express disappointment at Jamaica Kincaid’s non appearance as had been promised earlier.
Day 2: The festival picked up in full flow on the second day with Nandita Das and Om Puri talking about the latter’s controversial book An Unlikely Hero. Mark Tully and Prasoon Joshi’s discussion on The Queen’s Hinglish too drew a large crowd. Amongst the attendees of this event were Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi as well as former chief minister Vasundhara Raje , who got no preferential treatment as, to put it in the words of the organizers, “ this was a democratic event”. The highlight of the day was Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s readings from his book The Road. There were requests for a reading of his immensely popular poem (coincidentally a part of our Delhi University Individual and society syllabus) ‘Telephone conversation’. In the open session which followed after the reading, he answered questions ranging from his views on politics, the situation in Nigeria, apartheid and his imprisonment under the dictatorial regime of General Yakubu Gowon

Day 3: The events on day three explored the dimensions of literature in economics, gender issues, politics and music. Well attended events on this day were ‘Wanderlust’ by Isabel Hilton , Geoff Dyer and William Dalrymple which unfortunately clashed with Claire Tomlain and Andrew Lycett’s discussion, “Two Lives : Jane Austen and Kipling”. The presence of Chetan Bhagat as a moderator in the event “Teen Deviyan: Anjum Hasan, Ira Trivedi and Meenakshi Madhavan” was a crowd puller. The Lonely Planet Story and Migrant Words were other interesting events on Day 3
Day 4: The morning session of “first fictions- reading” by Tishani Doshi, Tania James and Mohyna Srinivasan proved rather interesting.
“Diana Chronicles” with Tina Brown and Vir Sanghvi as the key note speakers got a good response from the audience. Alexander Mc Call Smith with his joviality and wit made “Scotland Presents Under the Kilt” a very interesting session.
Other events on this day included “Tagore – the singer and the song” and the myth about short stories.
Director’s cut which had Hanif Quereshi , Roddy Diyle and Stephen Frears as the key speakers was another interesting session
Day 5: Day 5 saw the culmination of this event with talks by Shobha De, Hanif Quereshi, Vikram Chandra and Alexander McCall Smith. “What are you like?”, an event which had Indrajit Hazra in conversation with the prolific Anne Enright, was the highlight of the day. This 5 day long festival concluded with a charged intelligence debate on State Vs people: The state has declared war on its poorest people in the name of development.

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

Digiteyes

By DUBeat July 19, 2010

Google into Google chrome got us excited.
The Qwerty into the touch got us excited.
The ball mouse into the laser mouse got us excited.
The Eicher Map into the GPS got us excited.
The desktop into the tablet laptop got us excited.

While an ordinary brain was sitting at home, enthusiastically celebrating these “inventions”, there were some extraordinary intellect craving for that which went beyond ends.

There are numerous videos that people post on Face Book and most of them vanish in the congested News Feed. But amongst the herd of videos there was one with more than a thousand people “like”-ing it, so I decided to weigh its worth on Face Book popularity. And Social Networking suddenly became a boon.

The Video was about Pranav Mistry and spectacular invention of the Sixth Sense. If you want to weigh the merit of the “Sixth Sense”, knowing that it is the INVENTION OF THE YEAR 2009 would be of necessary help. “Nothing can be and can not be one and at the same time and I am, I am Pranav Mistry.” So instead of sitting at his desk in the insignificant town of Palampur and thinking about how to get into IIT and follow it up with MIT, all he thought about was developing something wearable which would integrate the digital and the physical world and making it unique in unison. He was probably one step ahead of all of us when he fancied a virtual interaction between the real world and the world of data. He obviously had an upper hand when he successfully created a “gestural interface” to interact with information that lay embedded in an advanced digital world.

Pranav’s fast paced cerebrum was on a mission to find a system enabling the sentient human species to surpass natural perception and reach a level where access to accumulated data and knowledge was on constant access. What’s exciting is that he wished for a link to crawl across the confine of a screen and walk in the tangible world. The Sixth Sense was thus, born. In size it is as small as a bean but its effectiveness matches a bag full of them standing on the threshold of an explosion! It comprises of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The link lies in the user’s pocket where the computing device sits pretty. The entire process of capturing, converting and interacting follows. It’s best explained by the man himself, so I suggest you log onto www.pranavmistry.com for a detailed explanation. Don’t blame me because I’m very obviously technologically handicapped in front of maverick himself.

It won’t sound as glamorous if I paint an intricate picture of clicking a picture with four fingers, then posting it on the wall and zooming in and out of it using a the thumb and the lazy index finger. Not to forget that it’s also tired and it needs a vacation. You won’t be impressed if I told you that you can pick up a graph from your book, with the friendly fingers, paste it on your paper interface and alter it? Of course, you will. I’m just testing you. And won’t you be left in disbelief if you picked up a book in the library and a Google search gave you reviews and rankings as you browsed through it? You’re blowing an “affirm” into the microphone.

For more miracles, log onto www.ted.com/speakers/pranav_mistry. You’ll be convinced on why you should listen to him. And once you’re done, explore the genius through his video on the “thrilling potential of the Sixth Sense”.

Merry digitus!

Keep Reading

Uncategorized

Delhi University Admissions Time!

By DU Beat May 29, 2009

untitled-1

Academic Session| PG’s & Hostels| Ask a Question| Last Years Questions

What is the common pre-admission form?

The common pre-admission forms are designed to make the admission process more convenient by allowing applicants to apply to multiple courses and colleges though a single form. This saves time, effort an energy otherwise spent in filling individual college forms, and not to mention, minimizes the time spent in the Delhi heat. However, some colleges such as St. Stephens and JMC do not accept it, nor is it applicable to those courses having entrance tests. Check this space for a complete list of colleges and courses that aren’t covered by this form. Other details such as previous year cut-offs, map of location of colleges, information on various courses offered in DU are given with the form

Where and when can I get the common pre-admissions form?

This form is available at 15 centers scattered in various parts of the city. A complete list is provided below. They will be available from 2nd to 16th June 2008. The last date for submission is 16th June, 2008. The forms can be submitted at any of the centers irrespective of where it was obtained.

North Delhi

1. Office of the Dean Students’ Welfare, Main Campus, 27667092 University of Delhi
2. Kirorimal College, Main Campus 27667861 University of Delhi
.3. Faculty of Arts, Main Campus 27667981 University of Delhi

South Delhi

4. Office of the Deputy Dean Students’ Welfare 24119832 South Delhi Campus, Benito Juarez Marg,
5. Deshbandhu College,Kalkaji, 26439565
6. A.R.S.D. College, Dhaula Kuan, 24113436
7. Gargi College, Siri Fort Road 26494544
8. P.G.D.A.V. College, Nehru Nagar, Ring Road, 29832092
9. College of Vocational studies, Sheikh Sarai 29258544

East Delhi

10. Shyam lal College, Shahdara 22324086
11. Vivekananda College, Vivek Vihar 22150100
12. Maharaja Agrasen College, Mayur Vihar, 22716039 Phase â€“ I

West Delhi

13. Rajdhani College, Raja Garden 25930752
14. Bharati College, C-4, Janak Puri 25547328

Central Delhi

15. Zakir Husain College, Ajmere Gate

Go to the top of the page

Can I fill two Common Pre-admission forms?

No, one common Pre-Admission form is sufficient as it can take your all college-course choices.

I don’t belong to Delhi. Can I send the Common Pre-admission form by post?

No, common Pre-Admission forms received by post are not accepted.

Is the Common Pre-admission form available online?

The Common Pre-admission form is not available online

What are the prospects of getting admission into Delhi University?

As per the Delhi University website-

‘The University offers more than 5000 seats in Professional Courses and around 35,000 seats in under-graduate courses. In the last 3 years, almost all students with Ist class marks were admitted to Colleges.

However, the list of cut-off-percentage for 2007-2008 indicates that some students could get admitted to a few courses such as B.A (Hons.) in Hindi, Sanskrit, Philosophy and History even though they had passed in second class marks.

Candidates are advised to keep the cut-off-percentage of the last Academic Year in mind while making a selection of College and Course. Cut-off-percentage of marks for last yearsâ€™ admission to various Courses in different Colleges is enclosed. These are only indicative and the cut-off-percentage marks for this year will be notified later.’?

Last years cut offs can be viewed at the official Delhi University website

Go to the top of the page

How can I voice any queries I may have to officials at Delhi University?

The University has organized several open days at various locations where DU hopefuls can meet university officials

to get their questions answered. The schedule for which is given below

May 24-25, 2008 S.G.T.B.Khalsa College, University Enclave, Delhi.

May 26, 2008 Deen Dayal Upadhaya College, Karampura, Delhi.

May 27, 2008 Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Pitampura, New Delhi

May 28 & 29, 2008 S.P.Jain Centre, South Delhi Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi.

May 30, 2008 Shyam Lal College, Shahdara, Delhi.

May 31, 2008 Vivekananda College, Vivek Vihar, Delhi

Delhi University has also launched a helpline and tele-counseling facility for DU students. The numbers are

27662507 and 27662508

How can I apply for correspondence courses?

Students who do not wish to seek admission to full time Courses in Colleges, or are unable to secure admission have the choice to enroll themselves in the Non-Formal Stream of Education. Information Bulletin and Application Forms for the Non-Formal Stream are available as given below:

I..School of Open Learning June 02 â€“ October 31, 2008

II. Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board June 2 to 20, 2008 (From Board Office)

Can a student pursue another degree course while pursuing a degree at DU?

No, a student can’t pursue another full time degree course while doing BA from the university. But a student can do an add-on course or a part time course.

When is the 1st cut-off list due to be out?

The first admission list will be announced by the Colleges on Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 10.00 a.m. Three more cut-off lists are technically due to come out, but many courses in many colleges are filled by the first list.

What are the requirements for admission in DU?

Students must have passed their class XII from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or any other examination recognized or equivalent to it and should be above 17 years of age as on first day of October of that year.

What all do I carry when I leave home?

Carry a bag pack that has the following items to be on the safer side-

Deodorant!
Carry Chilled water/Juice in a thermos (avoid-soft drinks)
All important documents (list provided below)
All stationary items like-stapler, fevi-stick, loads of passport size photographs, puncher, threads, pens, pencils etc)
Usually eatables are very important to carry. Buying food from the nearest food -vendor may not be a good idea when standing in long lines and oh! Yes, do not eat oily food and dirty the documents!

What important documents should I have on me?

1. Subject-wise mark-sheet of the last public examination (usually the class 12th mark sheet)
2. Pass Certificate -10th and 12th,
3. Character and migration certificates from the institution last attended
4. Certificate of date of birth (normally the secondary school certificate)
5. SC/ST or physical handicap certificate where applicable
6. Certificate of having passed the lower Hindi test (if exemption from compulsory test in Hindi is sought)
7. Medical fitness and participation certificates for admissions on the basis of sports and extra-curricular activities
8. Four copies of a recent passport-size photograph
9. Make sure you carry Xeroxed and attested copies along with your originals

Go to the top of the page

So what about entrances?

Entrances are limited with limited courses in DU. In 2007, only English, Journalism and other CBS programs involved entrances. Considering the latest controversies regarding entrance it is probably wise to check up with individual colleges. The only thing worse than not studying for an entrance exam, is to study for a non-existent one. However, if your target is the Journalism or CBS program, you need to pick up the entrance books and study!

Ok, so what about interviews then?

After entrances come the interviews. Students often assume that interviews are cake walks, however the truth is a shade more sinister. Half the hopeful lot gets eliminated in the interview process. You may just land up in the waiting list which is actually worse. The dreaded waiting list not only comes with the hint of disappointment but also the added horror of sailing in two boats. Acing the interview traditionally requires a lot of devotion to the newspaper and will essentially test your general knowledge. Communication skills and body language are also immensely important.

How do I find out about any registration detail(s)?

Applying is quite simple. Forms and any sort of registration details are always mentioned on the notice board. If incase the notice boards do not mention much of the details, the office is a great place to clear all queries. At times, people may look rude and mean, but one should understand their work pressure and be patient to wait for the turn. At times, due to lack of time, patience may not seem to be the virtue, but then, do remember to take the office numbers and call up during the morning hours and clear all doubts respectively.

What can be done to keep a tab of different college dates?

The Admission Month looks to be a big loop of confusion, but actually it isn’t. For an impatient individual this may be the worst phase in their lives, but for all who can manage the sweet talking, this is the ultimate resort.

However, the admission forms come with the set college dates (which usually differ from college to college). A check on these dates can be made through the net or through personal checks or through telephoning the office. The best option is to divide your group of friends into college zones. Where some are responsible for some college dates and the rest could keep a tab of other college dates. In that way, a symbiotic relationship can help reduce your traveling costs and your time.

Is the course more important or the college?

This important question is the kind of double edged sword that clichÃ©s are invented for in the first place. If the lure of the college starts becoming too strong people might get stuck in a good college doing a course that they don’t want to do. End result, the student is miserable. A similar fate awaits the student who does a good course from a college where the faculty for the course is terrible or required infrastructure is not there. One must find the right balance and make an informed decision before choosing their college and course.

Check out our list of colleges and expertâ€™s comments on courses to make this decision easier for you.

Go to the top of the page

How to go about ECA and Sports Quota Applications?<>

ECA and Sports Quota are meant for talented students who through their admission into the college will nurture their own skills and also further the name of the college. These require different forms from the usual admission forms. Different rules for different colleges are explained in our list of colleges.

What all certificates are required for taking admission through the sports quota?

One should have the certificates for his/her performance at the zonal, state, national, international level. The candidate must have also a won a position to secure admission under this category.

What are the rules for the extra-curricular quota? Do the same rules apply there also?

Yes, the same rules apply there also. But students should have a relevant certificate for the last four years in the field in which he/she has excelled like dance, drama, music, debates etc.

Can I opt for two ECA quotas at one time?

You have to check this with the different colleges or the colleges in which you want to apply.

What are the various quotas one can apply under?

Other than the ECA and Sports quotas discussed earlier there are certain other reservations categories

Children/widows/wives of men of armed forces killed or disabled in action
There is a 5% reservation for this category and extends to a 5% relaxation in marks. Centralized registration is done for arts and commerce courses in room 220, New Administrative Block and in Faculty of Science for the science courses

Foreign students
Up till 5% seats are reserved for foreign students. Applications are dealt with the Deputy Dean (Foreign Students) and can be contacted by e-mail: [email protected] or Phone (-91-11)27666756

Physically challenged candidates
3% reservation is available to candidates having minimum 40% disability. Such candidates should register themselves with the Dean, Students Welfare, Main Campus, where they can get application form for free and avail counseling facilities. The application form should be accompanied by a certificate of disability indicating the extent of disability, bear a photograph of the candidate and be counter signed by a doctor of the medical board issuing the certificate. The candidate also must appear before the medical board, WUS health center

SC, ST and OBC candidates
The University has decided to increase the total number of seats by 18% this year. Seats of other reserved categories

will accordingly be increased and filled up in accordance with the directions of the Ministry of HRD to accommodate

9% (approx.) OBC (non-creamy layer) in this session i.e. 2008-2009.

As in SC/ST reservation where relaxation of 5% in the minimum marks is given; in the OBC category, relaxation of up

to 10% will be given. However, unlike SC/ST admissions where further relaxation is given if seats are left vacant,

there will be no such policy for the OBC seats.

For the courses where admission takes place through entrance tests, there won’t be any relaxation in the

eligibility criteria. However, OBC students will get the 10% relaxation after the test cutoff is determined.

Women
Other than having certain colleges exclusively for girls, some colleges allow upto 5% relaxation in marks for girls

How will inclusion of OBC quota affect the selection process?

With an increase in the number of reserved seats for the OBCs, the University of Delhi has decided to increase the overall number of seats in each course by approximately 36 percent. Thereby this raises the number of seats from 42,000 to 49,000. It is believed that because of this hike in the overall number of seats, the increased reservation for the OBCs will not affect the cut-offs as otherwise speculated. This is some relief for the students from the general category.

Go to the top of the page

I have obtained compartment in one subject in 10+2 exam held in 2008. Can I take admission in DU.

Yes, you can take provisional admission (provided your marks percentage is in cut-off list of any college), subject to passing the compartment examination within stipulated time.If you have been placed in compartment in more than one subject then you are not eligible for admission.

I have a gap year. How does it affect my chances?

The rules of the University of Delhi do NOT stipulate refusal to a candidate because of a gap year. Gap year students are considered at par with other current year students with regard to their cut-off percentages unless any particular college has stated any particular rule in their prospectus.

I had Business Mathematics in 10+2. Is it considered at par with Mathematics?

Business Mathematics is recognized to be equivalent to Mathematics for B.A. (Hons) Economics and B.Com. (Hons) courses only and not for B.A(Hons) /B.Sc(Hons) Mathematics.

Can Vocational subjects be taken into account while computing best of four?

Yes,(but certainly with some riders in some colleges). Please refer to the information bulletin for a list of vocational courses applicable for B.A. and B.A. (Vocational Studies) streams and individual college prospectus.

Can more than one Language be included in best of four?

For computing the Best four Subject (1 Language and 3 electives) combinations, the language can be any of the core languages including Sanskrit. If, besides the core language, a candidate as an elective has taken another language, it can be counted as one of the three best subjects.

I had Bio-technology subject in 10+2. Can it be included in the best three in place of Mathematics?

Bio-technology is NOT a substitute for Mathematics for B.Sc. Physical Sciences, Applied Physical Sciences, Honours courses in Physics, Electronics, Chemistry, and Instrumentation. For Life Science courses Bio-technology is considered as an alternate to Biology. Bio-technology can also be included among the best three electives for Arts and Commerce courses.

What is the academic session for Delhi University?

First term: 16th July to 30th September
Second term: 16th October to 23rd December
Third term: 8th Jan to 24th March

About handling PGs and hostel?

For any out station student the first thing of prime importance becomes PG or hostel accommodation. However, it indeed is a very important part but itâ€™s more important to finalize the college and course. Otherwise, a lot of money is wasted on traveling and transportation in spite of having a nearer accommodation to the college.

Therefore, it is very essential to note that Delhi does not lack PG accommodations, just that you need to get it quick as soon as you decide your college and course. As far as the hostels are concerned, there are a very few colleges in Delhi that support such facilities. A quick check on hostel facilities can be seen in our individual college reviews. A comprehensive list of PGs in prime locations of Delhi will be provided in the newspaper version of DU Beat.

Are there any other questions that you would want to ask us? Please type them out in our comments section and we will include them in our list of questions ASAP.

Or see the questions prospective students asked last year by clicking here.

Keep Reading

Interviews

Eagle’s Eye : In conversation with Raja Sen

By DU Beat February 11, 2009

(As told to Vyoma Dhar Sharma)

Raja Sen joined Rediff.com as a film critic in September 2004 .These days he writes for various other magazines such as Tehelka, Man’s World, and Rolling Stone and is currently working on screenplays . Although he quit Rediff in early 2008, he frequently writes for them on a freelance basis. After graduating from Don Bosco, New Delhi he pursued a Bachelors in English Literature at Delhi College of Arts and Commerce. Then followed a year’s worth of copywriting at J Walter Thompson in Delhi, after which he went off to do an MA in Creative and Media Enterprises at the University of Warwick He tells DU Beat about his experiences in film reviewing, the pressures of the job, the good and bad in Bollywood, benchmarks for box office success and the on-going Oscar fixation that Slumdog Millionaire is generating

DU Beat :Were the initial years on the job extremely demanding and difficult or did you find it very flexible?

RS: The thing is, Rediff has a really great bunch of people. The editorial staff is brilliant, I’m still in touch with a lot of them. So it’s a great place to learn and to find your niche, primarily because it gives you the opportunity to go out on a limb.

DU Beat: The business of film reviews can’t possibly be as uncomplicated and straightforward as most people think. What are some of the intricacies that your readers remain unaware of?

RS: A review can never be wrong its after all its just an opinion. Even two diametrically opposite reviews are as valid as each other. The only difference with my review is that its an ‘informed opinion’, Hence, for me it’s not sufficient to talk about what you liked or didn’t, but important to delve further into the reasons behind it. To appreciate or analyze a film you have to place it in context, provide a benchmark or frames of reference, and essentially try to look closer up at the film than the viewer usually might. And I always think a good review has to have enough flair and panache to be an amusing read by itself, even if someone hasn’t seen the movie concerned.

DU Beat: Which critics do you enjoy reading?

R.S : Well, there’s Stephanie Zacharek of Salon. And then there are David Denby and Anthony Lane, both of the New Yorker. Roger Ebert is in a particularly fine form of late. Sites like metacritic.com [http://metacritic.com] are a fantastic resource.

DU Beat: There is no denying the fact that a film review inevitably has an impact on how it fares at the box office. Does that put pressure on you to be more kind or do you feel empowered to be brutally honest?

RS Initially I was amazed to see the importance people give to a review As far as I see it, several movies which get completely panned by critics go on to make loads of money. And that’s completely fair, I don’t think one factor leads to another at all. So I feel we must go out there and say exactly what we think about a movie,. Similarly, filmmakers need to go out there and, give us movies to feel better about.

As for honesty, I think you have to be consistent to yourself as a critic. Its natural to be biased but one needs to be objective as well. Honesty is just part of the package because if you aren’t honest, you aren’t going to be taken seriously. A good review only matters when it counts, right?

DU Beat: While critiquing a movie, you obviously have to consider many aspects but is there any one, clear cut factor which distinguishes good cinema from bad?

RS : Simple answer: No. Films are such a fantastic medium, it’s impossible to pinpoint what to love or loathe them – even though producers around the world would love to hear an answer. But seriously, anything about a film -from the cinematography to a supporting actress to a particular theme tune -can either get on your nerves or elevate you to a cinematic ecstasy. Not knowing which one it is, is what makes watching movies such a fascinating thing.

DU Beat: So, in 2008 we saw a mixed bag of hits and flops, directors experimenting with period films, horror, comedy, drama, teenage romances and many new actors making their debuts. What has been your favourite and not so favourite offering from Bollywood from last year?

RS Last year was pretty bleak, and there really wasn’t much to applaud except for one flat-out dark drama, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. The film is sensational, and Dibakar Banerjee, the director of the smashing Khosla Ka Ghosla, captures the pulse of Delhi so well. It’s also one of the most minutely detailed films I’ve seen in a while, and the script’s duality is incredible. The characters, the music… Wow.

As for bad ones, where do I start? There was Love Story 2050, which had a wannabe Hrithik Roshan do everything to ape the superstar short of sticking on a prosthetic thumb; there was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, which was plain unnecessary; and then we had cinema’s ‘quality-man,’ so to speak, giving us a very, very average pot-boiler and selling it with biceps and haircuts to make it the year’s biggest hit.

Ghajini is very watchable primarily because of Aamir Khan’s fantastic acting. But it’s a poorly structured, watered-down remake, and the girl is just atrocious.

DU Beat: Have you ever received threats for your frank criticism or generous gifts for sincere praises in your reviews? Can you recount any interesting incident where your words landed you into trouble?

RS Yes, and I’m not going to tell you. On a more serious note, there have been times when directors have called up in the middle of the night and yelled at me, actors have made snide comments in post-release interviews, and production houses have threatened rather illogically to sue me. A couple of people have even blogged pettily about me. I feel you just have to shrug it off and use it as a reminder of how crazy the film industry can be. After all you are just an observer.

DU Beat: Aravind Adiga got the Man Booker prize for revealing the dirty underside of the country and Slumdog Millionaire is raking in awards and unbelievable 10 Oscar nominations. Is putting poverty and deprivation on display the only way for India to gain recognition on the international platform? How important is this international platform?

R.S: I haven’t read Adiga’s book, but I know writers like Arundhati Roy, who almost caricaturise Indian poverty are quite quickly accepted by the West,. Having said that, I think we’re all being too reductive.

Slumdog Millionaire, for example, is quite an exceptional movie. My advice to all those creating a hue and cry over it is that they should appreciate the movie for it realy is rather than politicize its message.

International recognition is important, because it shows we’re doing something as good as the rest of the world is. I’m not saying the Oscars are the be-all and end-all of cinematic achievement, but AR Rahman winning one would be fantastic. He’s someone we should all be proud of, as should we be of all the Indian cast and crew in Slumdog. The world deserves to see the best of Indian talent, and if the Oscars reach more people – and they do – then I’m all for it.

Keep Reading