India (2): The Lives of Street Kids in Mumbai

Salaam Bombay

Migrant populations flock to the outskirts of cities to find work. (source)

Outline

Background (1): Mira Nair and the Children Background (2):

Bombay & Bollywood Colonial Influences Religion

Questions Salaam Bombay

Mira Nair and Salaam Bombay

Mira Nair Born in Bhubaneshwar,

Orissa in 1957 (middle class family)

Attended the University of New Delhi (Sociology and Theater)

Went to Harvard in 1976 (Sociology) (source)

Salaam Bombay (1988) Mississippi Masala (1991) –

Indian immigrants in relations to Afro-Americans

Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997) based on an Indian classic

Monsoon Wedding (2001) Indians and immigrants

[Vanity Fair (2004) ] The Namesake (2006) Indian

immigrants

Salaam Bombay! History of Production

1. Interviews of street kids in Bombay.2. Out of these interviews emerged a screenplay

that was a composite of several lives. 3. “Then many [24 out of 150] of the children were

enlisted for weeks in a daily workshop, not to teach them "acting" (for that they already knew from hundreds of overacted Indian film melodramas), but to teach them how to behave naturally in front of the camera.” (source)

What happened to the children?

1. "Our whole attitude was to meet them halfway and help them realize their own self-worth and dignity," said Nair in a … interview with The Christian Science Monitor (12 Oct 1988, p.19). "[We] wanted to help them create opportunities they want for themselves." Responding to this respectful approach, some children entered school, some returned home to their villages, some got jobs, and some have stayed on the streets.

2. Nair uses proceeds from the film to open learning centers for street children in both Bombay and Delhi. (source)

3. The film’s interviews

Salaam Bombay!

Awards: the New Director's Award at the

Cannes Film Festival in 1988 an Academy Award nomination for best foreign film in 1989

Neo-Realism; A departure from Bollywood Musical.

Bollywood “come back a movie star.”

Traces of Colonial Influences

Traces of Colonial Influences

Traces of Religion?

Traces of Religion? Parade of Ganesh

Questions 500 rupees: How does Krishna go to Bombay? Why is

he away from home? Why does he go to Bombay and what does he want to do there? (clip 7;11//chap 8, 11—41:00 )

A migrant in a city: What is Krishna’s first experience of Bombay? (clip 1) Is there a pattern in his life there? Does he “grow” in the film?

Street kids and migrants in a city: How does he relate to the people he meets in Bombay? (e.g. Manju, Sweet 16, Manju’s mother, Chillum & the other street kids.) e.g. Why does Krishna fall in love with Sweet Sixteen? Is there a common pattern in their lives?

Religion, Culture and the Government: How do Bollywood musical, religion and the government influence the kids in the film?

Major Themes

Major Theme 1: Migrants in the city Major Theme 2: comradeship and betrayal Major Theme 3: Other Social factors

(Language Differences and Illiteracy;

slums in Bombay, government inefficiency;

Colonialism/tourism -- in the background)

(1) Migratory identity in Salaam Bombay Migratory identity: people drifted to the

metropolis, lost in the crowd, e.g. shots of the train station

-- Chaipau: his name (Krishna); no home address

-- Chillum: completely lost Mixture of language & illterate

-- the sweet 16: no name,

no language

Salaam Bombay: survival How do Krishna and the other kids

survive? Skin chicken, clean chicken coops; keeps a

sense of beauty and love rob an old man, serve in a rich man’s

wedding party

Major Themes in Salaam BombayDesire for home

e.g. Krishna

-- tries to write home

-- needs 500 rupees so that he can go home

-- forms a “family” in Bombay (Chillum, the other children).

What about Manju’s

family?

Salaam Bombay: The migrants in a city (2)

Manju’s family— Baba – child-abuser and pimp (chaps 12, 15 ) Mother –loving but cannot help (happy moments

when the father is not around) Manju– lonely and in desperate need of love. (e.g.

clips 8, 9, 12, 14//chap 13, 14)

Manju – reaching out in her own ways

Salaam Bombay: a series of betrays

Chillum

Baba His wife & Manju

Krishna

The Sweet Sixteen The circus

boss

The other street kids

Major Themes (2): Vicious Circle? Comradeship, betrayal and rebellion/survival-- Pattern

of Repetition: Drug-dealing: the death of the previous drug dealer, Chillum

and then another Chillum. Cheating: Manju’s mother cheated, The Sweet Sixteen

Some are self-destructive and some, surviving Chillum – has no friend; cheats Krishna with his “bank.” Krishna’s setting fire as a way of rebellion against his

brother, and then against the whorehouse

Major Themes 3: Social Factors

Why are Baba and his wife not named? Why do people call Krishna “Chaipau”? What roles do Krishna God play in this

film? And the “Chiller room”? (clip 20, 22) Who sends the two kids to Chiller room? How is the chiller room presented?

Bollywood & Mixture

hybrid culture and identity (e.g. Chillum, Manju’s dance—clip 3; Ms. Hawaii in the movie clip 6/chap 4, 6 21:00 )

Salaam Bombay: social factors

State intervention: Chiller Room (Children’s Home)

drug, prostitution and Bollywood traces of colonial influence:

cricket, tourists, statues, movies Religion: helpless. E.g. Ganesh (ending)

The Role of the Government Disciplines only to lead to violence,

indifference of the guards and endless procrastination in bureaucracies

Self-righteous intervention of Manju’s family.

Patterns in Krishna’s Life: survival, fun, betrayal.

Fun with the Spinning Top

Left Behind …

The Ending?

Left alone Weeping Spinning top Looking up at the camera --calm

References:

Roger Elbert. SALAAM BOMBAY!

Next week: stories of 3 girls and a young woman During the time of partition -- in Earth; Over the issue of marriage in “Gainda”