Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Sad 'State' of Affairs....

India is a country which is statistically very strong. We all know that, though statistics are good markers - they're not the absolute truth. This is what applies to India. Our GDP is in trillions but our per capita income is very low. Our economic growth is 8% p.a. but the disparities between the rich and the poor are there for everyone to see.

So, when the Indian film Industry makes nearly 800 movies a year - you would think that we would get some critical recognition (in the form of... an Oscar) in the industry's existence. There are various factors (like the Oscar jury being biased against Indian films) which don't help us without a doubt. But, believe me, we're doing our cause no favours. By nominating movies like Ek Lavya, we're simply increasing suspicion about our credibility. Our country seems to be playing politics everywhere.

The funny part about this situation is that we might end up not having a nomination at all if things go all wrong (as if they already haven't!). It is certainly a sorry state of
affairs for the president of the jury to admit, a month after the movie was nominated to admit foul play in its nomination. 800 movies and no nomination? Don't believe statistics completely!

Doesn't this completely make fools out of Indians on the whole? Where's the transparency anywhere, where's the accountability? Be it the nuclear deal or the great Indian debacle against Australia - nobody seems to stand up and say "Sorry, my bad". Everyone loves to point fingers in India - that could become our 'national gesture'.

While we're talking about embarrassments - it would be apt to add that India ranks 120th (out of 149 countries) in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index. We're drowning ourselves in glory aren't we? I mean, we're the biggest democracy and there is no freedom for the press, no freedom of expression for bloggers.

I've ranted about India not being a true democracy in the past. This proves that even though you have 1.2 billion people in a democracy, you can't be the largest provider of freedom. So, then that vindicates the fact that statistics don't mean everything, right?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

well, if u look at things that way, in my opinion, i think- if oscars r biased against our films, let them be! they have their set of awards..and the only reason y they nominate our films is because they have a compulsory award for 'foriegn films'..

and well, i think india shud one day cum up to a stage where people from other countries shud wanna get awards from our industry..

Yeshwanth Yk said...

come to think of it which democracy as big or even near our size has the kind of freedom you are talking about..i am not saying this out of patriotism or anything
no country is perfect..and politics is present in every walk of life..and i guess an oscar shouldn't really be your grading india a bad democracy.

blackandblue said...

@wicked - My 'grading' India as a bad democracy is not based solely on the oscars.. if you did read the complete entry, which I believe u wud've!