India not happy with Avengers

[samurainoir]

Excellent point. Maybe if India would stop treating a huge segment of its population as dirt, they'd get some more global respect as well. Respect is a two way street.

Well stated.

If it were only that easy to erase such deeply ingrained societal programming within any given country. You have to remember that even in the United States, they were still battling the socio-economic legacy of slavery and segregation with the Civil Rights movement a century after the Civil War granted freedom to the slaves.

For me, being the son of immigrants, and having so many friends, family and peers in a similar situation, it makes Canada seem like heaven on earth. The idea of living in the most multicultural place on the planet, where the ideal is for people bring the best parts of their cultures (food, dance, music, art, celebration), leaving the rest of it behind for better lives. For the most part it works rather peaceably, and I find it quite astonishing the people I meet from around the world who come to study this model of our society.

However, I'm under no illusions that my country was not built on a legacy of cultural imperialism, and there are still huge societal issues around the large segregated native population that struggles to find it's place Within this multicultural mosaic. Something that is not easily solved no matter how many government programs and funding we seem to throw at it. It seems most countries still struggles with these kind of socio-economic "castes" to a certain degree.

[Gorn Captain]

Having said that...India should shut up until India gets rid of its antiquated caste system.

I have spoken!

Excellent point. Maybe if India would stop treating a huge segment of its population as dirt, they'd get some more global respect as well. Respect is a two way street.

[Operation:Mego]

Having said that...both India and Mexico should shut up until India gets rid of its antiquated caste system...and Mexico of its drug cartel violence.

I have spoken!

[Hector]

but I have been in many impoverished areas around the world. I have never seen poverty like there is in India. I actually thought the "slum" in the movie was far nicer than some of what I saw in India.

I'd rather live in India than in these places...

World's Poorest Countries Infoplease.com

[Wee67]

I understand the sensitivty, but its really hard to get all the diversity that exists in a 3-minute scene. The storytelling here is not about India. A more diverse showing would have completely destroyed the storyline.

Much more importantly, I would ask how it is in a nation that has seen HUGE amounts of money coing into from foreign investment that only a few seem to benefit. When I was in the nation's capitol, I was stunned to find out that many of the homes there only get water a few hours each week. Admittedly, I have generally been to big cities and tourist destinations, but I have been in many impoverished areas around the world. I have never seen poverty like there is in India. I actually thought the "slum" in the movie was far nicer than some of what I saw in India.

[Hector]

I can kinda see where the Indians are coming from.

I sometimes feel the same way when Mexico is depicted in many Hollywood flicks.

The vast majority of the time...Mexico is some dusty pueblo town full of adobe houses...and burros as the main means of transportation...lol.

But in reality...Mexico does have a solid infrastructure with plenty of modern cities, highways, bridges, etc...many seen my pictures of Mexico City...some of you admitted that you were surprised...the same goes to other Mexican cities such as Guadalajara, Monterrey, etc...believe it or not...there's a substantial middle class south of the border.

Do I get annoyed? Nah, not really...more like amused...lol.

The point is that yes...places like India and Mexico do indeed have slums...but usually the bad gets more attention in the movies than the good.

Having said that...both India and Mexico should shut up until India gets rid of its antiquated caste system...and Mexico of its drug cartel violence.

I have spoken!

[samurainoir]

Here is an example of a Canadian film that is deeply critical of India's social structure, and also features the real life mother of a friend of mine. She is a westerner who has done some incredible things to try and address injustices around the way Hindu widows are treated within India. Well worth a movie of her own, and this movie might have done even better at the box office if she had been the central character. But it wouldn't have been the same movie if it wasn't seen through the eyes of a young girl trapped within that station and situation. The fact that the film maker, Deepa Mahta, is a female ex-pat of India, is very significant as well. Her films tend to anger the people of India, so much so that she is no longer allowed to film there.

As a Canadian taxpayer, I happily foot the bill so that stuff like this exists. Unfortunately, the block booking of our theatrical distribution system by Hollywood product now ensures that even the homegrown films produced by our top talent here can only get on 23 first run screens nationally (in english language canada) in the best case scenario (unless they get the Oscar nod after the fact, or it's a film about teenage female werewolves).

Water - Deepa Mehta Film - Bollywood Movie Bluray, Subt | eBay
Indian Hindi DVD " Water " Lisa Ray John Abraham Deepa Mehta | eBay

[samurainoir]

Careful John! That's starting to look like an essay.

Again, much less to do with the specific film of the moment, although Avengers grabs the headlines obviously. And more to do with the trend of how Hollywood has typically depicted India overall historically.

I don't necessarily agree with the complaint leveled specifically at Avengers (I obviously love the film), but I do like to try and understand where they are coming from. A country that has freed itself from Western imperialism within the past century would have certain feelings about seeing movies starring Patrick Swayze as the answer to India's problems.

Take into account an indie film like Slumdog millionaire (which never would have been greenlit by the Hollywood players), being such a huge global critical and commercial hit a few years ago, showing the diversity of India (good and bad) and starring South East Asians, this might seem a bit of a throwback.

But you are correct it could be set anywhere that has slums, and within the context of the movie it is very insignificant. But it does grab the headlines right? It does contain the message that India has it's own homegrown film Industry, and remember that this article in the Huffington Post Is based on one that appeared in the Hindi newspaper aimed for that particular readership.

The Hindustan Times also reported rumors that an "Avengers" sequel may be filmed in India, citing a source from the film's team who said director Joss Whedon wanted to "grab more eyeballs." The superhero film was very well-received in India, racking up 15 crore over its opening weekend (and beating out all other films).

With the global marketplace being the only way for films with huge budgets like this to ever recoup their costs, film makers probably do have reason to listen to potential consumer bases of billions and a developing economy that will no doubt be a very powerful consumer force as the 21st Century continues. Personally, I think Captain America was the very best film coming out of the recent Marvel slate of films, but there is a reason why it has the lowest of the box office tallys worldwide, and it had to a retitled "First Avenger" for some markets.

There is a reason that Iron Man 3 is very likely going to be a co-production with China.

[johnmiic]

This reminds me of when gov't. in Iran complained about the film 300, (so embarassing that the Greeks slaughtered so many of you even tho you won in the end, eh?). I find the criticism in the article to be pretty weak, that the filmmaker was ignorant, was disrespectful and it, "could have been done in better taste." So how do you tastefully depict a slum? India is known for having about 1,000 leper colonies, (source-Wikipedia, Wikimedia Error). It sounds like you can't throw a rock without hitting one.

Banner is hiding out and helping out. He's on the lam and just doing his part to get by. He doesn't do it with any fanfare or plant an American flag or push western ideas on anyone. He is also serving a form of penance here. He knows what the HULK is capable of and is doing good deeds to offset that. It's all pretty low key and it's serves the story well.

More likely the real reason is closer to what Gorn Captain said. Altho the fact that these scenes were filmed in New Mexico and not in India, (probably to save on budget), might be salt in the wound too. The studio and the director have nothing to apologize for here. The film has proven very popular in India and these are a few loud and vocal naysayers.

The best way to fix this would be to change the title, which nails down the location: India, to a different country and dub a different foreign language over the little girl when she speaks for the DVD release. Don't like your portrayal in the film? We can remove you from it completely. Problem solved.

[samurainoir]

In Independence Day, the first army to get wiped out by the aliens is the Belgian army. I was outraged!

Dude!

[samurainoir]

I think that no nationality likes to be portrayed stereotypically. Poverty is a huge problem in India, and they use their movie industry as an escape from reality. I'm sure that they would love to see a heroic Indian superhero, to boost their morale, and not another wretched soul begging for food.

That is exactly it. You are totally right given their most expensive/lavish production ever that was released last year was Ra One (because Iron Man did not have enough dance numbers). I'm living in a country who's indigenous homegrown film industry has been swallowed by the hollywood machine the past couple of decades, so I can understand Bollywood wanting to try and push their own product and cultural diversity.


And I think the main issue of the article is being missed here. Keeping in mind India's history, you might understand why they could possibly feel this way.

Some Bollywood actors and other Indians claim the Marvel release parrots the tired trope of a Westerner coming and saving beleaguered Easterners.

[Gorn Captain]

I think that no nationality likes to be portrayed stereotypically. Poverty is a huge problem in India, and they use their movie industry as an escape from reality. I'm sure that they would love to see a heroic Indian superhero, to boost their morale, and not another wretched soul begging for food.
It's like being a Star Trek fan: they are usually portrayed as obese, socially awkward, wearing a stupid Spock T-shirt, and never having been near a (non-inflatable) woman. Some may actually be like that, but I'm sure you'd prefer not looking like that in a movie scene...

[garagesale]

Personally, I was offended by how The Avengers showed only the urban side of America. All those cityscapes getting destroyed, as if the barns and alfalfa fields of the heartland are not "cool" enough for aliens and superheroes to fight in.

JamesD

[jwyblejr]

^At least you guys had Indiana Jones fighting for you during WWI.

[Gorn Captain]

In Independence Day, the first army to get wiped out by the aliens is the Belgian army. I was outraged!