USA, March 16, 2009: Although immensely popular in the U.S., the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” has generated a great deal of controversy for its no-holds-barred depiction of terrible poverty and exploitation, its treatment of violence between Hindus and Muslims, and its departures from the book on which it was based.
The article linked above relates the film to the strategy of demonizing Hinduism — widely used by missionaries aginst the Hindu faith. A film such as “Slumdog,” which appeals to the widely held Western predilection for self-righteously deploring the conditions in which others live, fits well into the “demonization” strategy. Indeed, Danny Boyle, director of the movie, confessed in an interview that he wanted to be a Christian missionary when he was young and that he is still very much guided by these ideals.