Mira Nair and Salaam Bombay

1
Mira Nair and Salaam Bombay
2
Introduction to 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)

3
Films by Mira Nair

• Jama Masjid Street Journal (1979)
• So Far From India (1982)
• India Cabaret (1985)
• Children of a Desired Sex (1987)
• Salaam Bombay (1988)
• Mississippi Masala (1991)
• The Perez Family (1993)
• Kama Sutra A Tale of Love (1997)
• My Own Country (1998)
• Monsoon Wedding (2001)

4
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
• A departure from Bollywood
• Are there any traces of Bollywood influence in
  the film?

5
Name and Identity

• What is the significance of name change in the
  film? (Krishna Chaipau)
• Krishna
• Herdsman and flutist
• 8th avatar of Vishnu

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Major Themes in Salaam Bombay

• Growth and coming of age
• Migratory identity people drifted to the
  metropolis (ex) shots of the train station
• Desire for home 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 Manjus family?

7
Major Themes (2)

• Comradeship and betrayal
• What are Krishnas relationships with other
  street children?
• Why does Krishna fall in love with Sweet Sixteen?
• What are the many betrayals in the film?
• Repetition Krishna Chillum
• The Sweet Sixteen Manjus mother

8
Social Realism and criticism

• the production shot on location, street children
• Homeless children (Dickensian)
• Prostitution
• Drug trade
• Traces of colonialism (ex. the foreigner)
• Class difference
• Well-fare institutions (ex. Chiller room)
• How is the Chiller room portrayed in the film?

9
Salaam Bombay and Earth

• What do you think about the ending of Salaam
  Bombay? Is there any hope for the street
  children?
• Compare and contrast the two films.
• Can you think of any other film that is
  comparable to Salaam Bombay?