Twelve months ago, I had no particular interest in traveling to the Republic of India.  India has been gaining increased recognition as a potent professional force over the past decade, particularly in the field of information-technology, but it wasn’t until the story of Jamal Malik hit the silver-screen late last year that a curiosity grew within me about India’s everpresent cultural legacy.

Having spent much of my adolescence in the cultural melting-pot that is Los Angeles I have to admit that I’ve been exposed to Indian culture a fair amount.  Whenever my mother would work late I would just go to “Hurry Curry”, an Indian restaurant, two blocks away from my house in Venice, and get some potato bread and Chicken Curry.  When at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, “Mumbai Taste” was and still is, my default lunch location.  I suspect that I could probably have the Chicken Masala every day of the week and still yearn for it on weekends.  Even in San Luis Obispo, when getting a late night snack downtown, the only sauce that I take with my Bel Frites is the “Curry Mango Chutney.”

Despite my obvious adoration of Indian cuisine, I would be lying if I said that I ever had an overwhelming desire to visit the second most populous nation on earth.  Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunset”, left me with no choice but to visit Paris.  Danny Boyle’s “The Beach”, has me thinking about Thailand every summer.  Bollywood style films, however, are simply not my cup of tea.  As a general rule I don’t go to the movies to watch musicals, though every once in a blue moon I could be persuaded.  Bollywood originals, however, are verbally, musically, and culturally incomprehensible to me.  The song and dance numbers are a tad over the top, and to make matters worse from my western point of view, there is no sex appeal to speak of.  From what I’ve been told, there isn’t even any kissing in Bollywood films.

Sure enough though, about a year ago, Danny Boyle, director of not only “The Beach,” but also “Trainspotting” and “28 days later” of all films; made history by directing the most significant and successful film of his career, “Slumdog Millionaire”. Slumdog won eight out of the ten Academy Awards that it was nominated for; including, Best Picture, and Best Director. Not only did it receive broad critical acclaim in America and other parts of the western world, but it was also a box-office smash hit.  The film’s setting of a swiftly globalizing India is timely, entertaining, somewhat informative, but most important of all:  it has magnified India’s visibility and profile to the rest of the world.  Furthermore, it has accelerated the mingling of American and Indian cultures, as the film’s title track “Jai Ho”, not only won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but for months after the movie’s release, I was listening to it on many of the “Hit” radio stations in Los Angeles.  Now, thanks in large part to this terrific piece of fiction, my curiosity about this part of the world has peaked, and I am tremendously excited about my upcoming trip to India this upcoming Summer!

-John Barry