I had the distinct pleasure and sadness after reading a book called "Maximum City" by one, Suketu Mehta, the pleasure of reading a beautiful non fiction and the sadness at the the misery of life portrayed in a place in India used to be called "Bombay". Then there is Mira Nair, who has the courage and conviction to put a face to the misery even though the movie was made before the book came out. The stark poverty, where it comes down to the survival of the fittest is beautifully portrayed by Nair, with some great acting by the child actors and Nana Patekar who could be considered "Morgan Freeman" of the Indian Cinema. The movie is depressing and sad but there is no way to sugar coat a story that is as naked as this. The saddest part would be that things have not changed that much if Nair revisited the city now called "Mumbai" even though Mira Nair herself has gone to greener-pasteur with "Monsoon Wedding" and "Vanity Fair".
Review of Salaam Bombay!
