Salaam Bombay (Widescreen Special Edition) [DVD]

In much of the movie, it doesn't seem like they're acting, which is to say the performances are VERY believable. Some points in the story, however, seemed less than believable. Krishna stealing food while he's serving guests at a wedding - putting them in his shirt and no one giving a second glance? The boss not noticing them in his T-shirt when giving him his pay?Or what about the little girl being sent to the "prison" camp? Orphanage? I found it hard to believe that her mother couldn't get her back, even though she was a prostitute (on the other hand, wackier things HAVE gone down in India - for another riveting story which details more than a few, check out the book "A Fine Balance").The scenes where Krishna and the little girl are doing all they can to help his junkie friend get his "medicine" - powerful. The ending seemed a bit drastic, though the final shots spoke volumes without saying a word. I'd give this movie 4.5 stars. Well-worth watching, especially if you've got a taste for gritty street movies. It doesn't get much grittier than Bombay. In fact this is a beautiful movie in spite of its dark theme.

Having seen most of director, Mira Nair's other films, I felt I was long overdue for this one, and I WAS! I find it hard to believe that she was only 30 years old when she directed this very powerful film. Of course, location was important in its impact on the viewer, but it took me several days for the visual force of this film to leave my mind. Actually, I watched it again, a week later, and found it all the more touching and overwhelming in how it depicts an amazing culture and the more amazing street children of Bombay. Nair brings a huge sensitivity and compassion to her subject matter, and while I wish I had seen it sooner, I am grateful that I have at least seen it now, and will again, many times in the future. The message is clear: we are all one people, one heart, one blood, and we must all take care of one another, AND this planet, or we will ALL perish. An extraordinary experience.Pru McDonald

I purchased this movie because my high school seniors had just finished the novel Nectar in a Sieve, and I wanted to give them some visuals regarding the poverty in India; it's so hard for us to picture. I found this movie, and previewed it, wondering if my college prep class would get anything out of it, but they were fascinated! Salaam Bombay is a VERY different type of filmmaking from what they usually see, and they noticed the long, lingering shots; the muted color palate; and the untutored acting of the cast. I would have loved to have had more information for them about Indian culture, so I could have answered some of their more difficult questions, but I found what I could on the web.

Advertised as ‘English language’, but there was no option to have ENGLISH as the spoken (dubbed) language.

I think many people have already reviewed Mira Nair's wonderful movie and it touches the heart in ways that much more scripted films about India don't. But equally moving are the short narratives by and about the actors themselves that are included in the extra features. Made about ten years after the film itself, they are moving vignettes about the impact the film and its makers had on a community of young people in urban Bombay (Mumbai). Quite stunning!

I guess I dislike films about pimps, drugs and child abuse. Nothing like advertised as "Spectacular! Excellent!" that is printed on the DVD cover. Unimpressive and not of a high artistic quality. I would only recommend it to kill time, if you have lots of it, as you will be spending 15 minutes trying to remove the DVD and then almost 2 hours watching this mediocre movie. So, to open the DVD I had to destroy the entire packaging down to removal of the cover. It was sealed in two layers of plastic and to remove the THREE (3) security device warning stickers I had to completely destroy and remove the hard plastic that holds the colourful (yes, it's the correct spelling) "booklet sheet" with picture and info.

Former documentarist Mira Nair's angry, disconsolate, and deeply moving drama about poverty and child homelessness in India was shot on location and stars a cast of non-actors the director recruited from Bombay slums. Like De Sica and other Italian neorealists, Nair focuses with unblinking tenderness on the blighted lives of her protagonists, juxtaposing Krishna's squalid existence with the lush extravagance of the Bollywood musicals he so enjoys. Great performances, affecting imagery, and a heartbreaking plotline deservedly won "Salaam" worldwide acclaim.

This movie is a very realistic portrayal of homeless children in Bombay. I love the special features especially when they catch up with some of the actors many years after the movie was first released.

Indian film-maker Mira Nair’s 1988 debut fiction feature, telling a tale of the loss of childhood innocence on the corrupt, poverty-stricken streets of Bombay, remains an authentic and powerful piece of cinema. Very much in evidence here is Nair’s previous experience in documentary film-making, as she and cinematographer Sandi Sissel evocatively convey the bustling milieu of the populous Indian city, together with all its contradictions in terms of wealth inequality and a seeming absence of moral values. Against the backdrop of the film’s undoubted qualities of verisimilitude, Nair and regular co-writer Sooni Taraporevala have carved out a subtly engaging, and increasingly powerful, narrative, in the process marshalling a cast of first-time child actors to impressive effect. Nair and Taraporevala also do not pull any punches in terms of the depiction of the film’s (and city’s) less salubrious themes, in particular, around child trafficking and prostitution, and drug addiction.One of the central themes here – frequently depicted in cinema elsewhere – is the corrupting influence of the 'big city’ (with its supposedly 'more civilised’ values) vs. that of rural life. Here, it is a rural life that Shafiq Syed’s (11-year old) young innocent Krishna (aka Chaipau), has been forced to leave behind in order to make good on a family debt (of 500 rupees), resulting in the boy finding himself suffering a pauper’s existence (as a teaboy) in the big city, in amongst fellow street urchins (mature beyond their years) and (more worryingly) pimps, junkies, brothel madams and child prostitutes. Of course, the sordid nature of goings-on here is made all the more effective by being witnessed (predominantly) from a child’s viewpoint – a young girl being forced to wait in the next room whilst her prostitute mother meets a client, the virginity of a new ‘recruit’ being highly prized, etc. A brilliant (and devastating) sequence is that where the camera lingers on a young girl who has 'pilfered’ a biscuit, a 'treat’ to stave off hunger, nervously looking around, anticipating the consequences should she be discovered. All of Nair’s cast impress here, particularly Syed and Nana Patekar as the creepily charismatic pimp and ‘family man’, Baba. The friendship between Chaipau and Raghuvir Yadav’s 'jack-the-lad’ and junkie, Chillum, is also particularly touching, whilst the stark contrast between Chaipau’s meagre existence and the make-believe world of Bollywood is repeatedly drawn by Nair.In terms of comparator films, I’m sure there are many. Satyajit Ray’s renowned Apu Trilogy is an obvious reference point, whilst both Bunuel’s Los Olvidados and Fernando Meirelles’ more recent City of God provide even more extreme examples of the corrupting influence of money and power on impressionable, impoverished youth. That Nair’s film can be mentioned in this sort of company is high praise indeed.

Having watched Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy as well as “Manahagar”/”The Big City”, I was eager to delve deeper into the world of Indian cinema. So I followed a recommendation from one of my film books and watched Mira Nair’s 1988 film “Salaam Bombay!”. If you’re not familiar with it, it is about a young boy, abandoned by the travelling circus he was involved with, who uses what money he has to travel to poverty stricken Bombay; surrounded by pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers, he constantly tries to get the 500 rupees he needs to return to his family.The film is definitely reminiscent of “City of God”, perhaps as well as “Slumdog Millionaire” and the excellent “Wadjda” and this film is wonderful as well. I think I’ll start off with the music because it is just beautiful and moving; juxtaposed with the striking images of poverty stricken streets, it certainly elicits an emotional reaction. I was able to see the streets through the young boy Krishna’s eyes and was left wondering “How could it get like this?” On a related note, the production design is great and the film is visually impressive.There are also great performances throughout, even from the child actors, most of whom came from the streets and went through training to teach them how to act in the film. I also loved the Neo Realism element of the film, proving that Indian cinema isn’t just about Bollywood! “Salaam Bombay!” is certainly an ideal film to watch after seeing some of Satyajit Ray’s films.So in conclusion, this is a gritty, thoughtful, powerful, well made film; my admiration for world cinema continues.

I cannot claim that you will feel quite content after watching this movie. Or beam with feelings of happiness or joy. Nevertheless, this is powerful viewing and grips you from the opening scene and removes you from this world until the final credits. For many of us, (most of us actually) the reality of this movie is bound to lead to feelings of guilt/discomfort. And one cannot help but also drawing parallels between this and Slumdog Millionaire. Clearly, a lot has been borrowed from this movie.It remains however, a brilliant piece of cinema, and demands a visit to Bombay (now Mumbai). I can assure you, nothing has changed.

Another moving story by Mira Nair. India is changing fast and this is one aspect of the country which neither tourists nor scholars get to see much. Drugs, prostitution and outrageous neglect of justice by the authorities paint a damning picture of the city we know of as the economic capital of India and home of Bollywood.Not a pretty film, but, over twenty years after its shooting, still a must see to understand India.

It is reality and some people may not like it because of of that, heart wrenching and sad about the people few care about who only thing they have is hope and each other.