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Karto...I think you do misunderstand me. It was the Bollywood system and culture that I was getting at. In India, the Bollywood film industry is known as notoriously difficult to get into. Very much more so if you do not have family connections. People rarely get taken on for talent alone. Also Mehir Bose, commenting on a Bollywood film book, admitted the casting couch tradition is rife. India once had thriving repertory theatres. The lack of drama schools is just a symptom of the Bollywood culture. Because as you point out, the screenwriters, scripts and storylines are so shamelessly copied, the actors do not have much scope to characterise or develop their roles. Even top actors work on several films at once, rushing from one sound stage to the other. In such a factory output environment, who needs drama schools?

The Calcutta/Bengali, the Malayalam, film industries are very different and produce a whole variety of excellent films, many of which have endured over the decades.

Let's hope you are right and that Bollywood stops ripping off other films. Only greed and laziness stops that industry from investing in capitalising on the innovative ideas and originality that they undoubtedly possess by the bucket-load. If so, their actors can only gain in expanding and creating more multi dimensional roles.

- Malani, London

Malani,if I understand you correctly,you seem to be maligning the talents of actors currently performing in Hindi Films or Bollywood. True,Bollywood,shamelessly steals themes,plots,ideas,and entire scripts directly from Hollywood movie without so much as a by-your-leave, but even this will have to end very shortly as the films become more and more popular and available in the West. (Amitabh can't do a decent Morgan Freeman in my opinion and most countries will start to sue.) High time. But as for your remark that the Western actors have some grounding in their craft through training in Drama schools , having graduated from one of those schools myself, I can honestly say that the young crop of actors I see on a daily basis on the Indian acting scene seem very capable to me indeed.

- Kartofflmuter, San Jose,USA

Non resident Indians who have relatives in India, know first hand of how people complain all the time about the levels of corruption there. Money for roads, state school teachers salaries, water, wells, even fly-overs are siphoned off into the pockets of high officials and their bureaucracy. Few taxes are paid by the populace or collected. This partly explains why poverty remains high, particularly in rural areas. I hope things will change for Bilal and his family. If only the Indian authorities could outlaw and bring severe punishments for those who maim children in order to profit from their begging. The scene of blinding the children in Slumdog Millionaire remains vivid in my memory. Just because it does happen in true life. If that film draws attention to this hideous practise, and even prevents one child's blinding, it will have been worth it! Let us hope the Bilal film is shown everywhere and brings help for those struggling to survive with such inspirational spirit.

- Anita, Leicester

I wonder if this film would have been taken any notice of internationally if the tag 'Slumdog' hadn't got attached to it. British people have donated big sums to Africa since Geldoff's Live Aid, but even now the only films or documentaries we see about Africa, apart from news coverage, are those about poverty fronted by big name stars. There was a time you'd see frequent television cultural docs on India by Michael Wood and many others. They don't get made now. The UK gets fed an endless diet of crime and police chase reality TV in recent times.

From the '60's into the '90's, Brits back-packed through both those countries. First overland on shoestrings, then later, India was the destination for the gap year travellers. Political situations ended that, but a not insignificant number of westerners and Australians, had quite a bit of exposure and familiarity with exploring India and the subcontinent. So maybe not so naive as some sensitive souls concerned about 'image', good or bad, may think.

If Bilal's director, Sourav Sarangi has 8 international awards, good luck in the Academy Awards. India has had a 'shame' culture, where you didn't seek to expose the bad stuff in public. Expect that was why Boyle & Co were jumped on by some. This film's director may do what Dickens did for Victorian London. Poverty can't begin to be eradicated by charitable means and good will only. It takes concerted State-wide determination in implementing civic will and effort.

- Paul, Bristol

Slumdog in its portrayal of a more critty India could not have been good for portraying its image to a relative naive audience, in very much the same as Tstotsi has for South African and Children of God for Brazil.

- Tbear, Frankfurt, Germany

Wouldn't it be good to hear the title of the film!

- Christina Galustian, Brighton East Sussex

At some point people will have to begin to realize that Slumdog Millionaire is purely fiction. It was adapted from a novel by an Indian author, who created a story which revolved around the popular TV quizz show, Who Wants to be Millionaire. Slumdog did bring India to a worldwide audience in a way that Indian books, TV and its film Industry has so far not managed to do. Awareness of India and Indians has increased outside of its diaspora.

The Bollywood film industry is regularly touted by its fans as the biggest in the world. It will get wider worldwide attention by developing innovative and new techniques, by using the vast monies it rakes in on cutting edge equipment, SPX depts, designers, etc. When its not derivative, and when actors/actresses have have some grounding in their craft. Western actors are sometimes chosen on looks and charisma alone, but most have had training in the many drama schools and TV drama's.

Look forward to seeing the documentary highlighted in this article. Let those concerned in its making, and everyone else, understand the difference between fiction drama and the stories and documentaries of real life human beings.

- Malani, London

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