What do prisoners, Latika and Jamal all have in common? They all have the ability to break it down and dance their hearts out to the song Jai Ho. Yes that is right; Slumdog Millionaire has spread all over the world, literally all over. This includes a penitentiary unit in the Cebu Province in the Philippines.  Do not let the bright orange jumpsuits fool you because these prisoners could keep up with the best of the Bollywood dancers. As entertaining as this performance is, the reproducation and the original, I questioned whether or not this Slumdog dance accurately portrays Bollywood and Indian culture's style of dance.  I have some experience enabling me to recognize an authentic style, as I was exposed to this old genre of Indian cinema and dance as a child; my dad was born and raised in Sri Lanka. However, just to be sure, I wanted to further research this topic to understand what both the original and reproduction could tell us about culture.

Mumbai is mostly the setting for Slumdog Millionaire as well as the birthplace of the Bollywood cinema industry.  With a movie like Slumdog Millionaire, portraying India in a very visual and honest way, I assumed that the dance number at the end would resemble a typical Bollywood movie.  The original version has a good start as the movie ends and a dance number erupts on a train station platform. Bollywood dance numbers are usually explosive, colorful and entertaining like the original version, so it had that going for it.  It is also common for the hero or heroine to be the main focus of the dance, with the supporting troupe behind them. This can clearly be seen in the movie as well as the reproduction.  The original actors did not sing Jai Ho, nor did they pretend to. In Bollywood films the actors would lip sync, as most people in the film industry could dance and act, but not carry a tune.  In both the movie and the Bollywood genre the dance sequence is suposed to be random, spontaneous and a joyeous occasion. Thus, it is a fusion of Western styles and the Bollywood genre. It is safe to say that the original Jai Ho dance is influenced by the Bollywood genre, yet combining it with more modern times.  For a better visual and a better comparison, please follow this link to see a traditional dance found in a Bollywood movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh57vIcDqxU.

So we can say that Slumdog Millionaire does not stray far from its roots with the traditional styles of Bollywood entertainment, even though the director adds his own modern twist on it. The Bollywood film industry has a strong link to cultural identity in India and that is shown and valued in the movie.  But looking at the two versions of Jai Ho, one can also learn about the prisons culture.

On one hand, we have learned about the Indian culture through the true representation in the movie. On the other, we have the reproduction featured in the Philippines in jail. Looking at the deatils of the two overall performances, one can see a few cultural familiarities.  For example, the reproduction's dancers are dressed in standard issue uniforms from the prison, and thus they are not wearing any traditional costumes. This seems like a given, as they are still prisoners despite the dancing and fun that seems to be occuring.  The dance is also done on a much larger scale and the inames move in complete unison.  I imagine the culture within the prison is used to moving in unison as a prison apears to be a structured place.  Prisoners listen and act when they are told to do something, so the sharpness of their formations and their movements reflect this cultural style.

I cannot help but wonder what Walker Benjamin would think while he watches this new reproduction.  Benjamin believes that transforming original pieces of work and copying them into a reproduction discredits the art.  WIth this reproduction process, the "aura" is lost that it once possessed and this is a huge disappointment in Benjamin's eyes. The "aura" can be found with the original work, when it was first created.  The "aura" follows this work of art through its historical journey.  With the vast amount of reproductions produced of the song and dance, Jai Ho, Benjamin would think the original has lost its complete meaning and value. Even a prison in the Philippines can access and recreate the dance.

While Benjamin would not be thrilled with the recreation of Jai Ho, I think this reproduction is actually a unique experience. Since it is not altered in a huge way, the original meaning can still be appreciated.  The dance moves are similar, the same track is used and the energy is still upbeat and enjoyable. Jai On prisoners, Jai ho.

References Cited

Benjamin, Wlater
1998: UCLA School of Theater: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. 1-12.

Youtube
2011 (2009) Official YouTube Version of Jai Ho from the end of the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRC4QrUwo9o, accessed February 2nd, 2011

Youtube
2011 (2009) Jai Ho: Remix. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTMUZ39UHgo, accessed February 6th, 2011

Youtube
2011 (2009) Bollywood dance style: Jab We Met, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh57vIcDqxU, accessed on February 6th, 2011