Salaam Bombay - A tribute to Street Children

Saw this extremely realistic and an eye-opener movie made by our very own Mira Nair. I must say, I was completely shaken up by this realistic portrayal and a sneek peek into the lives of Mumbai Street Children. Can life be so horrific and a complete torture for these impressionable and young minds? I could not thank God enough for giving me such an enriched life which we completely take for granted and waste completely thinking about what we don't have but never realise what we do! I mean I have all the luxaries in this world one can hope for but still feel at times that I want to go on the other side of the fence. On the other side, there are these street children who are struggling hard to even make ends meet. And what does it take for a child in his pre-teens who is left alone in this big bad world to earn for himself. Hats off to the Director to show a stark reality and the ugly side of the most glamorous city and the economic capital of India - The Big Bad Mumbai! I mean most of the movies depict this city as a place of opportunities and the land of making it big. But only for a handful of people and this movie shows how innocent lives are crushed here everyday. The protagonist of this story is named "Chai-pav", How recklessly he was named, Since he worked at a Chai stall and had no other identity except the fact that he worked there. How a prostitute has to still "work" despite getting married and having a child and how she loses that girl child to an orphanage since the authorities think she can get decent Parents who will refine her life! It is really heart wrenching to see and feel the plight of these young children who are forced in the world of crime and end up at remand homes and prisons. I salute the lady who has so convincingly depicted the lives of these handful of fellas that it looks more real than documentaries and biographies. Go and watch it, it might change your viewpoint towards life!