Salaam Bombay !

I have seen Mira Nair's movies in reverse chronology. I loved Monsoon Wedding, and then I watched Mississippi Masala, which incidentally is another nice movie; but I think I left her best for last.

Salaam Bombay is really a gem of a movie. It captures the spirit of life, as lived by the street kids, wonderfully. I watched the special features, the interviews with the actors- the street kids, who are now well-settled, and the still photographs. But I am so glad, I watched the movie a second time with Mira's commentary in the background. It was really interesting to hear how they shot pretty much every scene on the busy streets of Bombay, with thousands of onlookers.

In the last scene, ChaiPau sits on a verandah with his spinning top in hand; he starts weeping overcome by everything that he has gone through. And then he collects himself; he stops crying and looks up with a strength, a resolution to live. Truly the movie salutes the street kids.