Results tagged “Slumdog Millionaire” from Intelligent Travel Blog

In our new column, CJ Fahey of Nat Geo Music introduces new sounds from around the globe. We asked him to introduce himself and explain what Nat Geo Music is all about.

Many people are surprised to find out that National Geographic has gotten into the music business - only we're not focusing on traditional music, ambient recordings of nature, or animal sounds. A little over a year ago we started a music television channel in Europe and Latin America, we have a music website, and a brand new record label.  Our mission is to discover and share contemporary music from all over the world. We think music is the perfect fit for National Geographic because we've always been about understanding and celebrating diversity. What better way to do that than through the most popular and soulful expression of culture: music?

I've been working on the television channel and website from the beginning. My friends at the Intelligent Travel Blog asked me to share some music videos I've come across that might serve as another means to inspire people to pack their bags, head to the airport, and visit someplace new. Even if you're just interested in daydream traveling, let these videos be your soundtrack!

For videos with the spirit of travel, I don't think it gets any more obvious than this one (above) by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, the Academy Award-winning composer who took home awards for Best Song and Best Score for Slumdog Millionaire.

The video has the epic quality of a postcard come to life, which is understandable because the song is a remake of India's national song, not to be confused with the national anthem. (I guess it's similar to what America, The Beautiful is for us.) And yes, while some parts can be little much, you can't deny that the images are beautiful and the music entrancing.

Be sure to check out more videos at our music website: www.natgeomusic.net. I'll be back with more good stuff in the near future!

In the course of fact-checking Peggy Loftus's latest online special on poverty tours, we talked with Reality Tours and Travel co-founder Chris Way. His company runs tours through Mumbai's Dharavi, considered by some to be Asia's largest slum. Since the rebound of tourism in Mumbai after last November's attacks and the buzz around Slumdog Millionaire, he guesstimates business is up 25 percent.

How did you create Reality Tours and Travel? How did you get it off the ground?
I got the idea from the favela tours in Rio. I found the concept fascinating with a lot of potential, as there was definitely a market for people wishing to see this side of the city. Having been in Mumbai previously in 2003 doing some volunteer teaching, I knew about the slums (although not Dharavi at that point) and so decided to return to India in late 2004 with this idea in mind. It quickly became apparent that Dharavi was this fascinating place, with so much industry/ energy/ sense of community that it would definitely appeal to tourists. Krishna, who I met in 2003 when he was waiting my table in Colaba, took a little bit of persuading that tourists would find this place interesting (!), but soon saw the potential and we then formed the company in September 2005. Reality Tours, after a few problems, started in January 2006.

What's the rationale behind your no-camera policy? Do some tour-goers bristle at this prohibition?
We started off asking customers to be considerate and respectful while taking photos. We got some criticism in the press for the tours being voyeuristic and having seen some of the photos in the press (of our customers taking photos), we re-considered this policy and felt that on this issue, they had a point. Also there were some comments from people who felt aggrieved that these "rich people were coming here, taking photos and then making lots of money." We do find that the tour runs a lot more smoothly with the no-camera policy; there is no time wasted as photos are taken and people aren't distracted wondering where is the best location to take a photo; the focus is on the tour and the information behind it. To be fair, most people are fine with this policy and understand it, although some people would like some places where photos could be taken.

To what do you account the growth in numbers of people interested in and taking your tours over the past two years?
First and foremost, the area is fascinating and more people have got to know about the tours that we run through word of mouth and publicity in the press and guidebooks. As a company, I think we provide a very good, professional tour at a very low price and people see that we use the money in a responsible way. Also, I think that this kind of tourism is becoming more popular; people are not just interested in the landmarks and sites of historic importance, but also in the day-to-day lives of people, particularly where this way of life is different to their own.

To many, it's no surprise that Hollywood-hit Slumdog Millionaire took home eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. But who knew it would boost tourism in and around Mumbai, a city whose tourism industry was hit hard after the 2008 terrorist attacks?

"There was a time when most travelers tried to avoid the dicey parts of town," says National Geographic Traveler contributing editor Margaret Loftus in our online special "Slum Tours: Real or Real Tacky?" "But an increasing number are now seeking them out on so-called reality tours. From Rio's favelas to Mumbai's Dharavi slum to Nairobi's Mukuru district, the trend is gaining steam as the latest frontier in travel."

According to the Economic Times, "Mumbai now tops the chart of global tourist destination followed by countries like Japan, made popular by the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha', South America because of 'Motorcycle Diaries' based on Che Guevera's life, and New Zealand for the 'Lord of the Rings' which has 17 Oscars to its credit for the trilogy."

Arthur Hoffman, managing director of Expedia Asia-Pacific, told the Times "movies have a powerful ability to evoke a sense of the exotica about the locations in which they are filmed. They are widely acknowledged to inspire travel to those destinations. For travellers, the fascination of picturing scenes in the film and then comparing it to real life can lead to a strange sense of déjà vu, particularly for those who have seen the movie several times."  

Our colleagues at National Geographic magazine were on the ground in Mumbai -- Slumdog's setting -- documenting the construction of India's superhighway for their October '08 feature, "Fast Lane to the Future,"  with photographs by Ed Kashi.  Called the Golden Quadrilateral, this new highway is an enormous, ambitious infrastructure project connecting Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkota and Bangalore, improving quality of life and bringing economic opportunities to much of India (although there are plenty of disadvantages as well). Check out their video after the jump.