‘Slumdog…’ elevated India awareness in US: Ros-Lehtinen

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen with Vikas Swarup, author of the novel on which the movie Slumdog is based

NEW YORK: The winning of the Academy award by the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" is testament to the elevated awareness of India and the Indian culture in the US, said US Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was at an event honoring Danny Boyle, director of the hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire" in the capital, recently.

"That a movie with a focus on Indian society would receive eight Oscars is a testament to the elevated awareness of India and the Indian culture in the US," she said. "Even though we may have differences of opinion on the portrayal of a certain segment of Indian society, we can all agree it has brought the topic of US -India relations to the forefront of our daily conversations."

"Culturally, politically, and economically, the US and India are becoming further intertwined.  We share many of the same values, needs, concerns, and challenges. And as this movie shows, we also share many of the same hopes and dreams," the Congresswoman added.