Its A Wonderful Afterlife

It set me thinking as reel after reel of Gurinder Chadha's It's A Wonderful Afterlife unspooled. We (the Bollywood reviewers/critics) are extremely harsh on films produced on hometurf. We go hammer and tongs after these film-makers, as if they have committed a crime that they cannot be absolved of. We tend to ridicule films, its makers, the actors in those films… In fact, just about everyone associated with those films.

How about using the same yardstick for movies attempted by names that command tremendous respect in the West? We forgive them, most of the time. We even turn a blind eye, ignoring the deficiencies only because the West holds them in high esteem. The thought crosses our mind pretty often: Wouldn't we come across as complete nincompoops if we ridiculed them, even if they turn up with pure trash?