What you write here is very interesting.
I wrote more or less the same things when I was reviewing “The white tiger” by Adiga.
Westerner news and reviews said that finally “The white tiger” was THE book about “real India”.
But, as you write, there is not ONE real India. And who decides what is real and what is not?

So, I think it is impossibile to have a single book/movie about “real India”. Nor I think a movie/book must be “real”.

The slumdog millionaire is just ONE movie, with a particular point of view.
We should watch diverse movies (or read diverse books), with different points of view, to get an idea of a situation, of a country.

Maybe I can add something about how this perception came out (in Europe, of course) and why some people said it’s “real” India.
Up to now, for us westerner, India has been the land of yoga, peace, Gandhi, meditation, gurus, non-violent people. Or, in a more modern view, the land of IT.

Now, new books or movies are showing a more violent side of India. In this sense some people said they are more “real”: because they presented a side that was not known to the public.

One more thing about economic disparities. I do agree they exist in every societies and I believe economic wealth has nothing to do with happiness.
However, I visited many countries in Asia, Africa and America and I think India is the one with more disparities. Or at least where very rich people live so close to very poor people.
(by the way, India is my favourite country in the world, so do not take it as a criticism) :)))

The issue is , is any one really interested in balanced views.

We still carry the socialist ghost on our shoulders where every rich man is assumed to be a sinner.

We need to accept the real India as a coin with two sides , both being real and existing at same time.

The issue is , is any one really interested in balanced views.

We still carry the socialist ghost on our shoulders where every rich man is assumed to be a sinner.

We need to accept the real India as a coin with two sides , both being real and existing at same time.

That’s a wonderful view on Real India.

I do believe in last few lines of your view:

“ …Economic disparities exist in every society, have existed ever since the human kind has existed and would continue to exist. We all need to learn to be Happy regardless of where we are born and to whom we are born, and similarly respect the existence of others as they are, and not judge them relative to your existence”

As long as we know that fact and practice it wherever we are in the world, we will definitely live more peacefully and blissfully..

Happy Living!