It was the first Oscars that I have ever watched. Forget it. It was the first Oscars that India itself was watching so closely. I say this with brazen alacrity, though some might question my generalisation of the experience to the whole country. But these are only the purists, who we wave aside with the testy brusqueness of a people overjoyed at finally grabbing the attention of the world. With A.R. Rahman and 'Slumdog Millionaire's' success at the Academy Awards this year, the world is suddenly looking East. Not to forget the success too of documentary 'Smile Pinki' based on the story of Pinki Kumari, an Indian village girl whose cleft lip had made her a social outcast. And also, we cannot forget - for the sake of God's Own Country itself - to make special mention of the triumph of Resul Pookutty, who got the Academy Award for Best Sound-Mixing for 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

One cannot forget, however, all the unwholesome noises that had been made about 'Slumdog Millionaire' in the run-up to the Academy Awards, even as the movie kept getting one award after the other and became the most-talked-about subject this year since sliced bread. These are people I would like to call the eternal pessimists - the Devil's Advocates, who insist on playing the Devil rather more than the Advocate.

These noises have not ceased to die down even after the movie swept the Oscars. They were the remarks that one might just have expected from such a class of people. Arguments that 'the director was British', 'most of the crew were foreigners', 'the story-line wasn't anything extraordinary - it was very similar to some of our best Bollywood films', 'it is just slum tourism', etc have been floating about for quite some time now. And even after the movie swept the awards, these same naysayers continued to reiterate their view with stoic resolve.

And naturally so.

Some even said Rahman's work in the movie wasn't comparable to some of his best. However, to their credit, they did add that it was still apt global recognition of the galactic talent of this maestro - and about time too!

Finally, some even say India should not really be rejoicing at or claiming credit for the movie's success or giving it the 'undue' attention it is getting now. After all, they say, it is nothing but a Hollywood movie, with the presence of a few Indian actors. If the effort hadn't been led by a foreigner, it would probably not even have gotten past the nomination stage of the Academy Awards.

To all these people I say, quit playing the eternal pessimist and rejoice in the recognition that India and its talent is finally getting on the world stage. Maybe it took an Englishman to be a part of this process. But the fact is, the world is indeed looking at India now, even if primarily at its slums for the moment. It was also truly a moment of joy to see Rahman singing on stage at the Oscars ceremony even as dancers accompanied him in the background. The joy only grew when the Best Movie award was announced and the cast and producers took the stage, including child stars Azharuddin Ismail Shaikh Usman and Rubina Rafiq Asghar Ali Qureshi from the Garib Nagar slum of Mumbai.

To all the naysayers, I say, reflect on the following facts. While you might say that the movie probably might not have got the Oscars if it had not had a foreign director and producer (this is, however, only hypothetical), you would also admit that the movie owes its recognition to the fact that it draws its inspiration from the Indian heartland - even if it did speak about the poor face of our country. But why should we be ashamed of the reality or even feign holier-than-thou attitudes by saying that the movie is only building its fortunes by marketing India's poverty?

True, there may be a fascination of the West with Indian slums, now maybe more than ever, but this should not take away from the fact that the movie talks about a reality that exists in most of the country, a reality that defines much of what and who we are. If the world is looking at this face, it is only seeing the truth, one that has largely been hidden behind the 'economic superpower' veneer that we have recently begun to cover ourselves with.

Secondly, do not forget that the movie's screenplay itself - for which the movie got another award - was adapted from the original novel, 'Q & A', by Vikas Swarup. Another strong Indian connection?

Then, there are the three Oscars that I must make special mention of again, simply because they were got by two Indians. They are the awards got by Rahman for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ('Jai Ho'), and that got by Resul Pookutty for Best Sound-Mixing.

Are all these arguments too small to ignore? Should we insist on being eternal pessimists and wet blankets? Or shall we finally take pride in our achievements and work on building on the Slumdog success to achieve greater heights? The world, my friends, is finally looking East.