an Indian "The Wizard of Oz"

Picture this: it’s July in India and a group of children are rehearsing for their show of The Wizard of Oz. The children can’t be older than six or seven, and although they may not understand exactly how to act, they sure do have the will. They are determined to put on a good show, even if they have not yet had the chance to hone their skills for it. But there may be more to this picture than simply the inherent cuteness. Within the context of “The Wizard of Oz,” a book commissioned by BFI Film Classics and written by Salman Rushdie, there is more that can be revealed in this children’s play.

“The Wizard of Oz” was written to accompany the movie, The Wizard of Oz. Rushdie chose to write about his insights of this movie, including “a brief production history and a detailed filmography, notes and a bibliography,” (Rushdie 1) after being requested by BFI Film Classics. In it, Rushdie states that an “absence of higher values greatly increases the film’s charm, and is an important aspect of its success in creating a world in which nothing is deemed more important than the loves, cares and needs of human beings (and, of course, tin beings, straw beings, lions and dogs)” (Rushdie 12). This perfectly carefree sentiment is easily seen in the children preparing for the play. As they skip across the stage, follow their stage blocking and actions, and exchange glances to make sure everything’s going ok, their innocence in inherently apparent. They have no higher values than enjoying their day and including everyone in their enjoyment. Naïve and idealistic, they embody the innocence Rushdie sees in the film The Wizard of Oz. The movie has a knack of transporting anyone who watches it to an ideal place: Oz is therefore a metaphor for our childhood fantasies of what life would be (wonderous). It’s childlike simplicity and idealistic-ness are given to it by the children who watch it and kept by the adults who remember it.

Thinking about the Indian children practicing The Wizard of Oz, it’s easy to also be reminded of Rushdie talking about the song from the movie, “Over the Rainbow.” He says, “‘Over the Rainbow’ is, or ought to be, the anthem of all the world’s migrants, all those who go in search of the place where ‘the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true’” (Rushdie 23). As an American watching Indian children, one can be reminded of the history lessons about people immigrating to the US in hopes of improving their lives. It is an innocent hopefulness that could be argued to be carried over from childhood, where there are no impossibilities and a harsh reality won’t stand in your way. These specific children may not be immigrating anywhere, but the hopefulness of dreaming still applies to them. Rushdie could argue that these children are be hopeful of having a good, improved life wherever it takes them, just as immigrants had when they traveled to the US.

At one point in the video of the children, a teacher calls out to them, critiquing their performace. This brings to mind a dual thought pattern about the teacher: while she brings enjoyment (it can be assumed that the children enjoy working on the play rather than "normal" schoolwork) she is also still the authority figure. In this way, she is both Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West for the children: she is brings about enjoyment but also stress of pleasing her and the audience. It brings to mind Rushdie’s saying that “Of course Glinda is 'good' and the Wicked Witch 'bad'; but Glinda is a trilling pain in the neck, and the Wicked Witch is lean and mean” (Rushdie 42). A mean teacher may have the same expectations, but it is easier to stand up to her and feel dignified in doing so. This teacher has good intentions and wants the children to enjoy themselves on stage, but she will also ensure that they perform the play to the best of their abilities - she never loses her authority.