It’s a strange place to see it, but it certainly is there in this
improvised comedy: the truth about Slumdog Millionaire. The
movie concerns a young Mumbai slumdweller who enters a game
show—not to win money, but to be seen on the popular program by
the love of his life. Based on the novel Q&A by Vikas
Swarup, Slumdog Millionaire presents us with a story that seems
Indian, but in fact is something else. The story is as American as you
can get. This truth is revealed by the ease with which Quiet Monkey
Fight adapts the narrative for improv.
As in the movie, Slumprov stars a contestant in a game show
who must answer questions to win a big prize. Between answering these
questions, we see important episodes from his life, each leading up to
a question from the quiz show. The improvisers input random information
into this structure (names, events, desires and goals), and the rest is
a piece of cake. It’s funny to see just how easy it is to run all of
these random elements through the transparent structure of the story.
And this is what makes it so American. Like the hamburger or Coca-Cola,
the plot has no cultural friction or obstacles. It is empty, smooth,
and universal. As you can open a McDonald’s anywhere in the world, you
can set this plot into motion in any cultural context.
When the announcer asked me for my mother’s maiden name (he wanted
to use it for the main character’s surname), I hesitated because it’s
Marangwanda. Fearing the cultural friction it would cause, I gave him
instead her first name, a standard Tracy. I regret that now. I was
being a coward.
