British filmmaker Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches Bollywood style musical “Slumdog Millionaire” has finally brought the elusive and coveted Oscar dream within grabbing distance of India - with music maestro A.R. Rahman nominated for three Oscars in the main category.
The film has got 10 nominations, of which three are for the film's music - one for best original score and two for the best original songs - “Jai ho” and “O saya”, for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. The lyrics of 'Jai ho' have been penned by noted lyricist Gulzar.
Other nominations include for best motion picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best film editing, best sound editing, best sound mixing and best cinematography. The winners will be announced Feb 22 at Kodak Theatre here.
“The nominations have given me a great feeling. My inspiration to compose the music was the movie, its thought and the message in the film," said an ecstatic Rahman after receiving news of the nominations in Chennai. He had won the Golden Globe for the best original score for the movie.
"Slumdog Millionaire", which is based on diplomat Vikas Swarup's novel "Q & A", is a moving tale of a slum boy's win at a TV reality show. Apart from Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Freida Pinto, the film stars British-Indian debutant Dev Patel.
Releasing Friday in India, the movie has already raked in $43 million at the US box office and jumped itself back to the US Top 10.
The movie ends in the trademark Bollywood musical style with a joyous song called “Jai ho”, which has won much applause from Western critics.
Renowned film critic Ty Burr from The Boston Globe raved about the end sequence.
“The Bollywood dance scene that explodes under the closing credits feels both incongruous and earned: Young India kicking up its heels. You may even feel like dancing in the aisles yourself,” he said.
Rahman's composition has appealed to other international critics as well.
Lauding 'Slumdog…”'s music, Mal Vincnet from The Virginian-Post had said: “A festive musical score by A.R. Rahman, complete with a best-song candidate in the lively 'Jai Ho' Bollywood finale, and you have a film that is as engaging to listen to as it is to watch.”
Michael Sragow from The Baltimore Sun said: "Boyle brings down the curtain with a musical number that registers as a gift from movie heaven. He breaks your heart, then heels it - and sends you out with a song."
The movie triumphed at various awards across the globe. Screen Actors Guild Awards, London Critics Circle Award, New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Satellite Awards, Toronto Film Festival, British Independent Film Award - to name a few.
The major win was at the Golden Globes, considered to be a precursor to the Oscars.
"We were not expecting so much at all. We were hoping...but 10 nominations is so unreal! And A.R. Rahman has made a wonderful track record. He totally deserves the three nominations and has made the country proud. Without his music, 'Slumdog…' wouldn't have been the same," Freida told IANS.
In the Oscar run, Brad Pitt starrer reverse-ageing drama "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" leads the race with 13 nominations.
The runners-up are "Batman Begins" sequel "The Dark Knight" and Elliot Graham's biopic on San Francisco gay activist Harvey Milk "Milk" - receiving eight nominations each.
While Sean Penn got nominated as best actor in a leading role category, Josh Brolin has received the best actor nomination in a supporting role for "Milk".
Late Australian actor Heath Ledger received the highly anticipated posthumous nomination for the best supporting actor for his performance as the iconic villain The Joker in "The Dark Knight".
Veteran actress Meryl Streep received her 15th nomination at the Oscars for "Doubt", alongside British actress Kate Winslet for best actress in Stephen Daldry's "The Reader".
"The Reader" and "Doubt" in all have received five nominations each.
FEATURE FILMS WITH TWO OR MORE NOMINATIONS -
| Picture | Distribution Company | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" | Paramount and Warner Bros. | 13 |
| "Slumdog Millionaire" | Fox Searchlight | 10 |
| "The Dark Knight" | Warner Bros. | 8 |
| "Milk" | Focus Features | 8 |
| "WALL-E" | Walt Disney | 6 |
| "Doubt" | Miramax | 5 |
| "Frost/Nixon" | Universal | 5 |
| "The Reader" | The Weinstein Company | 5 |
| "Changeling" | Universal | 3 |
| "Revolutionary Road" | DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage | 3 |
| "The Duchess" | Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films | 2 |
| "Frozen River" | Sony Pictures Classics | 2 |
| "Iron Man" | Paramount and Marvel Entertainment | 2 |
| "Wanted" | Universal | 2 |
| "The Wrestler" | Fox Searchlight | 2 |
NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 81ST AWARDS -
Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
- Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
- Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
- Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
- Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
- Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
- Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
- Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton
Achievement in art direction
"Changeling" (Universal) Art Direction: James J. Murakami
Set Decoration: Gary Fettis"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt
Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley
Set Decoration: Peter Lando"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael Carlin
Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi Zea
Set Decoration: Debra Schutt
Achievement in cinematography
"Changeling" (Universal) Tom Stern "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
"Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O'Connor "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Glicker "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard "Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle
Best documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" (Cinema Guild)
A Pandinlao Films ProductionEllen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath "Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)
A Creative Differences ProductionWerner Herzog and Henry Kaiser "The Garden"
A Black Valley Films ProductionScott Hamilton Kennedy "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures)
A Wall to Wall ProductionJames Marsh and Simon Chinn "Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films)
An Elsewhere Films ProductionTia Lessin and Carl Deal
Best documentary short subject
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
A Farallon Films ProductionSteven Okazaki "The Final Inch"
A Vermilion Films ProductionIrene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant "Smile Pinki"
A Principe ProductionMegan Mylan "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"
A Rock Paper Scissors ProductionAdam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde
Achievement in film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley "Milk" (Focus Features) Elliot Graham "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
- "The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production - Germany
- "The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
- "Departures" (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
- "Revanche" (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
- "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel
Achievement in makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat "Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Lyric by Peter Gabriel"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman
Lyric by Gulzar"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
A Kennedy/Marshall ProductionKathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title ProductionBrian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers "Milk" (Focus Features)
A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company ProductionDan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH ProductionNominees to be determined "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
A Celador Films ProductionChristian Colson, Producer
Best animated short film
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"
A Robot Communications ProductionKunio Kato "Lavatory - Lovestory"
A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company ProductionKonstantin Bronzit "Oktapodi" (Talantis Films)
A Gobelins, L'école de l'image ProductionEmud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand "Presto" (Walt Disney)
A Pixar Animation Studios ProductionDoug Sweetland "This Way Up"
A Nexus ProductionAlan Smith and Adam Foulkes
Best live action short film
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency)
An Academy of Media Arts Cologne ProductionReto Caffi "Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions)
A La Luna ProductionElizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont "New Boy" (Network Ireland Television)
A Zanzibar Films ProductionSteph Green and Tamara Anghie "The Pig"
An M & M ProductionTivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh "Spielzeugland (Toyland)"
A Mephisto Film ProductionJochen Alexander Freydank
Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Richard King "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Tom Sayers "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood "Wanted" (Universal) Wylie Stateman
Achievement in sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt "Wanted" (Universal) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth
Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh "In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh "Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
OSCARS: 10 nominations for "Slumdog Millionaire"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
* Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
* Best Director: Danny Boyle
* Adapted screenplay: Simon Beaufoy
* Original score: A.R. Rahman
* Original song: "Jai Ho" - A.R. Rahman
* Original song: "O Saya" - A.R. Rahman and MIA (only three nominations in this category. "Down to Earth" from "Wall-E" was the third)
* Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle
* Film editing: Chris Dickens
* Sound editing: Tom Sayers
* Sound mixing: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
Oscars announced on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, 8 pm ET; 5 pm Hollywood time; 6:30 am Monday Bollywood time.
What makes the nominations even more significant is that the film was not recognized in any of the acting categories (I was really hoping Dev Patel would have received a nod along with Heath Ledger). This is a little film with no recognizable actors (at least for Hollywood) and yet the Academy chose to give the film 10 nods, including the major categories -- best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best editing and best score.
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a drama in which Brad Pitt plays a man who ages backward, led the field of Oscar contenders with 13 nominations, organizers said on Thursday (January 22).
"Slumdog Millionaire," the tale of an impoverished orphan's improbable victory on an Indian television game show, followed with 10, while the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" and the gay-rights saga "Milk" each landed eight. "Benjamin Button," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Milk" will vie for best picture at the 81st annual Academy Awards on February 22, alongside "The Reader" and "Frost/Nixon."
The nominations for "Benjamin Button" included best actor for Pitt, best director for David Fincher, best supporting actress for Taraji P Henson and best adapted screenplay. As expected, late Australian actor Heath Ledger was nominated for his supporting role as the villainous Joker in "The Dark Knight."
Ledger died of an accidental prescription-pill overdose exactly a year ago, at the age of 28. The other nominations for "Dark Knight" were in technical categories. Meryl Streep, 59, already the all-time acting Oscar record holder with 14 nominations, landed her 15th with "Doubt," in which she plays a vindictive nun. Kate Winslet received one nomination, taking her career total to six. This time, the 33-year-old British actress was cited for her lead role as a former Nazi prison guard in "The Reader."
It's no joke.
The decade's biggest blockbuster, " The Dark Knight," could become the first superhero movie to be nominated for an Oscar for best film when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards early Thursday morning.The critically acclaimed Batman adventure has been developing a lot of momentum lately especially with its nominations for the Producers Guild of America top prize, the Directors Guild of America Award, the Writers Guild of America Award and several crafts honors.
At least one "Knight" nomination is all but certain -- best supporting actor for the late Heath Ledger, who died a year ago today of an overdose of prescription pills.
This year's critics' darling, the indie hit " Slumdog Millionaire," is also expected to perform well in the nominations, especially since it swept the Golden Globe Awards less than two weeks ago.
" Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are also top contenders for major awards.
Slumdog Millionaire is all set for the Oscars. Stars across the world seem to be saying--Slumdog Millionaire--Jai ho. India's track record at the Oscars hasn't been good so far. Only three Indian films--Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan have ever been nominated in the Best Foreign Film category.
India's true claim to fame came with the movie Gandhi. Bhanu Athaiya won for Best Costume Design in 1982. Satyajit Ray later got the Oscar's Lifetime Achievement award. From the voices in Hollywood to those right here in India, expectations are running high. As it is said, every dog has its day. The question, however, is--will Slumdog have its day at the Oscars.
HEATH Ledger's family face a bittersweet anniversary of his death tomorrow, with the talented young actor almost certain to be nominated for an Oscar a year to the day after he died.
Ledger is expected to get a nod for best supporting actor for playing The Joker in The Dark Knight – his last full film role before his death from an accidental prescription drug overdose in New York.
The Academy Awards nomination ceremony will be held just after midnight tonight Australian time.
But while Ledger appears a sure thing, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and almost 20 other Australian Oscar hopefuls are not such certainties.
Months of multi-million-dollar campaigns have been aimed at swaying the 6000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Will Blanchett rebound from snubs at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards and pick up a nomination for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?
If so, it will be Blanchett's fourth Oscar nomination in five years. Or does the Academy think it is time for Blanchett to have a year off?
As Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, a new 17-nation poll conducted for BBC World Service finds widespread and growing optimism that his presidency will lead to improved relations between the United States and the rest of the world.
The poll also shows people around the world are looking to President Obama to put highest priority on dealing with the current global financial crisis.
In 15 of the 17 countries polled, majorities think that the election of Barack Obama will lead to improved relations with the rest of the world. On average 67% express this upbeat view, while 19% think relations will stay the same and just 5% that relations will worsen.
This is up sharply - by 21 points among tracking countries - from polling done for BBC World Service six months ago, before Obama was elected. At that time just 47% expressed optimism that an Obama presidency would lead to improved relations with the rest of the world. The number of people giving no answer to the question is also down sharply.
This optimism does not necessarily mean, however, that views of the United States itself have changed. BBC World Service is currently completing its annual poll assessing views of major countries’ influence in the world, which will be released within the next few weeks and will show whether views of US influence are improving.
Asked to rate six possible priorities for the Obama administration, the top priority in all countries polled was the global financial crisis. On average 72% said that it should be a top priority.
This was followed by withdrawing US troops from Iraq - with 50% saying this should be a top priority - then addressing climate change (46%), improving America’s relationship with the respondent’s country (46%), brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians (43%), and supporting the government of Afghanistan against the Taliban (29%).
Polling was completed prior to the current Gaza conflict in all countries except Egypt and India. In Egypt, 75% said brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians should be a top priority.
The results are drawn from a survey of 17,356 adult citizens across 17 countries conducted for BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan together with the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland. GlobeScan coordinated fieldwork between 24 November 2008 and 5 January 2009.
“Familiarity with Obama seems to be breeding hope,” commented Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes. “But then again,” he added, “he is starting from a low baseline, following eight years of an unpopular US president. Maintaining this enthusiasm will be a challenge given the complexities he now faces.”
Additional Highlights
Even nations that last summer had few people expressing optimism have come to have hope in an Obama presidency. The number of those predicting better US relations with the rest of the world have jumped from 11 to 51 per cent in Turkey, 11 to 47 per cent in Russia, 29 to 58 per cent in Egypt, and 39 to 68 per cent in China.
Interestingly, two of the countries showing the largest improvement are majority Muslim countries (Egypt and Turkey). Indonesians are also optimistic (64%) and have shown an 18-point increase in optimism from last summer.
The most optimistic views are expressed in Ghana (87%) and in Europe--in Italy (79%), Germany (78%), Spain (78%) and France (76%)--followed by Mexico (74%) and Nigeria (74%). Americans are also quite optimistic, with 65 per cent expressing hope that America’s international relations will improve.
The only two countries where less than a majority express optimism are Japan and Russia. In Japan 48 per cent express optimism, while 37% think relations will stay the same and 8% think they will get worse. In Russia, 47% expect improvement, 26% no change and 5% - a worsening.
All of the foreign policy goals tested in the poll were seen as at least an important priority by clear majorities in virtually every country, highlighting the many serious challenges facing the incoming president.
Europeans, in particular, are looking to the new US president to prioritise tackling climate change, with 58 per cent of French, 63 per cent of British, 65 per cent of Spanish and 68 per cent of Italians seeing it as a top priority.
There are marked differences of opinion on the priority of brokering peace in the Middle East, with 75 per cent of Egyptians but only 17 per cent of Russians seeing it as a top priority for the Obama administration. However, polling was completed in all countries except Egypt and India prior to the current Gaza conflict began.
Americans’ priorities are somewhat different from the world as a whole. While they agree with the highest priority being the global financial crisis (75% say top priority), they are higher than any other country in placing a top priority (46%) on supporting the government of Afghanistan against the Taliban. They also show substantial concern for improving America’s relations with the world - 60 per cent say it should be a top priority; this is substantially higher than the global average (46%) saying that it should be top priority for the US to improve its relations with their region.
In total 17,356 citizens in Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the USA were interviewed face-to-face or by telephone mainly in November and December 2008. Polling was conducted for BBC World Service by the international polling firm GlobeScan and its research partners in each country. In 5 of the 17 countries, the sample was limited to major urban areas. The margin of error per country ranges from +/-2.4 to 4.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Polling from last summer was conducted in the same countries from 8 July to 15 September 2008.
For more details, please visit www.globescan.com or www.worldpublicopinion.org.
GlobeScan Incorporated is a global public opinion and stakeholder research consultancy with offices in Toronto, London, and Washington. GlobeScan conducts custom research and annual tracking studies on global issues. With a research network spanning 50+ countries, GlobeScan works with global companies, multilateral agencies, national governments, and non-government organizations to deliver research-based insights for successful strategies.
The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) is a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes and the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland. PIPA undertakes research on attitudes in publics around the world on a variety of international issues and publishes the website/webzine WorldPublicOpinion.org.
The BBC exists to enrich people’s lives with great programmes and services on television, radio and online that informs, educate and entertain. Its vision is to be the most creative, trusted organization in the world. BBC reporters and correspondents at home and abroad can be called on for expert coverage across a huge range of subject areas. With over 70 foreign bureaux, the BBC has the largest newsgathering operation in the world. BBC World Service provides international news, analysis and information in English and 31 other languages.
Country-by-Country Results
ASIA India
Indians have seen a large increase in optimism that US relations with the rest of the world will improve under an Obama administration since last summer, along with most other countries polled. Although Indians agree with most other publics that the US should make dealing with the global financial crisis a top priority, the number holding this view is less than one-half and lower than all other countries polled.
· Sixty-three per cent in India see US relations with the rest of the world improving under President Obama, up from 45 per cent last summer.
· Indians believe the US should put emphasis on dealing with the global financial crisis (47% top priority, 21% important) and improving America’s relationship with their country (42% top priority, 22% important).
· Thirty-five per cent of Indians says addressing climate change should receive top priority from the US, while 33 per cent believe it should be important.
· On other issues where the US could take action, Indians say attention should go to brokering peace between Israel and the Palestinians (28% top priority, 27% important), withdrawing US troops from Iraq (27% top priority, 28% important), and supporting the government of Afghanistan against the Taliban (26% top priority, 32% important).