“Slumdog Millionaire” is the tale of an impoverished orphan’s improbable victory on India’s version of the game show
“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” . The colorful drama cost just $15 million to make and has been collecting more than that & still going strong in the Box-Office throughout the world.
Danny Boyle's uplifting saga about a Mumbai slumkid's rags-to-riches journey reminds us why we go to the movies in the first place – not to find fault, but to be entertained, touched and inspired.
Slumdog Millionaire has hit a chord with people. This is the main reason for its phenomenal success. The acclaim comes 8 months after director Danny Boyle’s then-unreleased film was facing a possible route straight to DVD.
Wildly silly but entirely watchable, the film is best enjoyed when you aren't taking it too seriously, merely submitting yourself to its roller-coaster ride of exhilarating romance and heightened drama. It is after all a film with a big beating heart, a film that feels such affection for its characters.
Indeed Slumdog Millionaire is that rare foreign film that uses the Bollywood idiom to tell a simple, even clichéd underdog story with remarkable success.
18-year-old Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel) is an orphan who has spent his life scavenging on the streets, until he lands a spot as a contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, where he makes a killing. The host of the show (played by a bullying, bellowing Anil Kapoor) mocks Jamal for his low-class roots, and has him arrested on suspicion of cheating.
Sitting there tied up and being thrashed around by the cops, Jamal reveals how each question corresponds to a specific life lesson from his tragic past. His is a horrific tale of watching his mother being killed in front of his eyes, narrowly escaping mutilation himself, and losing his childhood friend to a prostitution ring.
It's merely not the expositions of Mumbai and Vikas Swaroop's 'Q&A' that makes 'Slumdog Millionaire' an interesting film. Simon Beaufoy's gripping screenplay of continuous switching over times of past-and-present, keeps you edge-seated for every single second of the 120 minutes. A groovy narration with joy, pain, union, separation, tragedy and love doesn't get anyone's attentions scattered.
As icing on the cake, the Musical score by Rahman makes it big with the visual perception. Rahman's earnest involvement in getting along with creative thoughts of the cinematographer and Danny Boyle has yielded the best results. Doubtlessly, 'Jai Ho' and 'O...Saayo' are electrifying making you feel to watch it over again for many times.
In this film there's action, painful romance, a dash of humour, life in the slums and the underbelly of crime. Everything is neatly packaged and delivered to the viewer. Yes, some scenes are unpalatable, but then that's the reality of life. And Danny Boyle is pulling no punches... he just delivers them in style.
I can proudly say that this film is indeed very Indian. Certainly not because of its Indian star cast, music composer or casting cum co-director but because of its Indian sensibility and aesthetics. In the very beginning of the film when you see two brothers conversing with each other, the elder one stresses on the fact that he is elder and thus the younger one needs to buy his point, irrespective of its consequences.
Incorporation of minute Indian nuances like these make Slumdog Millionaire one of the best English films set in India and revolving around the country’s most popular metropolis Mumbai.
Dev Patel who plays the central character of Jamal is a fine actor. In fact, he overshadows Anil Kapoor and the rest of the cast. The younger actors who play Jamal and his brother Salim are simply awesome. They take you on their journey with such glee not knowing what's in store at the bend. Freida Pinto as Latika is a class act. She lets her eyes do most of the talking. Mahesh Manjrekar, Irrfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla all lend credible support. Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala the boy who plays a slightly older Salim (Jamal's brother) is a revelation. Ditto the boy who plays the role of a slightly older Jamal.
On the whole, 'Slumdog Millionaire' has various reasons to capture everyone's attention. Probably, the most top-charting show of 'Who wants to be a Millionaire', 'Kaun Banega Crorepathi' should have earlier pulled everyone. Nevertheless, there's something more close to your hearts than these factors of emotional vistas. A beautifully portrayed romance bounded with lots of hurdles in the union till last moment is sure to melt down your hearts.
Even when the script's loose, the characters hold you spellbound by their interactions, particularly the film's three protagonists – Jamal, his older brother Salim, and their childhood companion Latika. Three sets of actors are hired to play each of the three characters at different ages, but it's the youngest lot who leave a lasting impression.
The film has been nominated for ten Academy Awards. The only possible obstacle to a big Oscar night for the film is that none of its cast were nominated as observers have noted.
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