Slumdog Millionaire
(2008, English)
Director: Danny Boyle
Synopsis:
Jamal Malik, a teenager from the slums gets a chance to participate in the famous Indian quiz reality TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". He not only participates, he wins the contest. The producers of the show are baffled and grow suspicious of Jamal - they believe he has done so well because he is cheating and alerts the police to investigate. Its during the police questioning that Jamal's story unfolds, revealing his harrowing past in poverty and as to how he managed to know all the answers.
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 120 minutes
Color: Color
Release Date: 23 Jan, 2009
Country: India
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AKA & Alternative Spellings: Slumdog Milionaire
Reviews
Tiny Review
Pulse racing drama thriller about a slum boy's struggle to riches. Superb music.User Reviews
Verdict: Jai Ho
Slumdog Millionaire is a melodramatic film directed by Danny Boyle and co directed by Loveleen Tandan. The film revolves around 3 characters: Jamal, his elder brother Salim and Latika all from the Mumbai slums.
It features Jamal Malik a young boy from Dharavi who appears on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.’ He is picturized as a simple ‘chaiwala’ about to win a staggering 20 million rupees, when he is suspected to be cheating and is arrested. He is interrogated as to how he was able to answer all the questions accurately despite his humble background. It is then that he delineates a series of experiences from his past which coupled with some common sense and a stroke of luck helped him to give correct answers and lead him to the final question of 20 million rupees. The movie reflects strong emotions and touches upon several sensitive issues such as religious conflicts, prostitution, et al. It gives one a vivid sense of the struggles of the slum dwellers.
Slumdog Millionaire was a huge hit at the UK and the Indian box office. It won several awards like the Golden Globe awards and BAFTA awards and was also nominated for the Oscars. It was especially welcoming to have A.R. Rahman an Indian composer being nominated and winning accolades internationally.
The film encountered mixed reactions with critics finding it to be like a Cindrella tale. Many Indians abhorred the idea of India’s poor image being over emphasized and which only fulfilled western stereotypical views. The fact that slum children could speak such flawless English seemed remote from reality from the Indian perspective. Despite all this, the film was a spectacular success. It was well received across major proportions of the audience who found it highly entertaining and also socially arousing.
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Slumdog Millionaire is a melodramatic film directed by Danny Boyle and co directed by Loveleen Tandan. The film revolves around 3 characters: Jamal, his elder brother Salim and Latika all from the Mumbai slums.
It features Jamal Malik a young boy from Dharavi who appears on ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.’ He is picturized as a simple ‘chaiwala’ about to win a staggering 20 million rupees, when he is suspected to be cheating and is arrested. He is interrogated as to how he was able to answer all the questions accurately despite his humble background. It is then that he delineates a series of experiences from his past which coupled with some common sense and a stroke of luck helped him to give correct answers and lead him to the final question of 20 million rupees. The movie reflects strong emotions and touches upon several sensitive issues such as religious conflicts, prostitution, et al. It gives one a vivid sense of the struggles of the slum dwellers.
Slumdog Millionaire was a huge hit at the UK and the Indian box office. It won several awards like the Golden Globe awards and BAFTA awards and was also nominated for the Oscars. It was especially welcoming to have A.R. Rahman an Indian composer being nominated and winning accolades internationally.
The film encountered mixed reactions with critics finding it to be like a Cindrella tale. Many Indians abhorred the idea of India’s poor image being over emphasized and which only fulfilled western stereotypical views. The fact that slum children could speak such flawless English seemed remote from reality from the Indian perspective. Despite all this, the film was a spectacular success. It was well received across major proportions of the audience who found it highly entertaining and also socially arousing.
Click to rate this review:
Write a review»
External Reviews
.. lives up to its premise even at its most far-fetched, creating a beautifully realized and edited film.
PopMattersDanny Boyle has hit the jackpot with this wonderfully uplifting rags-to-riches story that has so much of everything, I felt as though I had won 20 million rupees myself. Above all, it's a love story, but also a story of survival
Urban CinefileUpdates
25 Feb, 2009: A. R. Rahman has won awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song for his work in Slumdog Millionaire at the 2009 Oscars.25 Feb, 2009: Danny Boyle directed Slumdog Millionaire has won 8 Oscars including best directors, best movie and best editing.
23 Jan, 2009: Slumdog Millionaire has bagged 10 Oscar nominations including Best Direction and Best Motion Picture.
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