Slumdog Millionaire

Before the phenomenal response in Hollywood, few in India knew anything about British Danny Boyle. Even lesser people knew that actor Anil Kapoor was a part of the project. Some knew that it is based on Indian television show Kaun Banega Crorepati (an adaptation of Who Wants to be Millionaire). But once A R Rahman’s musical score was released and nominated for the Oscars, almost everyone knew what Slumdog Millionaire was about. Unlike other releases with Rahman’s magical scores which flopped, this film went for a song. Its Hindi version met with lukewarm success. But the English version did a fantastic job where people clapped and loved the narration.

The film is a triumph of a city, its underdogs and its narrative style. Slums of Mumbai have been depicted by other film makers, like Mira Nair in Salaam Bombay. Even a film called Dharavi saluted the spirit of the metropolis. The film was made by an Indian. The street smart kid, his childhood love, beggar lords, thugs and even a song at the end credits is riveting. If people have danced to ‘Jai Ho’ in the aisles in theatres across US and India it is not a surprise. The movie has a ‘feel good’ texture in its tale. Cinematographer Anthony Don Mantle has captured a city on the go. Simon Beaufoy has done a beautiful screenplay of Vikas Swarup’s novel Q and A. The novel is back in circulation too.

The film itself has its subplots of crime, rom-com, emotion and even suspense. No wonder it has reached its pinnacle. As for those involved in the making haven’t walked on so many red carpets in a single year!