Slumdog Millionaire

(2008)

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Cast: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Freida Pinto

Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a stunning 20 million rupees on India’s "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of violent encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Freida Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions.

It’s a very original film where they tell the story of his life in flashbacks while he plays the game. It's funny, sad, thrilling, basically a very enjoyable film that deserves numerous Oscar nominations. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, millions of viewers are about to find out. At the heart of its storytelling lies the question of how anyone comes to know the things they know about life and love.

Eighteen year old Jamal Malik is only one question away from the big prize. However, some, including those associated with the game show, question how someone like Jamal, a self confessed non-genius who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show when others who are brighter, more educated than him have failed. Is Jamal cheating? Is it purely luck that they have asked him the questions to which he knows the answers? Seeing Jamal's life journey to this point ultimately answers these questions. His life journey includes being orphaned at an early age; growing up with an older brother, Salim, who was both his guardian/protector, and having a relationship since childhood with another orphaned child, a girl named Latika. His motivation for being on the show also may provide some answers to his success. Perhaps it was all just written in his destiny.

Jamal Malik is tortured by the policemen in a sector accused of cheating a game show. Jamal, who has no education and works in a call center serving tea, is close to winning twenty million rupees in the show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" hosted by Prem Kumar(Anil Kapoor), giving precise answers to the questions and raising suspicion of fraud. The police inspector shows the videotape and after each question, Jamal tells parts of his childhood with his brother Salim, his crush for Latika and their fight to survive on the streets to justify each correct answer, guided by his common sense and past experience, and prove his innocence. The best part of the movie is the climax when Jamal Malik is about to answer the final question of the game show. One who sees the movie (specially the last scene) gets so much thrilled and involved into the movie as if it is happening in reality. The romantic scenes of Jamal and Latika were portrayed so beautifully which really touches one’s heart. Overall, “Slumdog Millionaire” is brilliant and 1 of the best movie of the year 2008.

By: Mubashir Altaf