First
things
first!
Slumdog
Millionaire
deserves
all
the
accolades
and
awards
that
it
has
been
receiving
of
late
and
will
continue
receiving
in
the
future.
Also,
in
this
writer's
individualistic
opinion,
Slumdog
Millionaire
doesn't
make
a
mockery
or
an
attempt
to
sell
the
poverty
of
India
to
the
West.
Sure,
Slumdog
Millionaire
depicts
life
on
the
mean
streets
of
Mumbai,
so
what?
Doesn't
it
exist?
Should
we
ridicule
the
effort
it
just
because
a
gora
has
made
it?
We
don't
raise
a
noise
when
Indian
film-makers
do
so,
so
why
now?
Double
standards!
Slumdog
Millionaire
is,
at
heart,
a
love
story
and
director
Danny
Boyle
treats
it
like
a
Bollywood
film.
In
fact,
the
screen
writing
[Simon
Beaufoy]
is
so
smart,
so
energetic
[he
must
be
a
big
fan
of
Bollywood]
that
everything
is
spoon-fed
to
the
viewer,
unlike
most
international
films.
Sure,
Slumdog
Millionaire
is
dark
and
gory
at
places,
but
at
the
end
of
it
all,
it
offers
a
ray
of
hope
for
those
who've
been
plain
unlucky
when
it
comes
to
the
materialistic
things
of
life
and
most
importantly,
love.
So
what's
the
final
word?
Jai
Ho!
Accused
of
cheating
and
desperate
to
prove
his
innocence,
an
eighteen-year-old
orphan
from
the
slums
of
Mumbai
reflects
back
on
his
tumultuous
life
while
competing
to
win
the
prized
money
on
India's
'Who
Wants
To
Be
A
Millionaire'.
Jamal
[Dev
Patel]
may
not
have
a
penny
to
his
name,
but
that
could
all
change
in
a
matter
of
hours.
He's
one
question
away
from
taking
the
top
prize
on
India's
most
popular
television
game
show,
but
as
with
everything
else
in
Jamal's
life,
it
isn't
going
to
be
easy.
Arrested
by
police
under
suspicion
of
cheating,
Jamal
is
interrogated
by
the
authorities.
The
police
simply
can't
believe
that
Jamal
could
possibly
possess
the
knowledge
to
get
this
far
in
the
game,
and
in
order
to
convince
them
of
how
he
gained
such
knowledge,
Jamal
begins
reflecting
back
on
his
childhood.
As
young
boys,
Jamal
and
his
older
brother
Salim
lived
in
squalor
and
lost
their
mother
in
a
mob
attack
on
Muslims.
Subsequently
forced
to
rely
on
their
own
wits
to
survive,
the
desperate
siblings
fell
back
on
petty
crime,
eventually
befriending
adorable
yet
feisty
young
Latika
as
they
sought
out
food
and
shelter
on
the
unforgiving
streets
of
Mumbai.
Though
life
on
the
streets
was
never
easy,
Jamal's
experiences
ultimately
instilled
in
him
the
knowledge
he
needed
to
answer
the
tough
questions
posed
to
him
on
the
show.
Danny
Boyle
and
screenplay
writer
Simon
Beaufoy
join
hands
to
create
one
of
the
most
engaging
rags-to-riches
story
of
a
boy
raised
in
the
slums
of
Mumbai.
A
few
scenes
may
put
you
off
completely,
but
if
you're
a
Mumbaite,
you
must've
surely
encountered
such
characters
on
the
back
of
your
street.
Slumdog
Millionaire
keeps
you
hooked,
there's
not
a
single
dull
moment
and
most
importantly,
your
heart
pines
for
the
lovers
[Jamal
and
Latika]
to
unite,
after
all
that
they've
gone
through
in
life.
That's
one
of
the
prime
reasons
why
Slumdog
Millionaire
works
big
time.
If
Boyle's
direction
and
Beaufoy's
screen
writing
works,
so
does
A.R.
Rahman's
exuberant
musical
score.
The
background
score
is
eclectic,
while
the
song
'Jai
Ho'
[at
the
conclusion
of
the
film]
is
mesmeric.
The
camera
[Anthony
Dod
Mantle]
captures
the
streets
of
the
metropolis
remarkably.
Note
the
chase
at
the
very
start,
with
a
constable
chasing
the
young
Salim
and
Jamal
in
the
slums.
Brilliant!
Dev
Patel
is
top
notch,
while
Anil
Kapoor
is
highly
competent.
Freida
Pinto
does
very
well.
Irrfan
Khan
gives
his
individualistic
style
to
his
role.
Mahesh
Manjrekar
and
Saurabh
Shukla
are
first-rate.
Madhur
Mittal
[older
Salim]
is
alright.
Ankur
Vikal
spells
terror.
Special
mention
must
be
made
of
the
young
actors
in
the
film;
they
are
such
fine
actors.
Especially
the
young
Salim
and
Jamal.
On
the
whole,
Slumdog
Millionaire
is
a
must-see!
One
of
the
finest
films
of
our
times,
this
one
should
not
be
missed
for
any
reason.
Read
the
review
on
Kannada