Slumdog
Millionaire! Another face of metro India. This one definitely is yet another
Rags-to-Riches story. That’s Slumdog Millionaire.
But there is a difference. There is no villain, or revenge or
any romance behind the trees in this movie. The movie released on the 5th of
December is directed by David Boyle who has a few movies like Shallow
Grave,A
Life Less Ordinary & The
Beach to his credit.
Based on Vikas Swaroop’s story, the entire movie revolves around Jamaal, a poor
child who grows up in the slums of Mumbai.
The
movie starts with an almost millionaire Jamaal being interrogated in a police
station for his suspected involvement in a fraud which is believed to have
helped him win the acclaimed game show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’.
Irfan Khan, playing the inspector’s role tries to get Jamaal to confess to the
fraud. Jamaal reveals how experiences from his life help him win the game.
Each
question takes the audience back into Jamaal’s, his brother Salim’s and his
love interest Lathika’s life. Life in slums makes him a beaten slum dog.
Experiences like the death of his mother in the Hindu-Muslim riots, a small
stint with the tourists in Agra, transformation of his brother Salim into a
gangster are the key to his answers in the game show. There is a subtle romance
shown between Jamaal & Lathika throughout the movie.
The
movie highlights problems in India like begging on streets, life in slums,
poverty, child prostitution, betting etc. It shows how children from slums are
forced into a life of crime, sex & hatred.
Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla have done a great
job. But it’s worth mentioning the work done by the small lot of actors who
morphed themselves into the characters of slum dogs. Dev Patel, Tanay Chheda,
Ayush Khedekar and Vikas Swaroop play the main character Jamaal.
Music
is by none other than A R Rehman. The back ground scores and a few tracks are
in sync with the movie’s pace. The album sounds enchanting. The movie has
been edited to perfection and keeps the audience glued to their seats. It’s a
gripping 120 minute long movie.
There
are a few drawbacks in the movie which can go unnoticed or be ignored. The
movie is a definite watch and has been nominated for many international awards.
It has bagged Golden globes for best drama, director, screenplay and music
score.
A
rating of 8 out of 10 for the movie.
Don’t miss it.
****
Post written for India Special
