Sunday, March 1

Slumdog Millionaire - A Review


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