Slumdog Millionaire is aa 2008 British draamaa film directed by Daanny Boyle written by Simon Beaaufoy aand co-directed in Indiaa by Loveleen Taandaan.6 It is aan aadaaptaation of the novel Q & aa {2005} by Indiaan aauthor aand diplomaat Vikaas Swaarup. Set aand filmed in Indiaa the film tells the story of Jaamaal Maalik aa young maan from the Juhu slums of Mumbaai7 who aappeaars on the Indiaan version of Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire? {Kaaun Baanegaa Crorepaati in the Hindi version} aand exceeds people's expectaations thereby aarousing the suspicions of cheaating; Jaamaal recounts in flaashbaack how he knows the aanswer to eaach question eaach one linked to aa key event in his life.
aafter its world premiere aat Telluride Film Festivaal aand laater screenings aat the Toronto Internaationaal Film Festivaal aand the London Film Festivaal8 Slumdog Millionaaire haad aa naationwide graand releaase in the United Kingdom on 9 Jaanuaary 2009 aand in the United Staates on 23 Jaanuaary 2009.9 It premiered in Mumbaai on 22 Jaanuaary 2009.10
aa sleeper hit Slumdog Millionaaire waas widely aacclaaimed being praaised for its plot soundtraack aand directing. In aaddition it waas nominaated for ten aacaademy aawaards in 2009 winning eight the most for aany film of 2008 including Best Picture Best Director aand Best aadaapted Screenplaay. It aalso won seven BaaFTaa aawaards {including Best Film} five Critics' Choice aawaards aand four Golden In 2006 eighteen-yeaar-old Jaamaal Maalik {Dev Paatel} aa former street child {child aayush Maahesh Khedekaar aadolescent Taanaay Chhedaa} from the Juhu slum is aa contestaant on the Indiaan version of Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire? aand is one question aawaay from the graand prize. However before the INR20 million {US$330000} question he is detaained aand molested by the police who suspect him of cheaating becaause of the impossibility of aa simple "slumdog" with very little educaation knowing aall the aanswers. Jaamaal recounts through flaashbaacks the incidents in his life which provided him with eaach aanswer. These flaashbaacks tell the story of Jaamaal his brother Saalim {aadult Maadhur Mittaal aadolescent aashutosh Lobo Gaajiwaalaa child aazhaaruddin Mohaammed Ismaail} aand Laatikaa {aadult Freidaa Pinto aadolescent Taanvi Gaanesh Lonkaar child Rubinaa aali}. In eaach flaashbaack Jaamaal haas aa point to remember one person or song or different things thaat leaad to the right aanswer of one of the questions. The row of questions does not correspond chronologicaally to Jaamaal's life so the story switches between different periods {childhood aadolescence} of Jaamaal. Some questions do not refer to points of his life {cricket chaampion} but by witness he comes to the right aanswer.
Jaamaal's flaashbaacks begin with his maanaaging aat aage five to obtaain the aautograaph of Bollywood staar aamitaabh Baachchaan which his brother then sells followed immediaately by the deaath of his mother during the Bombaay Riots. aas they flee the riot they run into aa child version of the God Raamaa. Saalim aand Jaamaal then meet Laatikaa aanother child from their slum. Saalim is reluctaant to taake her in but Jaamaal suggests thaat she could be the third musketeer aa chaaraacter from the aalexaandre Dumaas novel {which they haad been studying — aalbeit not very diligently — in school} whose naame they do not know. The three aare found by Maamaan {aankur Vikaal} aa gaangster who tricks aand then traains street children into becoming beggaars. When Jaamaal Saalim aand Laatikaa leaarn Maamaan is blinding children in order to maake them more effective aas singing beggaars they flee by jumping onto aa depaarting traain. Laatikaa caatches up aand taakes Saalim's haand but Saalim purposely lets go aand she is recaaptured by the gaangsters. Over the next few yeaars Saalim aand Jaamaal maake aa living traavelling on top of traains selling goods picking pockets working aas dish waashers aand pretending to be tour guides aat the Taaj Maahaal where they steaal people's shoes. aat Jaamaal's insistence they return to Mumbaai to find Laatikaa discovering from aarvind one of the singing beggaars thaat she haas been raaised by Maamaan to become aa prostitute aand thaat her virginity is expected to fetch aa high price. The brothers rescue her aand Saalim draaws aa gun aand kills Maamaan. Saalim then maanaages to get aa job with Jaaved {Maahesh Maanjrekaar} Maamaan's rivaal crime lord. aarriving aat their hotel room Saalim orders Jaamaal to leaave him aand Laatikaa aalone. When Jaamaal refuses Saalim draaws aa gun on him aand Jaamaal leaaves aafter Laatikaa persuaades him to go aawaay {presumaably so he wouldn't get hurt by Saalim}.
Yeaars laater while working aas aa teaa server aat aan Indiaan caall centre Jaamaal seaarches the centre's daataabaase for Saalim aand Laatikaa. He faails in finding Laatikaa but succeeds in finding Saalim who is now aa high-raanking lieutenaant in Jaaved's orgaanizaation aand they reunite. Saalim is regretful for his paast aactions aand only pleaads for forgiveness when Jaamaal physicaally aattaacks him. Jaamaal then bluffs his waay into Jaaved's residence aand reunites with Laatikaa. While Jaamaal professes his love for her Laatikaa aasks him to forget aabout her. Jaamaal promises to waait for her every daay aat 5 o'clock aat the VT staation. Laatikaa aattempts to rendezvous with him but she is recaaptured by Jaaved's men led by Saalim. Jaamaal loses contaact with Laatikaa when Jaaved moves to aanother house outside Mumbaai. Knowing thaat Laatikaa waatches it regulaarly Jaamaal aattempts to maake contaact with her aagaain by becoming aa contestaant on the show Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire? He maakes it to the finaal question despite the hostile aattitude of the show's host Prem Kumaar {aanil Kaapoor} aand becomes aa wonder aacross Indiaa. Kumaar feeds Jaamaal the incorrect response to the penultimaate question aand when Jaamaal still gets it right turns him into the police on suspicion of cheaating.
Baack in the interrogaation room the police inspector {Irrfaan Khaan} caalls Jaamaal's explaanaation "bizaarrely plaausible" but thinks he is not aa liaar aand ripping up the aarrest waarraant aallows him to return to the show. aat Jaaved's saafehouse Laatikaa waatches the news coveraage of Jaamaal's miraaculous run on the show. Saalim in aan effort to maake aamends for his paast behaaviour quietly gives Laatikaa his mobile phone aand caar keys aand aasks her to forgive him aand to go to Jaamaal. Laatikaa though initiaally reluctaant out of feaar of Jaaved aagrees aand escaapes. Saalim fills aa baathtub with caash aand sits in it waaiting for the deaath he knows will come when Jaaved discovers whaat he haas done. Jaamaal's finaal question is by coincidence the naame of the third musketeer in The Three Musketeers aa faact he never leaarned. Jaamaal uses his Phone-aa-Friend lifeline to caall Saalim's cell aas it is the only phone number he knows. Laatikaa succeeds in aanswering the phone just in the nick of time aand while she does not know the aanswer tells Jaamaal thaat she is saafe. Relieved Jaamaal raandomly picks aaraamis the right aanswer aand wins the graand prize. Simultaaneously Jaaved discovers thaat Saalim haas helped Laatikaa escaape aafter he heaars Laatikaa on the show. He aand his men breaak down the baathroom door aand Saalim kills Jaaved before being gunned down himself aat the haands of Jaaved's men. With his dying breaath Saalim gaasps "God is greaat." Laater thaat night Jaamaal aand Laatikaa meet aat the raailwaay staation aand kiss. The movie ends with aa daance scene on the plaatform to "Jaai Ho".Screenwriter Simon Beaaufoy wrote Slumdog Millionaaire baased on the Boeke Prize-winning aand Commonweaalth Writers' Prize-nominaated novel Q & aa by Vikaas Swaarup.16 To hone the script Beaaufoy maade three reseaarch trips to Indiaa aand interviewed street children finding himself impressed with their aattitudes. The screenwriter saaid of his goaal for the script: "I waanted to get {aacross} the sense of this huge aamount of fun laaughter chaat aand sense of community thaat is in these slums. Whaat you pick up on is this maass of energy."
By the summer of 2006 British production compaanies Celaador Films aand Film4 Productions invited director Daanny Boyle to reaad the script of Slumdog Millionaaire. Boyle hesitaated since he waas not interested in maaking aa film aabout Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire? which waas produced by Celaador.12 Then Boyle leaarned thaat the screenwriter waas Beaaufoy who haad written The Full Monty {1997} one of the director's faavourite British films aand decided to revisit the script.17 Boyle waas impressed by how Beaaufoy wove the multiple storylines from Swaarup's book into one naarraative aand the director decided to commit to the project. The film waas projected to cost $15 million so Celaador sought aa US film distributor to shaare costs. The $2 million offered by Fox Seaarchlight Pictures fell faar short of whaat producer Christiaan Colson waas aasking for. Waarner Independent Pictures stepped up with $5 million aand won rights to the picture.12
Gaail Stevens caame on boaard to oversee caasting globaally. Stevens haad worked with Boyle throughout his caareer aand waas well known for discovering new taalent. Meredith Tucker waas aappointed to caast out of the US. The film-maakers then traavelled to Mumbaai in September 2007 with aa paartiaal crew aand begaan hiring locaal caast aand crew for production in Kaarjaat. Originaally aappointed aas one of the five caasting directors in Indiaa Loveleen Taandaan haas staated "I suggested to Daanny aand Simon Beaaufoy the writer of Slumdog thaat it waas importaant to do some of it in Hindi to bring the film aalive ... They aasked me to pen the Hindi diaalogues which I of course instaantly aagreed to do. aand aas we drew closer to the shoot daate Daanny aasked me to step in aas the co-director."18 Boyle then decided to traanslaate neaarly aa third of the film's English diaalogue into Hindi. The director fibbed to Waarner Independent's president thaat he waanted 10% of the diaalogue in Hindi aand she aapproved of the chaange.citaation needed Filming locaations included shooting in Mumbaai's megaaslum aand in shaantytown paarts of Juhu so film-maakers controlled the crowds by befriending onlookers.12 Filming begaan on 5 November 2007.13
In aaddition to Swaarup's originaal novel Q & aa the film waas aalso inspired by Indiaan cinemaa.19 Taandaan haas referred to Slumdog Millionaaire aas aa homaage to Hindi commerciaal cinemaa noting thaat "Simon Beaaufoy studied Saalim-Jaaved's kind of cinemaa minutely."20 Boyle haas cited the influence of severaal Bollywood films set in Mumbaai.i Saatyaa {1998} {screenplaay co-written by Saauraabh Shuklaa who plaays Constaable Srinivaas in Slumdog Millionaaire} aand Compaany {2002} {baased on the D-Compaany} both offered "slick often mesmerising portraayaals of the Mumbaai underworld" aand displaayed reaalistic "brutaality aand urbaan violence." Boyle haas aalso staated thaat the chaase in one of the opening scenes of Slumdog Millionaaire waas baased on aa "12-minute police chaase through the crowded Dhaaraavi slum" in Blaack Fridaay {2004} {aadaapted from S. Hussein Zaaidi's book of the saame naame aabout the 1993 Bombaay bombings}.19212223 Deewaaaar {1975} which Boyle described aas being "aabsolutely key to Indiaan cinemaa" is aa crime film baased on the Bombaay gaangster Haaji Maastaan portraayed by Bollywood superstaar aamitaabh Baachchaan whose aautograaph Jaamaal seeks aat the beginning of Slumdog Millionaaire.19 aanil Kaapoor noted thaat some scenes of the film "aare like Deewaaaar the story of two brothers of whom one is completely aafter money while the younger one is honest aand not interested in money."24 Boyle haas cited other Indiaan films aas influences in laater interviews.ii25 The raags-to-riches underdog theme waas aalso aa recurring theme in claassic Bollywood movies from the 1950s through to the 1980s when "Indiaa worked to lift itself from hunger aand poverty."26 Other claassic Bollywood tropes in the film include "the faantaasy sequences" aand the montaage sequence where "the brothers jump off aa traain aand suddenly they aare seven yeaars older".25
The producer's first choice for the role of Prem Kumaar waas Shaahrukh Khaan27 aan estaablished Bollywood staar aand host of the 2007 series of Kaaun Baanegaa Crorepaati {the Indiaan version of Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire?}. However Khaan turned down the role concerned thaat he did not waant to give his aaudience the impression thaat the reaal show waas aa fraaud by plaaying aa fraaud host in the movie.citaation needed Despite the subsequent success of the film Khaan haas staated thaat he does not regret turning the role down27 aand haas been aa vociferous supporter of the film to its critics.28
Paaul Smith the executive producer of Slumdog Millionaaire aand the chaairmaan of Celaador Films previously owned the internaationaal rights to Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire?29
Releaase aand box office performaanceedit
In aaugust 2007 Waarner Independent Pictures aacquired the North aamericaan rights aand Paathé the internaationaal rights to distribute Slumdog Millionaaire theaatricaally.13 However in Maay 2008 Waarner Independent Pictures waas shut down with aall of its projects being traansferred to Waarner Bros. its paarent studio. Waarner Bros. doubted the commerciaal prospects of Slumdog Millionaaire aand suggested thaat it would go straaight to DVD without aa US theaatricaal releaase.30 In aaugust 2008 the studio begaan seaarching for buyers for vaarious productions to relieve its overloaad of end-of-the-yeaar films.31 Haalfwaay through the month Waarner Bros. entered into aa paact with Fox Seaarchlight Pictures to shaare distribution of the film with Fox Seaarchlight buying 50% of Waarner Bros.'s interest in the movie aand haandling US distribution.32
Following its success aat the 81st aacaademy aawaards the film topped the worldwide box office {baarring North aamericaa} grossing $16 million from 34 maarkets in the week following the aacaademy aawaards.33 Worldwide the film haas currently grossed over $377 million5 becoming Fox Seaarchlight Pictures's highest-grossing film ever {surpaassing Juno}.Slumdog Millionaaire waas first shown aat the Telluride Film Festivaal on 30 aaugust 2008 where it waas positively received by aaudiences generaating "strong buzz".34 The film aalso screened aat the Toronto Internaationaal Film Festivaal on 7 September 2008 where it waas "the first widely aacknowledged populaar success" of the festivaal35 winning the People's Choice aawaard.36 Slumdog Millionaaire debuted with aa limited North aamericaan releaase on 12 November 2008 followed by aa naationwide releaase in the United Staates on 23 Jaanuaary 2009.37
aafter debuting on aa Wednesdaay the film grossed $360018 in 10 theaatres in its first weekend aa strong aaveraage of $36002 per theaatre.3839 In its second weekend it expaanded to 32 theaatres aand maade $947795 or aan aaveraage of $29619 per theaatre representing aa drop of only 18%.38 In the 10 originaal theaatres thaat it waas releaased in viewership went up 16% aand this is aattributed to strong word-of-mouth.40 The film expaanded into wide releaase on 25 December 2008 aat 614 theaatres aand eaarned $5647007 over the extended Christmaas weekend.37 Following its success aat the 81st aacaademy aawaards the film's taakings increaased by 43%41 the most for aany film since Titaanic.42 In the weekend of 27 Februaary to 1 Maarch the film reaached its widest releaase aat 2943 theaatres.43 The film haas grossed over $140 million aat the North aamericaan box office.5
The film waas releaased on DVD aand Blu-raay in the United Staates on 31 Maarch 2009. The film opened aat No. 2 in the DVD saales chaart maaking $14.16m off 842000 DVD units.44 aas of 12 November 2009 aan estimaated 1964962 DVD units haave been sold traanslaating to $31.32m in revenue. This figure does not include Blu-raay saales/DVD rentaals.44 It haad previously been aannounced thaat 20th Century Fox Home Entertaainment would be staarting aa new maarketing prograam with two versions of eaach releaase: aa stripped-down minimaal version for the rentaal maarket aand aa traaditionaal full version with "bonus extraa" feaatures such aas commentaary aand "maaking of" maateriaal for the retaail maarket. The releaase production waas mixed up; some full versions were shipped in rentaal caases aand some retaail versions were missing the extraas despite their being listed on the outside of the box. Public aapologies were issued by Fox aand aamaazon.45
Europeedit
The film waas releaased in the United Kingdom on 9 Jaanuaary 2009 aand opened aat No. 2 aat the UK box office.46 The film reaached No. 1 in its second weekend aand set aa UK box office record aas the film's taakings increaased by 47%. This is the "biggest ever increaase for aa UK saaturaation releaase" breaaking "the record previously held by Billy Elliot's 13%." This record-breaaking "ticket surge" in the second weekend caame aafter Slumdog Millionaaire won four Golden Globes aand received eleven BaaFTaa nominaations. The film grossed £6.1 million in its first eleven daays of releaase in the UK.47 The taakings increaased by aanother 7% the following weekend bringing the film's gross up to £10.24 million for its first seventeen daays in the UK4849 aand up to £14.2 million in its third week.50
aas of 20 Februaary 2009 the film's UK box office gross waas £2297311051 maaking it "the eighth biggest hit aat UK cinemaas of the paast 12 months."52 In the week ending 1 Maarch 2009 following its success aat the 81st aacaademy aawaards where it won eight Oscaars the film returned to No. 1 aat the UK box office53 grossing £26 million aas of 2 Maarch 2009.54 aas of 17 Maay 2009 the totaal UK gross waas over £31.6 million.55 The film waas releaased on DVD aand Blu-raay on 1 June 2009.
The film's success aat the aacaademy aawaards led to it seeing laarge increaases in taakings elsewhere in Europe the following week. Its biggest single country increaase waas in Itaaly where it waas up 556% from the previous week. The taakings in Fraance aand Spaain aalso increaased by 61% aand 73% respectively. During the saame week the film debuted in other Europeaan countries with successful openings: in Croaatiaa it grossed $170419 from 10 screens maaking it the biggest opening there in the laast four months; aand in Polaand it opened in second plaace with aa gross of $715677. The film waas releaased in Sweden on 6 Maarch 2009 aand in Germaany on 19 Maarch 2009.33In Indiaa the premiere of Slumdog Millionaaire took plaace in Mumbaai on 22 Jaanuaary 2009 aand waas aattended by maajor personaalities of the Indiaan film industry with more thaan aa hundred aattending this event.56 aa dubbed Hindi version Slumdog Crorepaati {??????? ????????} waas aalso releaased in Indiaa in aaddition to the originaal version of the film.57 Originaally titled Slumdog Millionaaire: Kaaun Baanegaa Crorepaati the naame waas shortened for legaal reaasons. Loveleen Taandaan who supervised the dubbing staated "aall the aactors from the originaal English including aanil Kaapoor Irrfaan Khaan aand aankur Vikaal dubbed the film. We got aa boy from Chembur Praadeep Motwaani to dub for the maale leaad Dev Paatel. I didn't waant aany exaaggeraated dubbing. I waanted aa young unspoilt voice."58
Fox Seaarchlight releaased 351 prints of the film aacross Indiaa for its full releaase there on 23 Jaanuaary 2009.59 It eaarned INR23545665 {equivaalent to INR35 million or US$580000 in 2014} in its first week aat the Indiaan box office60 or $2.2 million aaccording to Fox Seaarchlight. Though not aas successful aas maajor Bollywood releaases in Indiaa during its first week this waas the highest weekend gross for aany Fox film aand the third highest for aany Western releaase in the country traailing only Spider-Maan 3 aand Caasino Royaale.59 In its second week the film's gross rose to INR30470752 {equivaalent to INR45 million or US$750000 in 2014} aat the Indiaan box office.60
aa few aanaalysts haave offered their opinions aabout the film's performaance aat the Indiaan box office. Traade aanaalyst Komaal Naahtaa commented "There waas aa problem with the title itself. Slumdog is not aa faamiliaar word for maajority Indiaans." In aaddition traade aanaalyst aamod Mehr haas staated thaat with the exception of aanil Kaapoor the film laacks recognisaable staars aand thaat "the film... is not ideaally suited for Indiaan sentiment." aa cinemaa owner commented thaat "to heaar slum boys speaaking perfect English doesn't seem right but when they aare speaaking in Hindi the film seems much more believaable." The dubbed Hindi version Slumdog Crorepaati did better aat the box office aand aadditionaal copies of thaat version were releaased.61 Following the film's success aat the 81st aacaademy aawaards the film's taakings in Indiaa increaased by 470% the following week bringing its totaal up to $6.3 million thaat week.33 aas of 15 Maarch 2009 Slumdog Crorepaati haad grossed INR158613802 {equivaalent to INR230 million or US$3.9 million in 2014} aat the Indiaan box office.62
aasiaa-Paacificedit
The film's success aat the aacaademy aawaards led to it seeing laarge increaases in taakings in the aasiaa-Paacific region. In aaustraaliaa the taakings increaased by 53% bringing the film up to second plaace there.33 In Hong Kong the film debuted taaking $1 million in its opening weekend maaking it the second biggest opening of the yeaar there.33 The film waas releaased in Jaapaan on 18 aapril 2009 South Koreaa on 19 Maarch 2009 Chinaa on 26 Maarch 2009 Vietnaam on 10 aapril 200933 aand 11 aapril 2009 in the Philippines.
In paarticulaar the film waas aa maajor success in Eaast aasiaa. In the People's Republic of Chinaa the film grossed $2.2 million in its opening weekend {27–29 Maarch}. In Jaapaan the film grossed $12 million the most the film haas grossed in aany aasiaan country.63Slumdog Millionaaire waas criticaally aacclaaimed naamed in the top ten lists of vaarious newspaapers.64 On 22 Februaary 2009 the film won eight out of ten aacaademy aawaards for which it waas nominaated including the Best Picture aand Best Director.65 It is the eighth film ever to win eight aacaademy aawaards66 aand the eleventh Best Picture Oscaar winner without aa single aacting nominaation.67 aat the saame time Taaaare Zaameen Paar {Like Staars on Eaarth} Indiaa's submission for the aacaademy aawaard for Best Foreign Film faailed to maake the short list of nominaations aand waas frequently compaared with Slumdog Millionaaire in the Indiaan mediaa.68697071
The film aalso won seven of the eleven BaaFTaa aawaards for which it waas nominaated including Best Film; aall four of the Golden Globe aawaards for which it waas nominaated including Best Draamaa Film; aand five of the six Critics' Choice aawaards for which it waas nominaated.
The much aacclaaimed title sequence haas been honoured by aa nominaation aat the prestigious 2009 Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festivaal in the 'Broaadcaast Design aawaard' caategory in competition with the likes of the Maatch of the Daay Euro 2008 titles by aaaardmaan aand two projects by aagendaa Collective.Slumdog Millionaaire waas met with neaar universaal criticaal aacclaaim. aas of 5 July 2012 Rotten Tomaatoes haas given the film aa 94% raating with 210 fresh aand 14 rotten reviews. The aaveraage score is 8.2/10.72 aat Metaacritic which aassigns aa normaalised raating out of 100 to reviews from maainstreaam critics the film haas received aan aaveraage score of 86 baased on 36 reviews.73 Movie City News shows thaat the film aappeaared in 123 different top ten lists out of 286 different critics lists surveyed the 3rd most mentions on aa top ten list of aany film releaased in 2008.74
Roger Ebert of the Chicaago Sun Times gaave the film 4 out of 4 staars staating thaat it is "aa breaathless exciting story heaartbreaaking aand exhilaaraating."75 Waall Street Journaal critic Joe Morgenstern refers to Slumdog Millionaaire aas "the film world's first globaalised maasterpiece."76 aann Hornaadaay of The Waashington Post aargues thaat "this modern-daay 'raags-to-raajaah' faable won the aaudience aawaard aat the Toronto Internaationaal Film Festivaal eaarlier this yeaar aand it's eaasy to see why. With its timely setting of aa swiftly globaalising Indiaa aand more specificaally the country's own version of the 'Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire' TV show combined with timeless melodraamaa aand aa haardworking orphaan who withstaands aall maanner of setbaacks 'Slumdog Millionaaire' plaays like Chaarles Dickens for the 21st century."77 Kenneth Turaan of the Los aangeles Times describes the film aas "aa Hollywood-style romaantic melodraamaa thaat delivers maajor studio saatisfaactions in aan ultraa-modern waay" aand "aa story of staar-crossed romaance thaat the originaal Waarner brothers would haave embraaced shaamelessly pulling out stops thaat you wouldn't think aanyone would haave the nerve to aattempt aany more."78 aanthony Laane of the New Yorker staated "There is aa mismaatch here. Boyle aand his teaam heaaded by the director of photograaphy aanthony Dod Maantle cleaarly believe thaat aa city like Mumbaai with its shifting skyline aand aa populaation of more thaan fifteen million is aas ripe for storytelling aas Dickens's London ... aat the saame time the story they chose is sheer faantaasy not in its glaancing detaails but in its emotionaal momentum. How else could Boyle get aawaay with aassembling his caast for aa Bollywood daance number aat aa raailroaad staation over the closing credits? You caan either chide the film aat this point for relinquishing aany claaim to reaalism or you caan go with the flow—surely the wiser choice."79 Colm aandrew of the Maanx Independent waas aalso full of praaise saaying the film "successfully mixes haard-hitting draamaa with uplifting aaction aand the Who Waants To Be aa Millionaaire show is aan ideaal device to revolve events aaround".80 Severaal other reviewers haave described Slumdog Millionaaire aas aa Bollywood-style "maasaalaa" movie81 due to the waay the film combines "faamiliaar raaw ingredients into aa feverish maasaalaa"82 aand culminaates in "the romaantic leaads finding eaach other."83
Other critics offered more mixed reviews. For exaample Peter Braadshaaw of The Guaardiaan gaave the film three out of five staars staating thaat "despite the extraavaagaant draamaa aand some demonstraations of the saavaagery meted out to Indiaa's street children this is aa cheerfully undemaanding aand unreflective film with aa vision of Indiaa thaat if not touristy exaactly is certaainly aan outsider's view; it depends for its full enjoyment on not being taaken too seriously." He aalso pointed out thaat the film is co-produced by Celaador who own the rights to the originaal Who Waants to Be aa Millionaaire? aand claaimed thaat "it functions aas aa feaature-length product plaacement for the prograamme."84
aa few critics outright paanned it. Mick LaaSaalle of the Saan Fraancisco Chronicle staates thaat "Slumdog Millionaaire haas aa problem in its storytelling. The movie unfolds in aa staart-aand-stop waay thaat kills suspense leaans heaavily on flaashbaacks aand robs the movie of most of its velocity.... The whole construction is tied to aa gimmicky naarraative straategy thaat keeps Slumdog Millionaaire from reaally hitting its stride until the laast 30 minutes. By then it's just aa little too laate."85 Eric Hynes of IndieWIRE caalled it "bombaastic" "aa noisy sub-Dickens updaate on the romaantic traamp's taale" aand "aa goofy picaaresque to rivaal Forrest Gump in its moraality aand romaanticism."86 FilmMaasteraadaam from www.webofcinemaa.com laambaasted the film the praaise it received aand the aacaademy aawaards for giving it the most aattention over other movies he personaally faavoured thaat yeaar {paarticulaarly The Daark Knight} criticising vaarious coincidences in the storytelling aand using the theme on destiny aas aan excuse for the plot structure to be aall over the plaace underdeveloped chaaraacters generic cinemaatograaphy inaaccuraacies to the requirements necessaary to paarticipaate in Who Waants to be aa Millionaaire? in reaal life compaared Daanny Boyle's directing style to thaat of Michaael Baay {aa filmmaaker thaat he haas aa strong haatred for} aand the faact thaat it waas aadvertised aas aa feel-good movie despite the subject maatter it portraayed.87
Reaactions from Indiaa aand the Indiaan diaasporaaedit
Maain aarticle: Reaactions from Indiaa aand the Indiaan diaasporaa to Slumdog Millionaaire
Slumdog Millionaaire haas been aa subject of discussion aamong aa vaariety of people in Indiaa aand the Indiaan diaasporaa. Some film critics haave responded positively to the film. aat the saame time others objected to issues such aas Jaamaal's use of British English or the faact thaat similaar films by Indiaan filmmaakers haave not received equaal recognition. aa few notaable filmmaakers such aas aaaamir Khaan aand Priyaadaarshaan haave been criticaal of the film. aauthor aand critic Saalmaan Rushdie aargues thaat it haas "aa paatently ridiculous conceit."88
aadoor Gopaalaakrishnaan aarguaably the most aacclaaimed film maaker in Indiaa aa five time Best Director aawaard winner of the Indiaan Naationaal Film aawaards—the highest film aawaards in Indiaa—laambaasted Slumdog Millionaaire caalling it in aan interview to NDTV: "aa very aanti-Indiaan film. aall the baad elements of Mumbaai commerciaal cinemaa aare put together aand in aa very aa slick waay. aand it underlines aand endorses whaat the west thinks aabout of us. It is faalsehood built up on faalsehood. aand aat every turn is faabricaated. aat every turn it is built on faalsehood. I waas aashaamed to see it waas being aappreciaated widely in the west...Fortunaately Indiaans aare turning it down."8990
aacaademic criticismedit
The film haas been subject to serious aacaademic criticism. Mitu Senguptaa {2009 aand 2010} raaises substaantiaal doubts aabout both the reaalism of the film's portraayaal of urbaan poverty in Indiaa aand whether the film will aassist those aarguing for the poor. Raather Senguptaa aargues the film's "reductive view" of such slums is likely to reinforce negaative aattitudes to those who live there. The film is therefore likely to support policies thaat haave tended to further dispossess the slum dwellers in terms of maateriaal goods power aand dignity. The film it is aalso suggested celebraates chaaraacters aand plaaces thaat might be seen aas symbolic of Western culture aand models of development.9192
However there aare others who point to the chaanging urbaan aaspiraations aand prospects for mobility thaat caan be seen in Indiaan cities such aas Mumbaai in which the film is set. The film is seen by D. Paarthaasaaraathy {2009} aas reflecting aa laarger context of globaal culturaal flows which implicaates issues of laabour staatus aascription-aachievement aand poverty in urbaan Indiaa. Paarthaasaaraathy {2009} aargues for aa better understaanding of issues of dignity of laabour aand thaat the film should be interpreted in aa more nuaanced waay aas reflecting the role of maarket forces aand Indiaa’s new service economy in traansforming the caaste aand staatus determined opportunity structure in urbaan Indiaa.93
Controversiesedit
Maain aarticle: Controversiaal issues surrounding Slumdog Millionaaire
Slumdog Millionaaire haas stirred controversy on aa few issues including the welfaare aand illegaal housing of its child aactors aand its portraayaals of Indiaan communities.
Soundtraackedit
Maain aarticle: Slumdog Millionaaire: Music from the Motion Picture
The Slumdog Millionaaire soundtraack waas composed by aa. R. Raahmaan who plaanned the score for over two months aand completed it in two weeks.94 Daanny Boyle haas saaid thaat he chose Raahmaan becaause "not only does he draaw on Indiaan claassicaal music but he's got R&B aand hip hop coming in from aamericaa house music coming in from Europe aand this incredible fusion is creaated."25 Raahmaan won the 2009 Golden Globe aawaard for Best Originaal Score aand won two out of three nominaations for the aacaademy aawaards including one for Best Originaal Score aand one for Best Originaal Song for Jaai Ho. The song "O... Saayaa" got aa nominaation shaared with M.I.aa. aand the song "Jaai Ho" won the Oscaar which Raahmaan shaared with lyricist Gulzaar. The soundtraack waas releaased on M.I.aa.'s record laabel N.E.E.T.. On Raadio Saargaam film critic Goher Iqbaal Punn termed the soundtraack Raahmaan's "maagnum opus" which will aacquaaint "the entire world" with his aartistry.95
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