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Cast:
Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irfaan Khan,
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Freida Pinto |
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Year:
2009 |
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Music:
A.R. Rahman |
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Editor:
Anthony Dod Mantle |
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Cinematographer:
Chris Dickens |
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Screenplay:
Simon Beaufoy |
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Producer:
Christian Colson |
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Director:
Danny Boyle |
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creating waves abroad, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire
arrives in India, a kind of homecoming as the film's story
is situated in the underbelly of Mumbai. It is a homecoming
of sorts as well, as the masala content of the movie is not
very different from what has been churned by the Hindi film
industry, which incidentally, is also quite similar to the
B&W era of films made in Hollywood too. There is a section
in our country, which loves to decry anything made by a
foreigner, which dares to depict the grime and squalor of
India. But the reality of the matter is that the film is not
peddling these. In the end, Slumdog Millionaire is not about
the poverty or the seamy underbelly of Mumbai alone, it is
to do with the human spirit. That, one feels, needs to be
applauded. Just because, it has become the norm for the
heroes of our Hindi films to always be portrayed as rich
NRIs, business tycoons etc, doesn' mean that the other side
of the picture should have no takers. If someone should want
to wear blinkers and make movies which feed on that
distorted reality of life, fair enough. But give the other a
chance as well. And Boyle does that very well indeed in his
movie. |
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One of
the most brilliant things about this movie is the
screenplay which has been executed by Simon Beaufoy.
The manner in which he uses the ploy of the game
show to showcase the story of Jamal, Salim and
Latika is really praiseworthy. The screenplay is
crisp, definitely inspired from Bollywood, and yet
so innovative and energetic. The film has its dark
moments but what it ultimately offers is hope, a
rare commodity in our cynical times. So, if for
nothing else, then the film is to be lauded for
imparting that to its audiences. |
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The film hooks you in from the very beginning and
one is drawn irresistibly into the love and life of
Jamal and Latika (Freida Pinto) and the lost brother
Salim (Madhur Mittal). The film's story begins with
an 18 year old Jamal (Dev Patel) taking part in the
Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'
Coming from the mean streets of Mumbai, with
literally no education, he is not expected to last
long. But to everyone's surprise, most of all the
host of the show, Prem (Anil Kapoor), he ends up
reaching the final round of the quiz programme,
where he is on the threshold of winning 20 million
rupees. Serving coffee at a call centre, this young
boy's journey to the final is something that Prem
cannot handle. He is sure, just as the rest are,
that the boy is cheating and even sets the police on
him. It is in the investigation by the police
inspector that Jamal's story unfolds. As he explains
to the inspector how he came to know the answers,
every aspect of his life tumbles out into the open.
The
screenplay has been written so adroitly that each
answer is intrinsically related to some aspect of
Jamal's life and the life of Salim and Latika, his
beloved. The story that unfolds of Jamal's
childhood, is not very pleasant. But it has the
ingredients of a potboiler with the archetypal good
brother, bad brother, and the girl torn between the
underworld and true love. Born into the worst of
situations, these three children survive on their
wits, as they negotiate their way into the world,
with Latika and Salim being sucked into the vortex
of the criminal underbelly of the city. |
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There is distinct Dickensian touch to the
proceedings with a Fagin like character, played
brilliantly by Ankur Vikal. But besides the streak
of stark cruelty which runs through the film, there
is also a strong streak of the resilient power of
hope and love, brought out brilliantly by Jamal and
Latika's love story. This love story adds yet
another moving dimension to this epic tale of the 'slumdog.'
Boyle's manages to infuse the film with a sort of
contagious energy. |
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He is brilliantly aided by some great camerawork
(Anthony Dod Mantle) and editing (Chris Dickens), which
convey the colour and drama of Mumbai's streets and its
denizens. AR Rahman's eclectic musical score and the
triumphant cry of 'Jai Ho' ensures that the film ends on a
contagious high. As for the actors, Indian born Dev Patel
excels in the role of Jamal. It is a very moving portrayal
by the young actor.
He is
brilliantly supported by Freida Pinto as Latika. Our very
own Anil Kapoor does his bit as the supercilious, snobbish
game show host very well indeed. The other Indian actors in
the film, like Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla, Mahesh Manjrekar
and Ankur Vikal are quite brilliant. One cannot end this
paen to the actors of this film without talking about the
actors who play the young Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar),
Latika (Rubina Ali) and Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail),
in their childhood. They are absolutely riveting. Bringing
all of this together is Boyle, who ringmaster like, guides
the protagonists of his film through all the ups and downs
of the byelanes of life, to the final winning post. 'Jai Ho'
to him as well for making such a riveting movie. |
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