Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
I had a roadblock to overcome when I first saw Slumdog Millionaire, and it had nothing to do with India, a cultural divide, or the first entirely non-White principal cast ever in a Best Picture–winner. That’s all wonderful to me, and I love a good, compelling story with characters and locations that are fresh to my eyes and experiences. The problem? I don’t much care for gameshows, and they were booming during the first part of this century. What started with Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune expanded to include The Weakest Link and a slew of others. They had moved from innocuous sick-day fodder on daytime TV to primetime ratings champs. Networks around the globe embraced the trend, because it was cheap, compared to producing expensive dramas or comedies with big-budget stars, writers, directors, sets, costumes, locations, etc. But the idea of framing this story or any story around Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was a gigantic turnoff to me. I had an allergic reaction before the lights dimmed, and even hearing that overplayed theme music a few times made my skin crawl. It felt phony and forced, just like the show itself.
Fortunately, this invasion has waned in the years since, although reality TV itself is still lurking. Most of those offerings are gameshows in disguise anyway, with big prizes, giddy winners, and bitter losers. “Reality” is nowhere to be found, and it’s a bore to me. My point is that each time I see this movie, I like it better, especially now that I’m not inundated by the trendy genre on a daily basis. I’ve gotten over my gameshow blues and even come to enjoy the surreal setting for this incredible journey about a dirt-poor boy from the slums of Mumbai and his public chance to become independently wealthy for life.
The plot is compelling from the start, with 18-year-old Jamal (Dev Patel) poised to win 20 million rupees if he can correctly answer the final question on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He must “come back tomorrow” to sit in the hot seat one last time, but as he exits the studio, Jamal is forcibly detained and then tortured by the police who suspect him of cheating. The inspector (Irrfan Khan) and his sidekick constable (Saurabh Shukla) assert that it isn’t possible for a kid from the slums with almost no education to guess every answer up to this point. They pop a VHS tape of prior broadcasts into a player, and it’s from their systematic interrogation that we are taken through each question in sequential order and come to learn about Jamal’s life.
As a five-year-old living in the Dharavi slums, Jamal (now played by Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) learns to read in school with his older brother Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail). Jamal is determined to obtain a celebrated Bollywood star’s autograph, no matter what, and after his brother plays a prank on him, Jamal escapes his temporary imprisonment in an outhouse by wading through the cesspit underneath. A spiteful Salim later steals and sells the autograph for his own profit. When their mother is killed during a sudden political uprising, Jamal and Salim find themselves orphaned and homeless. They wander the streets searching for food and shelter and meet a homeless girl their age named Latika (Rubina Ali). According to Jamal, they are the “Three Musketeers” now—Athos, Porthos, and … Jamal can’t remember the third musketeer’s name.
The rest of Jamal’s story revolves around this trio’s relationship. They encounter harrowing and horrifying experiences as they are separated and reunited throughout their young lives. At times, it feels like a Dickens novel with dark glimpses from a child protagonist’s perspective into the city’s criminal underworld. Each flashback is cued by another question during the gameshow. For example, we learn the reason why Jamal knows that Benjamin Franklin is on the American hundred-dollar bill.
Three actors play each of the three main characters at various stages of development, and all are excellent, particularly Dev Patel, who was overlooked by the Academy for a Supporting Actor nomination. What we come to learn, as the plot unfolds, is just how deeply in love Jamal is with Latika. He doesn’t care whether he wins or loses on the final question, as long as they can be together. Their love is his “grand prize.”
This movie does have faults, particularly with the sequence of questions paralleling the development of his life. I might be able to suspend disbelief that Jamal could know the answers, but I can’t swallow that each question is offered in perfect chronological order to coincide with his personal experience. In the end, my skepticism is vanquished by the terrific performances, an unapologetic romance, and a full-scale Bollywood musical number with a chorus of dancers to cap off the film. Slumdog Millionaire is the reimagined Cinderella story that introduced me to an unfamiliar way of life and social setting. I’m overwhelmed and moved by the extreme hardships depicted, but I am equally blown away by the indomitable spirit in Jamal. He doesn’t give up and ultimately doesn’t care about a “big prize.” In the end, it’s love that wins the game.
On a personal note, the actors playing the children were chosen from the slums of India. Their salaries were put in trusts for them by the director and studio. I was comforted to learn this, but even more surprised the day after the Oscar telecast when this movie won eight awards. I headed off to Disneyland early the next morning with friends visiting from out of town. As we made our way through the rides and attractions, I spotted the entire cast of children from this film as they were led around the park on a VIP tour. What an incredible experience to go from life in the slums, to acting in a film, to flying out to Hollywood for a globally televised event, only to have all of this topped by a guided tour through “the happiest place on earth.” I caught sight of these kids on several occasions throughout the day. At one point, they were right in front of me on the Indiana Jones ride. Based on their smiles and enthusiasm, they seemed to be having the best time. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Sometimes fate intervenes and deals you an unimaginable, improbable hand.
Slumdog Millionaire
Director | Danny Boyle |
Primary Cast | Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanay Chheda, Rubina Ali, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ankur Vikal |
Familiar Faces | none (no repeat performers from the previous winning films) |
Firsts | First Best Picture featuring an entirely non-White principal cast, first Best Picture to be shot digitally, first and only Best Picture to have two songs nominated |
Total Wins | 8 (Picture, Director, Screenplay: Adapted, Cinematography, Editing, Sound: Mixing, Score, Song: “Jai Ho”) |
Total Nominations | 10 (Picture, Director, Screenplay: Adapted, Cinematography, Editing, Sound: Editing, Sound: Mixing, Score, Song: “Jai Ho,” Song: “O Saya”) |
Viewing Format | Blu-ray Disc |
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