ARPITA BISWAS

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE 2008 Drama/Romance 2h 3m Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan Director: Danny Boyle Numerous narratives and films have explored the issues related to children and human rights, especially in the Asian countries. "Slumdog Millionaire" is essentially about the harsh realities of the children living in the slums in India and the things they are forced to do. It depicts the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a teenage boy from the Dharavi slums of Mumbai, who appears on the Indian version of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' This illiterate boy goes on to win the show, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host (Anil Kapoor) and of law enforcement officials. Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother Salim, grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangsters, of their life in the slums of Dharavi, and of Latika (Freida), the girl he loved and lost. The story told in flashback sequences reveals how every encounter in Jamal's life provided the key to the answer to the questions asked in the game show. But the real reason for Jamal's being on the show is not to win the money but to find his lost love, Latika, who he knows watches the show religiously. Director Danny Boyle has successfully portrayed the actual situations that occur in a poverty-stricken slum area like Dharavi. The film was actually set and filmed in India. The flawless acting by all the actors, especially by the child artists who originally belong to the Mumbai slums, makes the movie a visual treat. Propelled by the scintillating music of A.R. Rahman, the film has songs whose words most Westerners may barely understand, but whose tunes stay with all the listeners. The film was a worldwide success. It won eight Oscars including the first Oscar for music given to an Indian, i.e., A.R. Rahman. The film is a true eye opener, it portrays the spirit of every slum child of finding hope and a release from the bondage of poverty. In short, "Slumdog Millionaire" has all the elements, a perfect story, superb direction and screenplay, delightful music and flawless acting, which makes it worth seeing.