Slumdog Millionaire - Review

Why you must watch it:

• It has been the talk of the town for weeks now and you don't want to be left behind!
• A film with innumerable Indian connections winning global recognition
• Danny Boyle shows us he has a better understanding of Mumbai's underbelly than most Bollywood directors  

Look out for: Lovely Freida Pinto in the role of Latika. 

The Good: Casting, Performances of Lead and Supporting cast, Well directed
The Bad: Some people might not like the way India has been portrayed to the global audience

Bottomline: By now most of urban India has already decided they want to watch this film so this review only answers one question - Does this film justify all the hype and accolades that are pouring in? The answer is an emphatic 'Yes'! Danny Boyle is the same talented director who crafted Trainspotting (1996), one of the most path-breaking films of the last decade. If Trainspotting took us to the darkest recesses of Edinburgh, Scotland and its drug scene, Slumdog takes us deep into the slums of Mumbai that most of us pretend don't exist. The plot is simple - Jamal Malik (Brilliantly essayed by 18-year old debutant Dev Patel) works as a 'chaiwalla' in a Call Centre in Mumbai and is an unlikely candidate on the TV show Who wants to be a Millionaire. The film follows all the twists and turns of his life and how he finds all the answers to the questions on the show from his real life experiences. The film has fantastic performances by the entire cast that include Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan and Mahesh Manjrekar. Danny Boyle's depiction of the worst side of Mumbai may have some Indians up in arms but there is no denying it exists and most of the Indian filmmakers are more comfortable on the valleys of Switzerland than neighbourhoods that are just minutes away from their penthouse apartments. The soundtrack is good but is certainly not AR Rahman's finest. Above all Slumdog Millionaire works because it is full of hope and in these Riches to Rags recessionary times it is great to watch a Rags to Riches tale!