Slumdog Millionaire by now already received handful of awards including Golden Globe 2009. The story of Slumdog Millionaire is based on a book Q & A (questions and answer) by Indian diplomat Vikas Swaroop.

Story of Slumdog Millionaire is about a boy Jamaal Malik who lives in slums of Mumbai with his brother Salim when both were kids. Then suddenly hindu-muslim riots erupted, they run for their life and while sheltering from the rain meets Latika. Life goes in flashes and Jamaal got out from slum and work as ‘chaiwala’ in one of the call centre. Later he plays who wants to be a millionaire and won million rupees.

Read hindi version of this review
Does this story plot sounds simple, it may be but the beauty of Slumdog Millionaire is it’s script and the way story executed (directed), no surprise Slumdog Millionaire won golden globe for both categories. Simon Beaufoy wrote simple, tight and interesting story and Danny Boyle executed the subject wonderfully.

Film starts in a room and very first dialogue you hear is a bad word (gaali) thrown to Jamal’s (Dev Patel) face by Police constable (Sourabh shukla). Then Police inspector (Irfaan) enters in the room and story goes in flashback and returns to the present time just before climax.

Police interrogate Jamaal, being a ‘chaiwala‘ and living in slum how the hell he knows all the answer asked by anchor Prem kumar (Anil Kumar), Infact Prem Kumar get jealous and asked police to get him. Then in the police station Jamaal explained and narrate his life’s incidents and how he got the answers (except the last one which he just guessed even though that too related with his life). And this is the best part I liked about the script, the way Q & A handled.

Role of Latika was played by Freida Pinto, Mahesh Manjrekar too have a small role of slum don Javed, other know face to me was of Raj Zutshi. Film ends at railway station and then credit/casting followed with a song ‘Jai Ho‘, composed by A R Rehman and penned by Gulzar This is very energetic number and choriograpgy of the song added another plus for song and grabbed a award for A R Rehman in Golden Globe (Original Music Score).

Film was very good but still I reserve my thoughts (words) if this was the best film among others in Golden Globe. But one thing I am sure, holocaust and slums (poor people and poverty) is a very favorite subject for western world and gives huge advantage to any film towards getting awards.

On other note, Lavleen Tondon started as casting director and later ended as co-director after Danny was impressed with her inputs and asked her to step-up.

And at the end one incident or scene I recalled from film: When Jamaal (as a young kid) accidently becomes tourist guide in the city of Taj Mahal. A foreign couple asked him to give a tour of Taj Mahal. Jamaal doesn’t know anything about history so he explained the things with his own version. And when he says Mumtaj died in an accident and thus Khurram made this for her but couple said this is not true, it’s well known she died when giving birth to child. Jamaal immediately replies yes that’s true she died on accident when taking her to hospital for delivery.

My verdict: Must Watch
my Rating: 4