Review : Slumdog Millionaire – worth watching more than a million times…

Direction: Danny Boyle

Story: Based on novel penne by Vikas Swaroop’s ‘Q & A’

Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy

Music: A.R.Rahman

Star-casts: Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Saurabh Shukla and others.

For the last two decades, we never had a spellbinding flick winning us prestigious awards including Oscars. Any guesses what was the only film in 1980s that won us accolades? Of course, it’s none other than ‘The Gandhi’ directed Richard Attenborough starring Ben Kingsley in lead role. And now, here a film making each and every Indian to be prouder and that’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. None could have imagined that Vikas Swaroop’s ‘Q & A’ would be adapted by Danny Boyle and win such prestigious awards including the nominations of Oscars.

The attributes of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepathi’ pulled everyone’s attention as a first factor. Likewise, the game show ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ in the west. And then the scintillating tale of how a Slumdog answers all the tough questions that couldn’t be answered by any doctors, General Knowledge-walas and engineers.

Yeah, that’s something unique and exceptional. Each question he faces takes us back to the most desperate part of his life, especially the last question that would win him Rs. 2million dollars.

The story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show’s questions. Each chapter of Jamal’s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show’s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector (Irrfan Khan) and sixty million viewers are about to find out. At the heart of its storytelling lies the question of how anyone comes to know the things they know about life and love.

Dev Patel astonishes with his stunning act in each frame. You can better call him ‘A Genius’ and he carry off everything with an ease. Watch his gestures while Irrfan Khan asks him ‘Who’s there on Hundred Rupees Note?’ or his facial expressions while answering the last question uncaring for the big prize; they are mindblowing. Freida Pinto offers a great show with her minimal role. Madhur Mittal as Dev’s brother steals the show with his over-the-top acting, particularly in the climax. Sing appraisals for Anil Kapoor’s bold performance and Ditto to Irrfan Khan. Saurabh Shukla is great depicting himself as a constable missing his sleep for past 2 days.

Musical score by Rahman transfixes you to the uttermost. In particular, the numbers ‘Jai Ho’ and ‘O Saayo’ are splendiferous on all quotients and Rahman can thank his Sound Engineer. Cinematography is extremely commendable and watching a different Mumbai is awesome and editing deserves same credits….

On the whole, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is a must watch flick by everyone. In fact, we are sure none of the Indian Filmmakers would ever dream about making such a film, especially in Kollywood.

Verdict: Cancel everything and watch this….

0 comments: