Yeah! When you've a British Filmmaker and Indian Artists are on the show, 'a mind-boggling' magic goes on. For sure, you wouldn't need an illustration for this. Richard Attenborough's 'The Gandhi' touched the feat of honor. Now, after 27 years, here the Indian dreams getting accomplished yet again. Thanks to Danny Boyle who has made us wonder how versatile filmmakers of our Country weren't able to present such a mirror-image of Mumbai, its beauty and the other side. Precisely, it's worthy calling the film as the 'Good-Bad-and-The Ugly' of Mumbai. Indeed, the British Filmmaker endows us with a tremendous piece of work. Well, this flick isn't merely about 'A Slumdog turning millionaire overnight', but the heart-and-soul encounters faced by a lad on his way from 'Rags to Riches'.
Ever heard about the line 'Reality Bites', you should have. A staggering film that offers you surprises and irresistible shocks that even Mumbaikers wouldn't have noticed. If you're looking out for any messages to be perceived - yeah, you've one. 'Bitter experiences making you stumble down are the stimulants to successes'. Don't assume this to be Danny's statements; but it is for those audiences who expect a solid substance from it.
Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy.
Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common (Slumdog) could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far into a brain game game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins reflecting back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor, and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai.
Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions posed to him on 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'. Though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show? Of course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the final question.
It's merely not the expositions of Mumbai and Vikas Swaroop's 'Q&A' that makes 'Slumdog Millionaire' an interesting film. Simon Beaufoy's gripping screenplay of continuous switching over times of past-and-present, keeps you edge-seated for every single second of the 120 minutes. A groovy narration with joy, pain, union, separation, tragedy and love doesn't get anyone's attentions scattered.
Check out the list of star-casts, everybody on the title cards steals the show with their exceptional performance sans flawlessness. Dev Patel has an inborn talent that's so evident on his gestures and actions on every frame. The glimpse on his reactions as Irrfan questions 'Who's there on 100 rupee Indian Note?' his fantastic spell of reaction would never stop anyone from applauding. Watching this guy glimpsing on his past for the last question of 'Three Musketeers' and smiling cheerfully, would again make you hail him with praises. 'An outstanding actor' and that's it.
Well, you don't have Frieda Pinto appearing for more than 30mins (3 different girls on different ages of Latika's characterization). But, gets her depicted attractive sans a lavish makeover. Madhur Mittal as Older Salim overwhelms with sparkling acting especially in the penultimate sequences. Wanna hear his Punch dialogues? 'Eeee.easy', 'Aaraamse..', 'I'm at the centre of centre'.
Anil Kapoor deserves great appraisals for the bold attempt of picking a characterization of negative shades. Irrfan Khan with his casual efforts picks your attention. Saurabh Shukla does his characterization which is presented with finesse.
The technical aspects are enthralling. We have never seen Mumbai's slums so deeply. The cinematographer doesn't fail to capture even the minutest props with the best-innovative placements of camera angles. We also get to see a bird's eye view of Mumbai's slums.
As icing on the cake, the Musical score by Rahman makes it big with the visual perception. To a certain extent, title song 'O Saayo' seems to be carrying the traces of opening scene in Fernando Meirelles' 'City of God'. Rahman's earnest involvement in getting along with creative thoughts of the cinematographer and Danny Boyle has yielded the best results. Doubtlessly, 'Jai Ho' and 'O...Saayo' are electrifying making you feel to watch it over again for many times. Nithin Desai's set decoration of 'Kaun Banega Crorepathi' and the marvelous Taj Mahal are a masterpiece.
On the whole, 'Slumdog Millionaire' has various reasons to capture everyone's attention. Probably, the most top-charting show of 'Who wants to be a Millionaire', 'Kaun Banega Crorepathi' should have earlier pulled everyone. Nevertheless, there's something more close to your hearts than these factors of emotional vistas. A beautifully portrayed romance bounded with lots of hurdles in the union till last moment is sure to melt down your hearts.
Verdict: Watch it any cost.. Even, if a ticket costs a million dollars!!!
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