Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle

Adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A, and directed by Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that is easy to rave about but difficult to avoid. With a fairy tale storyline concerning the triumph of an underdog against all odds, that viewers are bound to find inspirational, the movie is never didactic in its approach, and manages to pack a strong punch. What sets the movie truly apart is the searing and uncompromising honesty of the director. The movie is full of hope and life despite the graphic and unsettling physical poverty depicted on screen.

Danny Boyle’s latest movie Slumdog Millionaire has been creating ripples among critics and at awards circuit. Savour this – it has already won awards at around 24 film festivals and award shows, including at the Golden Globe Awards, British Independent Film Awards and National Board of Review. It has also made the top 10 lists (for best movies of 2008) of a slew of film critics. Now that’s some movie one might be tempted to think. But is it that good? Let me deliberate on that

Adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A, and directed by one of the most sought after British directors working at present, Danny Boyle, who shot to dizzying heights with the amazing black comedy Trainspotting, and lived up to his fame with the terrifying zombie flick 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that is easy to rave about and difficult to avoid. With a fairy tale storyline that viewers are bound to find inspirational, the movie delivers for the simple reason that it is never didactic, and manages to pack a strong punch.

The movie starts of with a frightening torture scene. We see a young lad, hardly an adult, facing the wrath of brutal police interrogation. Soon, we are apprised of the situation. The guy is Jamal Malik, an 18-year old from the infamous slums of Mumbai, and he had already successfully reached the last question of Kaun Banega Crorepati (Indian version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire), when he is surreptitiously transferred to police custody on suspicions of cheating. As the police officer in charge of the case, played by Irfan Khan, aptly wonders, how is it possible for a ‘slumdog’ to have reached a stage which even highly educated and knowledgeable people find beyond their means. Thus starts two parallel narratives – his incredible tryst with KBC, and his tumultuous past. And in the process we learn, along with the police officer, how nearly each question has played a vital role in his life, and the real reason for his coming to the show – to win the girl he loves.

Jamal Malik’s life in the movie has been divided into three distinct age groups, with the eldest of the lot being played by Dev Patel, a fine find by the director. Two people play enormous roles in Jamal’s short life thus far, his elder brother Salim, and Latika, his childhood sweetheart. Here it ought to be mentioned that the greatest assets of the movie are its child actors – they haven’t just been exceedingly well cast, but have also put in extremely believable and mature performances.

Through Jamal’s turbulent life the viewers have been presented with the dark and seedy underbelly of Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. Where on one hand the city boasts of infinite riches, it also happens to be home to Dharavi, the largest slum in the world. Riots, beggary, prostitution and crime are just some of the horrendous aspects that Jamal has had to deal with during his days of growing up. From being part of a petty theft racket in Agra to working at an over-crowded call centre, from witnessing brutal slayings to organizing rescue missions, Jamal has seen ‘em all. It is safe to say that in his 18 years, the number of ups and downs that he has experienced could easily fill up three full lives. His string of heartbreaks starts when he watches his mother die in the riots. But it is his love for Latika that drives him forward and instils in him a willingness to survive. Of course, with the street smarts that he has been forced to imbibe through circumstances, survival comes to him naturally.

To reiterate what I mentioned earlier, this is very much a modern day fairy tale movie. The plot has a heavy Bollywood feel to it. The strong romance angle, that can be encapsulated with the popular phrase – boy meets girl, boy looses girl, boy wins girl, is the central motif of the movie. Indian viewers wouldn’t find the young hero’s triumph over all the odds thrown at him, without once loosing his self dignity, a very novel concept. Further, the juxtaposition of his character with that of Salim, his elder brother, who takes to crime and violence at his first opportunity, couldn’t be any more glaring; in fact that reminded me of the movie Parinda. And like all conscientious movies, Salim redeems himself at the end with an act of bravery and selflessness. Finally, it’s a classic tale of Good winning over the Evil.

But what sets the movie apart from the majority of Hindi movies with a similar skeleton is the searing honesty of the director, his exceptional ability in characterization, and his wonderful storytelling skills. The darker sides of Mumbai are at once incisive and heart-wrenching. Boyle could have taken the cynical route; he could also have revelled at the poverty and turned the film into the cinematic equivalent of ‘slum tourism’. Instead, he has filled the movie to its brim with hope and life. The imagery is vivid and the depictions uncomfortably graphic, but you’ll really feel alive while watching this movie – and that, I believe, is the biggest reason behind the movie’s enormous success. I can think of only a handful of Hindi movies, like Satya, Gardish and Parinda, that managed to paint such a remarkably detailed picture of Mumbai beyond its swanky offices and shining limousines.

The screenplay is one of the strongest aspects of the movie. The dialogues are very well written and the narrative kept under a tight leash, thus ensuring that the movie never ventures into the territory of maudlin and soppy melodramas. Instead, there is a kinetic feel to the actions, thus managing to keep the viewers glued to what is transpiring on the screen. The editing, too, has played an enormous part in this process. The amazing cinematography and camera work are for all to see. The striking images, the terrific pan-aerial shots, and the incredible eye for details, have made the theme of the movie that much more palpable and engaging. A. R. Rehman’s score might not be as imperious as the hype suggests, but at certain junctures it does manage to reach thumping levels. And in all these discussions it is very easy to overlook a laudatory performance – Anil Kapoor’s marvellous turn as the sleazy, wisecracking game show host. The veteran actor does deserve a big pat in his back.

So what is my personal verdict on Slumdog Millionaire? Yes, it has its fair share of coincidences and plot developments that are very much filmic. Yes, it is also very much an underdog movie with an unsurprisingly happy ending. But it is not your run-of-the-mill feel-good opera. It is also uncompromising in its detailing and fiercely relentless in its execution. Thus, though never an extraordinary work of art, it nonetheless manages to be a very satisfying and wholesome watch. The fact that it has entered into such good books of a number of famous film critics and award ceremonies should make those associated with it that much more proud and happy.

A trailer of one of the most acclaimed films of 2008