Slumdog Millionaire
Every once in a while comes a movie that stays with people for ever. It remains like a part of memory. However irrelevant to our life, it will still remind us as to what life can be if it wasn’t the way it is right now. Slumdog millionaire goes straight into the movie makers’ hall of fame.
The movie received enough attention even before it got out, be it criticisms from well known movie stars or the Golden Globe nominations. Any cinema lover had enough reasons to buy a ticket to watch Slumdog and was not disappointed.
The movie is about a contestant in the popular reality show “Who wants to be a millionaire”. He is Jamal, an office boy in a call centre. The movie begins with a police inspector (Irrfan Khan) interrogating this kid for cheating in the game. Jamal goes ahead in the game answering one question after the other which is quite unbelievable to the entire world watching the show. He is suspected of cheating and is tortured to find out how he knows the answers. Thus unfolds the story of Jamal, his brother Saleem and his childhood sweetheart Lathika. Jamal and Saleem are kids from a slum in Mumbai who are victims to various hardships the slums are subject to. The story is narrated on the sidelines of how Jamal knows answers to each of the questions he is asked. The movie goes from scene to scene gripping the audience and the grand finale comes when the reason for Jamal to be on the show unfolds. The movie ends restoring faith in destiny and how all things right will eventually end up right.
The greatness of the movie is the way it is shot so close to reality. Some of the scenes can melt hearts made of stone. It shows a part of the world that most of us are oblivious to and are stunned by the reality as the events gather pace. Credit has to be given to Danny Boyle who seemed to have read the recipe to an amazing movie perfectly. Rahman scores again and this time the world has sat up and taken notice of the genius we have fostered for a while. The music blends with the movie in an amazingly smooth manner. I have followed Rahman since Roja like many of us and I still feel Rahman’s best work goes back to Bombay, Roja and Taal. Nevertheless the maestro has been rewarded finally. The actors have come out with some amazing performances. Dev, who plays the lead, looks fantastic for his first movie. Freida has also done a good job but still has a way to go in establishing herself. Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan look good too. The best part of the movie was the kids, who play the younger Jamal, Saleem and Lathika. They are the true stars and the greatness of Boyle comes out in the sparkle in the eyes of the kids who have given some outstanding performances.
There are some scenes that are so gruesome that it can make our stomachs turn. But the movie is set in a great pace and has the thrills and tears to make the audience get lost in the movie and forget the world outside. Boyle has delivered a masterpiece and this one is one of those movies where people who aren’t regular movie goers will still want to take a peek and find out what really is Slumdog all about. My message to all those peekers – Indian cinema has finally arrived, why don’t u book a seat and enjoy the ride!!
The movie received enough attention even before it got out, be it criticisms from well known movie stars or the Golden Globe nominations. Any cinema lover had enough reasons to buy a ticket to watch Slumdog and was not disappointed.
The movie is about a contestant in the popular reality show “Who wants to be a millionaire”. He is Jamal, an office boy in a call centre. The movie begins with a police inspector (Irrfan Khan) interrogating this kid for cheating in the game. Jamal goes ahead in the game answering one question after the other which is quite unbelievable to the entire world watching the show. He is suspected of cheating and is tortured to find out how he knows the answers. Thus unfolds the story of Jamal, his brother Saleem and his childhood sweetheart Lathika. Jamal and Saleem are kids from a slum in Mumbai who are victims to various hardships the slums are subject to. The story is narrated on the sidelines of how Jamal knows answers to each of the questions he is asked. The movie goes from scene to scene gripping the audience and the grand finale comes when the reason for Jamal to be on the show unfolds. The movie ends restoring faith in destiny and how all things right will eventually end up right.
The greatness of the movie is the way it is shot so close to reality. Some of the scenes can melt hearts made of stone. It shows a part of the world that most of us are oblivious to and are stunned by the reality as the events gather pace. Credit has to be given to Danny Boyle who seemed to have read the recipe to an amazing movie perfectly. Rahman scores again and this time the world has sat up and taken notice of the genius we have fostered for a while. The music blends with the movie in an amazingly smooth manner. I have followed Rahman since Roja like many of us and I still feel Rahman’s best work goes back to Bombay, Roja and Taal. Nevertheless the maestro has been rewarded finally. The actors have come out with some amazing performances. Dev, who plays the lead, looks fantastic for his first movie. Freida has also done a good job but still has a way to go in establishing herself. Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan look good too. The best part of the movie was the kids, who play the younger Jamal, Saleem and Lathika. They are the true stars and the greatness of Boyle comes out in the sparkle in the eyes of the kids who have given some outstanding performances.
There are some scenes that are so gruesome that it can make our stomachs turn. But the movie is set in a great pace and has the thrills and tears to make the audience get lost in the movie and forget the world outside. Boyle has delivered a masterpiece and this one is one of those movies where people who aren’t regular movie goers will still want to take a peek and find out what really is Slumdog all about. My message to all those peekers – Indian cinema has finally arrived, why don’t u book a seat and enjoy the ride!!
hey, hows that Indian Cinema !! it could be CInema about India.... but not Indian Cinema .... and if it is , Indian Cinema was arrived in 1983 with Gandhi !!
ReplyDeleteSlumdog millionaire has an Indian co-director. thats sufficient to make it Indian cinema. The movie is very much Indian wrt cast and crew which some producers outside decided to fund.
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