World Rising [ People + Creativity + Entertainment ]: February 2009

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup. Set and filmed in India, the film tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for ten Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, the most for any film of 2008, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won seven BAFTA Awards (including Best Film), five Critics' Choice Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

Story revolves around Jamal Malik; an orphan teen from the slums of Mumbai, Played by Dev Patel (as grownup Jamal), Tanay Chheda (as teen Jamal), Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (as child Jamal); and the extent to which he goes to get his love Latika; again an orphan teen girl of Mumbai slums, Played by Freida Pinto (as grownup Latika), Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar (as teen Latika), Rubina Ali (as child Latika).

Other important charachters in the film are played by Anil Kapoor as Prem Kumar, the game show host, Irrfan Khan as the Police Inspector who inspects the case and Saurabh Shukla as Constable Srinivas who assists irrfan. Mahesh Manjrekar as Javed is also akey charachter who grooms Salim Malik, Jamal's elder brother in the film, Played by Madhur Mittal (as grownup Salim), Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala (as teen Salim), Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (as child Salim).

Indians brought 4 Oscars "Academy Award" home :
Resul Pookutty (1), Allah Rakha Rahman (2), Gulzar (1).

Academy Awards record
1. Best Picture
2. Best Director, Danny Boyle
3. Best Adapted Screenplay, Simon Beaufoy
4. Best Cinematography, Anthony Dod Mantle
5. Best Original Score, A. R. Rahman
6. Best Original Song - "Jai Ho", A. R. Rahman and Gulzar
7. Best Film Editing, Chris Dickens
8. Best Sound Mixing, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pyke, and Ian Tapp
BAFTA Awards record
1. Best Film, Christian Colson
2. Best Director, Danny Boyle
3. Best Adapted Screenplay, Simon Beaufoy
4. Best Cinematography, Anthony Dod Mantle
5. Best Film Music, A. R. Rahman
6. Best Editing, Chris Dickens
7. Best Sound, Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pyke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
Golden Globe Awards record
1. Best Picture - Drama
2. Best Director, Danny Boyle
3. Best Screenplay, Simon Beaufoy
4. Best Original Score, A. R. Rahman

******************************************

Slumdog Millionaire in pictures:

Saurabh Shukla

Slumdog Millionaire's promotional poster

Slumdog Millionaire's DVD cover

Slumgod team after winning Golden Globe (pic1)

Slumgod team after winning Golden Globe (pic2)

Oscar "Academy Award" trophey

SimonBeaufoy

resul-pookutty

Vikas Swarup's "Q & A" novel on which Slumdog Millionaire was based

Sampooran Singh Kalra (Punjabi: ਸਮਪੂਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਾਲਰਾ, Hindi: संपूरण सिंह कालरा, Urdu: سمپورن سنگھ کالرا, born 18 August 1936), better known by his pen name Gulzar.