Rags to riches

Jan 9 2009 Pierce Hunt, Surrey Herald

More than a decade after the unprecedented success of Danny Boyle's screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, it looks like the British director has managed to equal the magnitude of the 1996 classic with a sure-fire hit, that already has four Golden Globe nominations and the masses flocking to cinemas the world over.

Slumdog Millionaire follows the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an impoverished teenager from the slums of Mumbai, who is only one question away from winning 20 million rupees.

But after the penultimate question, Jamal is taken into police custody on suspicion of cheating. After a barrage of physical and verbal abuse, he is presented with angered officials who are certain he has fooled everyone.

But it's from the interrogation room that he begins to relive his childhood of hardship, growing up as an orphan, along with his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai, which reveals how different chapters of his life hold the key to the knowledge he possesses to answer the questions thrown at him during the show.

Having witnessed their mother's murder at a very young age, Jamal and Salim find themselves entwined in the harsh realities of child exploitation when a Fagin-esque character takes them in. His dastardly deeds include maiming children so that they are able to command greater sums of money when begging.

At different stages through Jamal's life, we witness the daily struggles he had to go through just to survive. But for a boy who has never longed for riches, the question of why he is on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? remains. Unsurprisingly, it comes down to the opposite sex.

Jamal is in love with Latika (Freida Pinto), the girl he shared many adventures with as a child, and is desperate to have her back in his life. Having already lost her on numerous occasions, he is left defeated with no way of seeing her, so decides to parade himself on her favourite TV show in the hope that she will come to him.

With the film split between Hindi and English, the authenticity of the unfolding drama manages to captivate the audience, and the child actors playing Jamal and Salim really seal the deal in creating a modern-day classic.

Dev Patel must be pinching himself with his rise to prominence after an explosive start to his big screen career. And luckily for him and Danny Boyle, all the hype is very much deserved.

9/10