Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel in his film debut as Jamal, and filmed in India, it was directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and produced by Christian Colson, with Loveleen Tandan credited as co-director. As a contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, a Hindi Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Jamal surprises everyone by answering every question correctly so far, winning ($USD210,000, equivalent to around $300,000 in 2023), and he is one question away from winning the grand prize of ($USD420,000, equivalent to around $590,000 in 2023). Accused of cheating, he recounts his life story to the police, illustrating how he was able to answer each question.

Plot

In 1992, five-year-old Jamal Malik, a resident of the Juhu slum of Mumbai, obtains the autograph of Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan after jumping into a cesspit. Jamal's elder brother Salim later sells the autograph. Their mother is killed during the Bombay riots. While fleeing the riot, the brothers encounter a child dressed up as Rama, with a bow and arrow in their right hand. Having escaped the riots and taken shelter from the rain, the brothers meet Latika, a girl from their slum. Jamal suggests that she could be their "third musketeer", a reference to The Three Musketeers, a novel which the brothers learned about in school. The brothers refer to themselves as Athos and Porthos but cannot remember the third musketeer's name.

Awards