A well done adaptation of the novel ‘Q & A’ (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup, the film adaptation is set in India and tells the story of a young boy from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of ‘Who wants to Be a Millionaire’ (‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’) and stuns everyone with his quick thinking and answers which arouses the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

The young contestant is subsequently arrested and is interrogated at the hands of a nameless police inspector (Irfan Khan). As the interrogation proceeds, Boyle tells Jamal's story through harrowing flashbacks that both show the terrible poverty of Mumbai and help explain how he knew the answers to all the Millionaire questions.

Mumbai is portrayed as a place of terrifying poverty and unforgettable brutality. The way Boyle (‘The Beach’, ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Sunshine’) brings together Jamal's life experiences with his answers on the show is brilliant. Boyle shows Jamal’s growing up, his brace with violence, falling in love, coming close to death, and teetering on the brink of escaping from his destiny.

The cast are all newcomers unknown in and even outside of India. While a lot of emphasis is given to the Academy award winning soundtrack composed by A. R. Rehman, it’s only towards the end that his music is heard. Also look out for a song by the Sri Lankan singer M.I.A.

Now five months after its US release, the film is on Home Video. Shemaroo Entertainment in partnership with Fox Star Studios brings you the 8 Oscar Awards winning (including Best Picture) film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ (English) and ‘Slumdog Crorepati’ (Hindi) in an exclusive ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Collector’s Edition DVD (English) that features some strikingly bonus elements being aesthetically put together. The pack contains an additional disc, which includes the bonus features like: Making of Slumdog Millionaire, Deleted Scenes - (appox 30 mins duration), Slumdog Dreams by Danny Boyle, The Premiere event footage, Slumdog cutdown – A six minute screener encompassing the gist of the movie and Theatrical trailers. This exclusive edition also includes footage from the grand premiere held in Mumbai, as also the making of narrated by Danny Boyle.

Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan.

Director: Danny Boyle

Rating: *****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira