Slumdog Millionaire
This week the Oscar nominations were announced. I’d like to go back ten years to the Oscar winning best film from 2008 – Slumdog Millionaire.
The film centers on Jamal Malik, a young Indian Muslim from the Dharavi slum. He is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He is ONE question away from the grand prize. However, before he can answer the last question he is detained and beaten by the police. The police believe he is cheating because it makes no sense that a simple “slumdog” with little education knows all the answers. Jamal has flashbacks throughout the show which provide him with the correct answers.
Jamal’s flashbacks start at age 5 when he obtained the autograph of a Bollywood star by jumping into a toilet cesspit when his brother Salim blocks the toilet door. Salim later sells the autograph and shortly thereafter their Mother dies in the Bombay riots. Jamal and Salim flee and meet Latika, a girl from their slum. She eventually joins them as the “third musketeer”.
The three are found by a bad dude, Maman, a gangster that controls many children. He teaches them to be beggars. He blinds the children to increase their take on the streets. Salim finds out about Maman’s ways and escapes with Jamal. He purposefully lets go of Latika’s hand so she cannot board the train with them. Over the next several years, the brothers make a living by selling goods, pick pocketing, and pretending to be guides at the Taj Mahal.
Years later, the brothers returned to Mumbai and found Latika in the custody of Maman. They rescue her and, in the process, kill Maman. Salim gets a job with a rival crime lord (Javed) and orders Jamal to leave him and Latika.
Again, years later, Jamal is working in a call center. He searches the database for both Salim and Latika. He locates Salim who is now a rising “star” in Javed’s crime family. Jamal contacts Salim who pleads for forgiveness. Later, Jamal bluffs his way into Javed’s residence to tell Latika of his enduring love of her. Latika attempts to escape but is captured by Javed’s men. Javed leaves the area with Latika and Jamal loses contact again.
Jamal becomes a contestant on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? He knows Latika watches the show and hopes that she will contact him. Jamal captures the hearts of the people of India. The show’s host actually tries to fool Jamal by giving him an incorrect answer off the set. Jamal uses his 50/50 lifeline which leaves the host’s answer and another. Jamal chooses correctly to get to the final question.
Now is the time for the beating. After discussing his answers, the police inspector allows him to continue.
Salim gives Latika his cell phone and car keys and tells her to go to Jamal. He asks for forgiveness and she abides. She worries about what Javed will do but she escapes.
Back on the show Jamal gets his last question. What is the name of the third musketeer in THE THREE MUSKETEERS? Jamal uses his “Phone-a-friend” lifeline and calls Salim. Latika answers the phone. She does not know the correct response. She does tell Jamal that she is safe. Jamal randomly picks the right answer and wins the grand prize. Javed hears Latika on the show and knows that Salim has betrayed him. When he and his men break into Salim’s bathroom, Salim kills Javed before he is killed.
Jamal and Latika meet at the railway station and kiss.
It will be interesting to see who wins the Best Picture Oscar this year.
Slumdog Millionaire was certainly a real, cool story.