SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

“You wanted to see the real India? Well, here it is.”

These words seem to echo through my head even days after finishing the movie Slumdog Millionaire. There is a scene where the movie’s hero Jamal Malik is showing two American tourists around India, and they all return to the car only to find that it has been stripped of all of its parts. Naturally, the Indian chauffer assumes that Jamal, a mere slumdog, was involved in this crime and begins shamelessly kicking him on the ground right in front of the Americans. It is then when Jamal moans these words to the couple.

One thing this movie should be praised for is its ability to bring attention to the slums of India. I had always known that life for many in India was difficult because of both poverty and the nation’s incredible population size. India is the second-most populous country in the world with more than 1.2 billion people – that’s over 17% of the world’s entire population. When you consider statistics like these, it’s not very difficult to imagine issues such as poverty, crime, disease, and malnutrition becoming serious problems. A large part of Slumdog Millionaire takes place in the city of Mumbai, which is ideal for emphasizing the complications of Indian social life because it is both the largest and the richest city in India. According to Wikipedia’s article on slums, “55% of the population of Mumbai lives in slums, which cover only 6% of the city's land. Slum growth rate in Mumbai is greater than the general urban growth rate” (Wikipedia – Slum).

The movie follows the tale of Jamal Malik in a way that combines two ongoing plots. It opens with Jamal being tortured by the police as they try and discover how he had cheated (which they are assuming because of his social status) on the Indian version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The other part of the movie is made up of flashbacks as the boy explains how different experiences of his childhood had provided him with correct answers.

But this movie has a lot more substance to it than a straightforward educational look at India’s slums, and it goes a lot deeper than a simple story about a boy going on a game show. Slumdog Millionaire is a story about holding on to love despite difficult times, triumph over social limitations, the harsh corruptions in society, brotherhood, betrayal, destiny, and hope. The story is so real, making the movie a must-see for anyone (although its mature themes may be inappropriate for young children). But if you don’t take my word for it, the movie received 8 out of the 10 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

From the powerful story, to the awesome music and beautiful visual aspects of the film, Slumdog Millionaire is, in my opinion, a truly incredible movie. Whether you want to understand more about the world around you and the slums in India, or if you want to watch a real “feel-good” type of movie, or if you just simply want to be entertained, I really recommend that you watch Slumdog Millionaire. You won’t be disappointed.

Works Cited
“Slum”. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2010. Web. 12 March. 2010.