Film: Slumdog MillionaireCast: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Freida Pinto
Director: Danny Boyle/Lovleen Tandon
Written By: Simon Beaufoy/ Vikas Swarup
Rating: ***
Well, well, well, something's gone terribly right for this film that calls itself 'Slumdog Millionaire' which stars a new comer English Babu, Desi boy, Dev Patel along with some not-so-big-names from our good ole' Bollywood, namely, Anil Kapoor, Irfan Khan, Shaurabh Shukla, Freida Pinto, etc, etc. Let me get this straight in the beginning that I liked the film-the English Version of it but... and there's a big BUT. I did not like the hype surrounding this film at all. I mean winning the Golden Globes and all, getting 10 Oscar nominations- Aw! come on!... puhlease...
I think this film, though shot entirely in Mumbai is not a film for the people of Mumbai or any part of India. It is a film for the west and the people from the west who have a certain image of India and who have certain biases about the city which is considered to be second only to New York, which Danny Boyle has successfully managed to cater to.
I'm sure if an Indian director would have made a film like this, the critics would have finished his career instantly. Imagine taking a transition of two 8 year old kids falling from a moving train to they becoming teenagers instantly. I mean this is a straight take off on the kind of movies that India used to produce in the eighties. Also I did not understand why the kids were speaking in Hindi when they are kids and suddenly in their teens start speaking English (that to
o with a British accent). Amazing, na?Well, can't criticize this film much because every reviewer and every citizen of India has lauded this film as the best ever film made on Mumbai ever, which I clearly disagree. But, again I repeat--- I liked the film but not the hype surrounding it.
By the way, the andar ki khabr is that most people are praising and loving the film only because it would be social harakiri if one said even a word against the film, more so now after it has been nominated for the Oscars in 10 categories. Whew! I'm just shuddering to face my friends who will surely be waiting with daggers and guns and whatever they can lay their hands on for writing such a review about Slumdog Millionaire. But guys, again, I liked the film. Period.
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