Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Dev Patel | ... | Older Jamal | |
Saurabh Shukla | ... | Sergeant Srinivas | |
Anil Kapoor | ... | Prem | |
Raj Zutshi | ... | Director | |
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Jeneva Talwar | ... | Vision Mixer |
Freida Pinto | ... | Older Latika | |
Irrfan Khan | ... | Police Inspector | |
Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail | ... | Youngest Salim | |
Ayush Mahesh Khedekar | ... | Youngest Jamal | |
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Jira Banjara | ... | Airport Security Guard (as Hira Banjara) |
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Sheikh Wali | ... | Airport Security Guard |
Mahesh Manjrekar | ... | Javed | |
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Sanchita Choudhary | ... | Jamal's Mother |
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Himanshu Tyagi | ... | Mr Nanda |
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Sharib Hashmi | ... | Prakash |
The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000) (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?) But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really ... Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures
This movie was all right, it wasn't bad but it also wasn't spectacular. I really think that the movie industry needed that one special film to push for awards season and Slumdog was a safe bet. The film wasn't nearly as gritty and dramatic as City of God (and I was told that it would be) and all in all, I expected a little bit more out of Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Shallow Grave). There were more than a few plot holes that I guess every movie critic that saw the film decided to ignore (like how the heck does he actually get onto the show?). Also, Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.'s music is terrible for the film and sounds kind of corny when played in context with some of the scenes. I mean, let's face it: "Paper Planes" was old the minute the first screening of the Pineapple Express trailer was finished; and Slumdog Millionaire plays this particular song like three different times in the film. Also, the dance sequence at the end of the film is just plain dumb (I'm guessing its paying tribute to Bollywood films or something); it really takes away from the dramatic punch and tone that the film had been trying to establish.