Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay bySimon Beaufoy
Based onQ & A
by Vikas Swarup
Produced byChristian Colson
Starring
CinematographyAnthony Dod Mantle
Edited byChris Dickens
Music byA. R. Rahman
Production
companies
Distributed byPathé Distribution[iii]
Release dates
  • 30 August 2008 (2008-08-30) (Telluride)
  • 9 January 2009 (2009-01-09) (United Kingdom)
Running time
120 minutes[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom[2][3][4]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million[5]
Box office$378.4 million[5]

Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup.[6] It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai.[7] Starring Dev Patel in his film debut as Jamal, and filmed in India, it was directed by Danny Boyle,[8] written by Simon Beaufoy, and produced by Christian Colson, with Loveleen Tandan credited as co-director.[9] As a contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, a Hindi Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Jamal surprises everyone by answering every question correctly so far, winning ₹1 crore (US$210,000 (equivalent to $297,181 in 2023)), and he is one question away from winning the grand prize of ₹2 crore (US$420,000 (equivalent to $594,362 in 2023)). Accused of cheating, he recounts his life story to the police, illustrating how he was able to answer each question.

After its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and later screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and the London Film Festival,[10] Slumdog Millionaire had a nationwide release in United Kingdom on 9 January 2009, in India on 23 January 2009, and in the United States on 25 January 2009.[11] Regarded as a sleeper hit, Slumdog Millionaire was widely acclaimed, praised for its plot, soundtrack, cinematography, editing, direction, and performances (especially Patel's). It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009 and won 8—the most of any 2008 film—including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won seven BAFTA Awards including Best Film, five Critics' Choice Awards and four Golden Globes. However, reception in India and among Indian diaspora was mixed, and the film was the subject of controversy over its depiction of poverty in India and other issues. The Hindustan Times called it "an assault on Indian self-esteem".[12]

  1. ^ "Slumdog Millionaire (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Slumdog Millionaire (2008)". Screen Daily. 6 September 2008. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Slumdog Millionaire (2008)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  4. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (9 January 2009). "Slumdog Millionaire". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference mojototal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Swarup, Vikas (2005). Slumdog Millionaire. London: Transworld Publishers. ISBN 9780552775427.
  7. ^ Sengupta, Somini (11 November 2008). "Extreme Mumbai, Without Bollywood's Filtered Lens". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  8. ^ Robinson, Tasha (26 November 2008). "Danny Boyle interview". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
  9. ^ "Oscar nominations 2009: Indian director 'overlooked' for Slumdog Millionaire awards". The Daily Telegraph. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  10. ^ Gritten, David (31 October 2008). "Slumdog Millionaire at the London Film Festival – review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  11. ^ Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (23 January 2009). ""Slumdog" premieres in India amid Oscar fanfare". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 24 May 2009.
  12. ^ "Slumdog Millionaire is an assault on Indian self-esteem". Hindustan Times. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2023.