This is India

Rating: 10/10 (26 December 2008)

Ever go to a movie , whose story depicts the country you grew up in & squirmed in discomfort how awfully little they understand about it. I, after every such movie, used to wonder what do people really think about India ? Is this it ? How much of that glimmer of dignity is going to deteriorate after that movie ? . [ Temple of Doom & Octopussy got it Awfully Wrong . No, we NEVER ate brains ] Till now no one had ever thought of adding Danny Boyle, A.R.Rahman & a brilliant screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, who also wrote Full Monty by the way . And now that they have, they formed a combination with a Unique Universal Appeal .
Jamal Malik, a Muslim former street child from Mumbai,leads us through the history of his short but full life . From Living on the trash heaps,to his place on the Hot Seat, but the ride is an exhilarating one. Born into a brutal existence , Jamal, a petty thief, impostor and survivor, mired in dire poverty, improvises his way up through the world , realizing gradually how every life's experience helps him at a crucial point .
The film uses dazzling cinematography, breathless editing, driving music and headlong momentum to explode with narrative force, stirring in a romance at the same time. Danny Boyle combines the suspense of a great game show with the vision and energy of "City of God" and never stops sprinting.The Cast is Astounding . Perhaps the Best of 2008 .The kids were adorable little rascals. They'll be with you long after the movie is over.
He makes Trainspotting , Shallow Grave , 28 Days Later . . . & now a power package of The Shawshank Redemption / Forrest Gump / Quiz Show / Pulp Fiction / The City of God. I'll VERY surprised if any other movie wins the Best Picture .
One of the most upbeat stories about living in hell imaginable . This is a bright, cheery, hard-to-resist movie it's joyfulness evokes an honest cry from the heart about the human spirit.
Gandhi & A Passage to India came quite close , but this movie just snatched the pure essence of India. Yes, this is how India was , this is how India is now & this is the movie you would want to see to get into the flesh of Being an Indian.
Slumdog Millionaire is the PERFECT Fusion of Hollywood & Bollywood .
I'm hoping for Best Picture, Best Director & Best Original Score at Oscars for this Phenomenon, though it could win others , but I feel it faces a stiff competition in both Best Adapted Screenplay & Best Cinematography with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. David Fincher also seems to be quite in form , Oscars will be very interesting !