So much more than a bollywood film

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2009)

A couple of my friends were lucky enough to get press passes to the premier of Slumdog Millionaire in Mumbai on the 22nd of January. By all accounts it was a glamorous event where all the stars of Bollywood came out to shine. Apparently this is rather rare, to draw such a star studded crowd, so what was it about Danny Boyle's new film that had them all in their glad rags?
Andrew and I didn't make it onto the elite guest list so we settled for buying one of the advance DVD copies which have been available on the streets of Mumbai for over a month  the DVD pirates here are really on the ball. This means of course that most of Mumbai had already seen the film before it premiered  but this will not stop the theatres packing them in for weeks I am sure.
Although the film pays homage to the Bollywood model with it's daring colours, romantic narrative and big musical finale this is definitely no Masala flick (masala describes a film that is all spice and no substance). It's a classic story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back only to lose her once more, Boy wins millions on who wants to be a millionaire, and guess what gets the girl in the end. But it is so much more than that. For a start it has the smooth post production sheen that Indian films rarely attain, something that having been on Indian sets I'd put down to better organisation and attention to continuity, and of course access to expensive post-prod editing, cleaning and colouring techniques.
But what makes it even more it's own film is it's honest and realistic portrayal of India's underbelly. The film is told in a series of flash backs as the hero relates his story under questioning by the police. The flash backs take you on a journey through the life of a Bombay slum kid, no holds barred. It's portrayal of an anti Muslim riot perpetrated by Hindus in the slums has caused some controversy sparking protests against the film. However I gather from Indian friends that such actions were all too common in the slums at one time, with the 2 religions clashing on a regular basis.
Many of the begging and con tricks that the protagonists get dragged into and eventually start to devise are all too familiar to us as tourists here. Some of the worst stories of what goes on behind the scenes of the street kids lives are shown in heartbreaking detail.
The film maintains a delicate balance of tragedy and romance, of violence and hope incredibly well, and with that dark humour that British directors are so famous for. Most of all though the strength and humanity of the main characters lend this love story real depth.
But in my opinion the highest acclaim has to go to the talent scout who found the incredible children who played the roles of the main characters as they grew up. Plucked from the slums themselves these kids are so natural in front of a camera it's startling. These protégées bring so much to the film, taking the most dramatic scenes, both the tear-jerking and the hilarious. The young Jamal standing dripping human excrement from head to toe as he joyfully receives an autograph from his hero Amitabh Bachchan will stay with viewers forever.
Whether you're a Bollywood fan or not this film is a must see, and I wouldn't be surprised if it inspired you to take a trip out there yourself although with your valuables carefully hidden away!