Phenomenal... Absolutely Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 2008)

I'm born and brought up in Bombay, and when I first heard about this movie I was skeptical. I've seen plenty of the local Hindi movies depicting the city in all kinds of ways, be it good or bad. But this is the first film I've seen on my hometown that has really blown me away. As a fairly well off Mumbaikar, I've never really known how life is in the poorer parts of the city, and just how hard it can be. This movie showed me things I never knew about my own home. Anil Kapoor has never been an actor I'm particularly excited about, and I generally avoid his Hindi films. But he played the part of the game show host brilliantly, and I can now say I have respect for him. Another absolutely brilliant performance was from the slum kids playing the roles of young Jamal and young Salim. With an award winning story and script, this movie is easily the best and most moving film I've seen this year. Two thumbs up to a fantastic film that everyone the world over will love for its entertainment and emotional value, and it'll even tell you a thing or two about a mesmerizing city that no homegrown local would know...