Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire sees the return to the big screen for British director Danny Boyle, who shot to fame with Trainspotting. Lighting up the festival circuit and bagging awards left right and centre Slumdog Millionaire looks set to feature heavily come the business end of the award season.
The film follows Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's ‘‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the incredible story of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost.
Jamal Malik - Dev Patel
Jamal’s is a story of modern India. Growing up in the slums of Mumbai, as a young boy his mother is killed in a religious uprising. Â
Jamal finds himself living by his wits on the streets with Salim, his older brother, and Latika, an orphaned girl Jamal comes to care for, and as they grow older, to love.
Jamal’s picaresque childhood, lived out on the poorest fringes of the city doesn't tarnish his good-hearted nature. The brothers make a living travelling on the top of trains, selling goods, pickpocketing and pretending to be tour guides.
Years later after separating form both his brother and Lakita Jamal enters Who Wants To Be A Millionaire because he knows that Lakita will be watching.
Salim Malik - Madhur Mittal
Is Jamal's older brother and hungers for wealth and power. Â After being taken in by Maman Salim rebels against the gangster in a bid to protect his brother they, along with Lakita, attempt to escape but Lakita is re-captured.
After making a living pickpocketing Jamal insists that they return to Mumbai to find Lakita. When they find her dancing in a brothel they attempt to rescue her but Maman intrudes, and in the resulting conflict Salim draws a gun and kills Maman.
Salim then uses the fact that he killed Maman to obtain a job with Javed, a rival crime lord. Salim claims Latika as his own. Salim ends up a high ranking lieutenant in Javed's organisation.
Lakita - Freida Pinto
Orphaned girl Lakita is befriended by Jamal and Salim when they are children and all three are taken in by gangster Maman.
When they try to escape from Maman only Jamal and Salim get away and Lakita is re-captured and raised as a culturally talented prostitute whose virginity will fetch a high price.
After dancing in a brothel Lakita ends up marring violent crime lord Javid and is attacked by his men when she tries to escape with Jamal.
Maman - Ankur Vikal
Maman, a gangster who runs an orphanage and then uses the children to beg and bring in money as well as grooming children to become part of his operation.
Prem Kumar - Anil Kapoor
The show's host Prem Kumar has little sympathy for this rags-to-riches contestant. Â Having clawed his own way up from the streets, Prem doesn't like the prospect of sharing the Millionaire limelight, and refuses to believe that a kid from the slums could know all the answers.
When the show runs out of time and breaks for the night, Prem already has the police waiting outside the studio to arrest Jamal, who he is sure must be cheating.
Slumdog Millionaire is released 9th January
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw