Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. (8.3)
Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Stars: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Saurabh Shukla
When the movie came out, and certainly when it was nominated for various awards (Oscar and Golden Globe) a major criticism was that this is yet another feel-good Indian movie. Certainly, at the end, things work out for the hero of the movie, but we shouldn't forget the views of the Mumbai slums, the real hardships depicted in the movie, the plight of a large number of kids, not just in Mumbai, but throughout the developing world. I don't like the formula-based Indian movies but this one was different and I quite liked it. My rating: 8.0
