By Lubna Abdel-Aziz It came out of the blue, as they say, unknown, uninvited, and unpredicted. Only two months ago, few had seen, heard, or cared about a small Anglo-Indian feature film, depicting slum life in Mumbai. Today Slumdog Millionaire, not only swept at the Golden Globes, winning in all categories it was nominated for, it also won five of the six Critics' Awards nominations, and seven of the eleven BAFTA (British Film and TV Awards) nominations among several others. The icing on the cake came when the American Academy nominated it in ten categories, and all bets are on its winning Hollywood's grand prize for Best Picture come Oscar night (February 22). It has done all this without much fanfare, mega stars, or massive publicity. Slumdog has simply won the hearts of viewers in the US, Canada, UK, and begrudgingly, India itself. As it is with most rare occurrences of singular substance, the stunning story of that little film that could, is nothing less than miraculous. First came the novel Q and A by Vikus Swarup nominated for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize, and winning the Boeke Prize. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy ( The Full Monty ) was intrigued. He made three trips to India, interviewed street children, felt their energy, understood their anxiety, learned of what pains them and what makes them laugh. The result was a palpable heart-rending script which he presented to the British Production Company, Celador Film. Moved by the rags-to-riches love story, they in turn sent the script to one of Briatin's celebrated directors, Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 1997). "What's it about" Boyle asked his agent, "It's about an Indian version of How to be a Millionaire. " "Why would I want to make a film about that?" Then he saw the name of Simon Beufoy, scriptwriter of one of his favourite films The Full Monty. So, out of respect for its writer, he started to read, and could not stop. He became transfixed. What a journey! Complex, unexpected, vivid, sobering, dazzling - the story of the underdog and the love story combined! "Wow! That's amazing -- I'll do that." Boyle has become one of the most revered filmmakers in England since Trainspotting, his story of a group of heroin addicts in a drug-infested underworld of economically depressed Edinburgh, Scotland. Since that first overwhelming success, Boyle has mounted a highly eclectic array of both feature and documentary films, and established himself as a major talent in the film world. Hollywood came calling and Boyle answered its call. Teaming up with Leonardo di Caprio in The Beach (2000), his first movie after Titanic, the result was underwhelming. Still, there were flashes of visual brilliance that Boyle adroitly transposes on the screen. He returned with a punch in the cult sci-fi 28 Days Later, followed by Sunshine. Then came Slumdog Millionaire, and with it an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. How it will fare Oscar night is anyone's guess. How it is faring at the box office now, is everyone's surprise. As of February 8th, this small independent production that cost $13 million to make, has grossed $128,442,071, with release in only four countries. It was first shown at Telluride Film Festival on August 30, where it created "a strong buzz." A week later the Toronto International Film Festival handed it the People's Choice Award. Yet for months it was unable to find a distributor who was willing to take a risk on a British production about Indian slum-boys, with actual slum dwellers in the cast. Finally Fox Searchlight came to the rescue. A limited release in a few art theatres in Novemebr made it eligible for Oscar nominations. Wider release in January in the US, Canada, UK, and India was unexpectedly substantial. Western critics went wild over the movie putting it on 123 top ten lists, the third most mentioned of any film in 2008. Such prestigious publications as the Wall Street Journal called it "the film world's first globalized masterpiece." The Washington Post stated "Slumdog Millionaire plays like a Charles Dickens of the 21st century." Critic Ty Burr of the Boston Globe describes it as a "sprawling, madly romantic, fairy-tale epic," and the New York Times calls it "a modern fairy tale," adding that it is "one of the most upbeat stories about living in hell -- a sensory blow-out." Such testimonials cannot be ignored, indicating the power and excellence of this piece of film work. On the other hand the reaction from Indian critics has been mixed, noting that "it lacks recognizable stars," and "is not ideally suited for Indians." Many commented that they see enough misery in the streets they don't need to be reminded about that on a Saturday afternoon. Like other third world audiences, Indians seek refuge and escape by thrilling to colourful romance and passion of the beautiful and affluent. Various members of the public have objected to the content as well as the title, which as Boyle states is only a combination of "slum" and "under- dog." Critics allege that the film fuels Western stereotypes about poverty in India, and it exploits the poor for the purpose of profit. So was every other neo-realist film depicting life in the streets of London, Rome, or New York. But Mumbais see this as a personal insult and slum dwellers object to being dehumanized. They are boycotting the film, carrying posters in front of the theatres, displaying he slogan: "I am not a dog," and will continue to do so until the word "dog" is removed from the title. More and more Indians however, in and out of India, are rushing to see Slumdog Millionaire, that poignant love story of Jamal, a slum boy who searches for his lost love Latika, by going on the TV show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Finally he becomes one and finds his Latika. The only other major contender at the Oscars is David Fincher's amazing adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. This high calibre production stars Brad Pitt, who superbly portrays the seven ages of man throughout the film, and Cate Blanchett gives her usual splendid performance, garnering most nominations of any film his year, thirteen in all. The competition is heating up between the two frontrunners. In a few days we will know who the Academy will pick. It is general knowledge that its members, like everyone else, have a soft spot for the underdog. Win or lose - Slumdog Millionaire keeps winning hearts everywhere. Per ardua, ad astra ( Through endeavour to the stars) -- Anonymous
