The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Fresh treatment to a stale theme

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Fresh treatment to a stale theme

Rich dividends: Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

Film: Slumdog Millionaire

Director: Danny Boyle

Music: A. R. Rahman

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto

We have seen it all. And we still do – in our films and real life – the slums, the rag pickers, filthy streets, mucky lanes and by-lanes, open toilets, abusive police, the ‘communal’ undercurrents, child beggars at the intersections, trains, pick-up girls, and kids running after western tourists for a coin or a ‘tip’. And we have seen ‘Kaun Benega Crorepati’ if not its original version ‘Who Wants to be a MillionaireR 17;.

So you would ask, what is new? It’s the story – and the treatment, the high tension despite you almost knowing the climax. The film that bagged four Golden Globe awards, doesn’t match the hype it created at the international level.

It is for the story of not one, but two boys Jamal (Dev Patel/Tanay Cheddha/Aysuh) and Salim (Madhur Mittal/Ashotsoh Gajiwala/Mohammad Ismail), orphaned by ‘communal frenzy’.

If the elder Salim chooses to pave the wrong side of law and morality, the younger Jamal reaches ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ gameshow through sheer luck and street-smart ways and makes it till the second last question. It is also the story of host of the show Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), the earlier and the only winner of the game! He is jealous and intrigued as to how a slum boy knows so much and hands him over to the police before he heads for 20,000 million rupees!

Cut to ‘how’ and ‘why’ he knows the answer. The much-tortured boy releases the ‘secret’ book of life before the Inspector (Irrfan Khan) and constable (Saurabh Shukla) who open their mouths with choicest abuses! In between is the story of Latika (Frieda Pinto), Jamal’s lady love-turned pick-up girl, ‘bhai’ (Mahesh Manjrekar) and Mainmon (Ankur Vikal). The reason for Jamal, a call centre waiter to participate in the show is Latika, whom he wants to free from ‘bhai’.

This simple story is made interesting through quick cuts that reveal ‘why’ and ‘how’ he knows the answers. You may not find it convincing as to how Jamal learns accented English, or recognises his long lost brother through his voice from a telephone call. The film raises a question mark on credibility of the game show too.

Anil Kapoor leaves a lot to be desired as a host, but he impresses as a ‘jealous’ winner, or are we too hung-up on Amitabh Bachchan’s charisma who hosted KBC?

The film leaves you restless with its intense, disturbing, chilling, high-tension drama. Even the songs or the few cheerful moments don’t provide peace. You can’t blame Danny Boyle, the director, for showing Indian poverty internationally. It exists and let’s accept it and be ashamed of it. You would find Dev Patel, Ayush and Rubina Ali (the youngest Latika) irresistible. Frieda couldn’t match the intensity of Dev Patel as a beloved. Irrfan Khan and Surabh Shukla didn’t have much to do despite sizeable roles.

Watch it if you want to get educated on the finer nuances of filmmaking.

RANA SIDDIQUI ZAMAN

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