Director Danny Boyle’s hard work has paid off. “Slumdog Millionaire”, the British-produced movie that he helmed, won Best Picture in the 2009 Oscar Awards held on February 22, 2009.
“Slumdog Millionaire” follows the story of a Mumbai orphan who goes on a winning streak on India’s version of the popular game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Incorporated into this is the love story of Jamal (the orphan played by Dev Patel) and Latika (Freida Pinto) who are separated from each other because of Jamal’s brother Salim. The story is told not only with artistic ambition and symbolism, but also with commercial appeal.
The film begins with the local police interrogating Jamal about the allegations that he was cheating in order to correctly answer the questions in the game show. Jamal responds by telling the police how his life’s stories helped him figure out the answer to each question. The film’s simple storytelling successfully intertwines Jamal’s quest for survival with all the questions asked in the popular game show.
Filled with subtitles and shot in India with an Indian cast and crew, “Slumdog Millionaire” is Fox Searchlight’s first Academy Award winner. It also serves as a clear indication that the production company is firm in its advocacy of promoting daring works that do not embrace the common studio system.
Aside from the Best Picture Award, the film also won Oscar statuettes for adapted screenplay, editing, cinematography, original song, sound mixing, original score, and the Best Director Oscar for Director Danny Boyle.
“Slumdog Millionaire” not only grabbed top honors in the prestigious awards ceremony, the movie has also become a box office hit worldwide. Despite lacking star power, the film’s domestic gross has reached over $100 million.