Slumdog Millionaire Family Review

A Mumbai teenager reflects on his life after being accused of cheating on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?".The story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000) (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?) But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika, the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out. At the heart of its storytelling lies the question of how anyone comes to know the things they know about life and love.—Fox Searchlight PicturesJamal and his brother Salim were raised in the slums of Mumbai. Orphaned at a young age, they managed to survive as did their young friend Latika. Jamal becomes a contestant on India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire. He manages to get to 10 million rupees in his first appearance but is arrested by the police who want to know how an illiterate 'slumdog' - as children raised in the slum are called - could possibly know all of those answers without cheating. He explains how specific events in his life taught him the answers and all he can say that being asked questions to which he knows the answers is simply fate. He hopes that fate will give at least one more good turn as he had a very specific reason for going on the show in the first place.—garykmcdBorn into extreme poverty, Jamal Malik, a humble 18-year-old chaiwala from the bustling Juhu slum of Mumbai, is only a few questions away from winning Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000), India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1998). And on the biggest night of his life, with millions of riveted viewers gripped with millionaire fever, Jamal is about to write history: make the biggest gamble in television history and walk away with a staggering 20 million rupees in his pocket. But as the quiz kid is on an unprecedented winning streak, a question arises. Is the plucky underdog, who has the answer to every question, a common swindler?—Nick RiganasEighteen year old Jamal Malik is having an amazing answering streak on Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000), the Indian version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1998). He's only one correct question away from the big prize. However, some, including those associated with the game show, question how someone like Jamal, a self confessed non-genius who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, can be doing so well on the show when others who are brighter, more educated and wealthier than him have failed. Is Jamal cheating? Is it purely luck that they have asked him the questions to which he knows the answers? Seeing Jamal's life journey to this point ultimately answers these questions. His life journey includes being orphaned at an early age; growing up with an older brother, Salim, who was both his guardian/protector and antagonist; and having a relationship since childhood with another orphaned child, a girl named Latika. His motivation for being on the show also may provide some answers to his success. Perhaps it was all just meant to be.—Huggo1 moreAll