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The 'Slumdog' Phenomenon

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A man walks past a poster of "Slumdog Millionaire," posted on a wall in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. India's movie-mad millions have not yet seen "Slumdog Millionaire," but this Mumbai-based fairy tale, which opens here next week, is already the toast of Bollywood. On Sunday, "Slumdog?, with its cast of actors unknown outside India and its story set on the gritty streets of Mumbai, went home with four Golden Globe awards, and became the movie to beat at the Academy Awards. (AP)
A man walks past a poster of "Slumdog Millionaire," posted on a wall in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. India's movie-mad millions have not yet seen "Slumdog Millionaire," but this Mumbai-based fairy tale, which opens here next week, is already the toast of Bollywood. (AP)

And all that for a film made on a shoestring, by a British director, with a slew of first-time actors, in the slums of Mumbai.

Director Danny Boyle made his name with the down and dirty “Trainspotting.” Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy we know from “The Full Monty.”

But "Slumdog Millionaire" is something new. Wild Dickens in boomtown India. A surprise smash in America.

This hour, On Point: An Indian take, and your reviews, on "Slumdog Millionaire."

You can join the conversation. Have you seen it? The slums? The torture? The city on steroids? The love? What did you make of the story of a boy from the hard side of Mumbai? Is this the India you know?Guests:

From New York, we're joined by Aseem Chhabra, entertainment writer and columnist for the Mumbai Mirror. He’s interviewed director Danny Boyle, female lead Freida Pinto, and Slumdog’s Golden Globe-winning score composer A.R. Rahman. He gives the film a big thumbs-up.

And from Seattle, Bollywood maven Nupur Kohli. Her radio show “Jhankar” covers the Indian film industry every week in the USA.

More links:

Here's the official site for "Slumdog Millionaire."  And you can watch the trailer courtesy of YouTube here:

This program aired on January 16, 2009.

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