Perspectives

Reception and criticism

The film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) directed by Danny Boyle was generally quite well received and praised by both critics and the public alike. Critics praised the film’s unusual structure as well as the cinematography and acting. The New York Times gave it a positive review, calling it a “gorgeous rush of color, sound and motion” and remarking on its fairy-tale-like plot and ending. Empire magazine gave the film a five-star rating and highly praised both the director and cast. The Guardian had a more reserved review, acknowledging the qualities of the film, but drawing attention to the fact that it should not be taken seriously and had many problematic and unlikely elements.

In India, the film had a successful box office release, but some of the story caused a certain amount of controversy. One of the main issues was that Indian-made films with similar subjects and topics did not receive the same recognition. Another issue addressed was the choice to film the dialogues from Jamal’s early childhood in Hindi and the rest in English. The actor’s choice to use British English was particularly criticized as it was never addressed in the film. An Indian reviewer at The Seoul Times claimed that the film did not have anything Indian in it and called the portrayal of the country “demeaning”, glorifying aspects such as poverty and prostitution. He also touched upon several unrealistic points, such as Kumar’s constant mockery of...