The Millionaire in India: Movie Review

Last Tuesday, I watched a movie during my Academic English Class with my classmates. The movie, Slumdog Millionaire, is about a 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 "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

As it was time for the show to end for the night, the police arrested him on suspicion of cheating. Jamal was desperate to prove his innocence, so he 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. Intrigued by Jamal's story, the jaded Police Inspector begins to wonder what a young man with no apparent desire for riches is really doing on this game show.

In each chapter of his story, he and his brother had certain hardships of overcoming it. During the raid, they had to run and save themselves from being killed. When they were escaping, they met a girl named Latika. Then, they worked at a dump station and were adopted by a stranger, he gave them food, water and shelter. Jamal’s brother assisted him as a watch dog. When Jamal’s brother found out the stranger’s plan, he told Jamal and tried to escape together on a train with Latika but she did not make it. They stole the food on the train and sold them to the passengers to earn a living. As time flies, they grew up. They went to save Latika from her work place and Jamal’s brother killed the stranger, who adopted them, with a revolver.

After the incident, Jamal’s brother decided to work under a gangster. Then Latika was stolen from Jamal by his brother. Thus, they were separated. After that, Jamal went to the millionaire game show.

When I watched this movie, I was able to imagine the life in India. How the Indians overcame poverty, how they were treated by another religion. More importantly, this movie had taught us the importance of life and knowledge, the experience of poverty, the resolve of trying to live and results of following the path of a gangster. In conclusion, Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that is both entertaining and powerful. I enjoyed this movie and it was funny, emotional and exhilarating.