Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the Boeke Prize-winning and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-nominated novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.
Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati, mentioned in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.
After screenings at the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, Slumdog Millionaire initially had a limited North American release on November 12, 2008 by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, to critical acclaim and awards success. It later had a nationwide release in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2009 and in the United States on January 23, 2009. It premiered in Mumbai on January 22, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for ten 2008 Academy Awards and won eight, the most for any film that year, including Best Picture and Best Director. It also won five Critics' Choice Awards, four Golden Globes, and seven BAFTA Awards, including Best Film. Despite the film's success, it is the subject of controversy concerning its portrayals of Indians and Hinduism as well as the welfare of its child actors.
Release and box office performance
In August 2007 Warner Independent Pictures acquired the American and Pathé the international rights to distribute Slumdog Millionaire theatrically.Warner Independent Pictures paid $5 million to acquire these rights to the film and became a co-producer. However, in May 2008, Warner Independent Pictures was shut down, with all of its projects being transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures, its parent studio. Warner Bros. doubted the commercial prospects of Slumdog Millionaire and suggested that it would go straight to DVD without a U.S. theatrical release. In August 2008, the studio began searching for buyers for various productions, to relieve its overload of end-of-the-year films.Halfway through the month, Warner Bros. entered into a pact with Fox Searchlight Pictures to share distribution of the film, with Fox Searchlight buying 50% of Warner Bros.'s interest in the movie.As of 25 February 2009, the film has grossed $175,115,223 worldwide.
North America
Stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Slumdog Millionaire was first shown at the Telluride Film Festival on 30 August 2008, where it was positively received by audiences, generating "strong buzz".The film also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2008, where it was "the first widely acknowledged popular success" of the festival, winning the People's Choice Award.Slumdog Millionaire debuted with a limited North American release on 12 November 2008, followed by a nationwide release in the United States on 23 January 2009.
In its first week, the film grossed an "impressive" $350,434 in 10 theatres, a "strong" average of $35,043 per theatre.In its second weekend, it expanded to 32 theatres and made $947,795, or an average of $29,619 per theatre, representing a drop of only 16%. In the 10 original theatres that it was released in, viewership went up 16%, and this is attributed to strong word-of-mouth. The film opened in wide release on 26 December 2008 at 614 theaters and grossed $4,301,870. In the weekend of 23-25 January 2009, the film reached the widest release at 1,411 theaters. As of 24 February 2009, the film has grossed $100,838,744 at the North American box office.
United Kingdom
The film released in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2009, and opened at #2 at the UK box office.The film reached #1 in its second weekend and set a UK box office record, as the film's takings increased by 47%. This is the "biggest ever increase for a UK saturation release," breaking "the record previously held by Billy Elliot's 13%." This record-breaking "ticket surge" in the second weekend came after Slumdog Millionaire won four Golden Globes and received eleven BAFTA nominations. The film grossed £6.1 million in its first eleven days of release in the UK.The takings increased by another 7% the following weekend, bringing the film's gross up to £10.24 million for its first seventeen days in the UK, and up to £14.2 million in its third week. As of 13 February 2009, the film's UK box office gross is £19,984,021.
India
The Indian premiere of Slumdog Millionaire took place in Mumbai on January 22, 2009 and was attended by major personalities of the Indian film industry. More than a hundred Indian film personalities attended this event.A dubbed Hindi version, Slumdog Crorepati (स्लमडॉग करोड़पति), was also released in India in addition to the original version of the film.Originally titled, Slumdog Millionaire: Kaun Banega Crorepati, the name was shortened for legal reasons. Loveleen Tandan, who supervised the dubbing, stated: "All the actors from the original English including Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Ankur Vikal dubbed the film. We got a boy from Chembur Pradeep Motwani to dub for the male lead Dev Patel. I didn't want any exaggerated dubbing. I wanted a young unspoilt voice."
Fox Searchlight released 351 prints of the film across India for its full release there on January 23, 2009.It earned Rs. 2,35,45,665 in its first week at the Indian box office,or $2.2 million according to Fox Searchlight. Though not as successful as major Bollywood releases in India during its first week, this was the highest weekend gross for any Fox film and the third highest for any Western release in the country, behind Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Casino Royale (2006).In its second week, the film's gross rose to Rs. 3,04,70,752 at the Indian box office.
A few analysts have offered their opinions for the film's performance at the Indian box office. Trade analyst Komal Nahta commented that, "there was a problem with the title itself. Slumdog is not a familiar word for majority Indians." In addition, trade analyst, Amod Mehr has stated that with the exception of Anil Kapoor, the film lacks recognizable stars and that "the film ... is not ideally suited for Indian sentiment." A cinema owner commented that "to hear slum boys speaking perfect English doesn't seem right but when they are speaking in Hindi, the film seems much more believable." The dubbed Hindi version, Slumdog Crorepati has done better at the box office and more copies of that version were released
Soundtrack
The Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack was composed by A. R. Rahman who planned the score over two months and completed it in two weeks. Rahman won the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and won two out of the three nominations for the Academy Awards, including one for Best Original Score and one for Best Original Song, the song "O... Saya" got a nomination shared with M.I.A. and the other song "Jai Ho" won the award and was shared with lyricist Gulzar. The soundtrack was released on M.I.A.'s record label N.E.E.T. Radio Sargam termed the soundtrack "magnum opus and the entire world is known to this fact.
2009
2009 Academy Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Original Score – A. R. Rahman
Won: Best Original Song – "Jai Ho", by A. R. Rahman (music) & Gulzar (lyrics)
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
Won: Best Film Editing – Chris Dickens
Won: Best Sound Mixing – Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Ian Tapp
Nominated: Best Sound Editing – Tom Sayers (lost to The Dark Knight)
Nominated: Best Original Song – "O... Saya", by A. R. Rahman & M.I.A. (lyrics)
2009 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Film Music - A.R. Rahman
Won: Best Cinematography - Anthony Dod Mantle
Won: Best Editing - Chris Dickens
Won: Best Sound - Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
Nominated: Outstanding British Film
Nominated: Best Leading Actor – Dev Patel
Nominated: Best Supporting Actress - Freida Pinto
Nominated: Best Production Design - Mark Digby, Michelle Day
2009 Golden Globe Awards
Won: Best Motion Picture - Drama
Won: Best Director - Motion Picture - Danny Boyle
Won: Best Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Original Score - A. R. Rahman
2009 Evening Standard British Film Awards
Won: Technical Achievement - Mark Digby
Nominated: Best Director - Danny Boyle
Nominated: Most Promising Newcomer - Dev Patel
2009 Directors Guild of America
Won: Best Director - Danny Boyle
2009 Producers Guild of America Awards
Won: Best Theatrical Picture
2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Won: Best Cast – Rubiana Ali, Tanay Chheda, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar, Madhur Mittal, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto
Nominated: Best Supporting Actor - Dev Patel
2009 Writers Guild of America Awards
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy
2008
2008 Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Unforgettable Moment Award
Won: Cultural Crossover Award
Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 American Society of Cinematographers Awards
Won: Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases - Anthony Dod Mantle
2008 Austin Film Festival
Won: Audience Award – Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy
2008 Black Reel Awards
Won: Best Actor – Dev Patel
Won: Breakthrough Performance – Dev Patel
Won: Best Original Soundtrack – A. R. Rahman
Nominated: Best Ensemble – Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Tanay Chheda
2008 Boston Society of Film Critics Award
Won: Best Picture (shared with Wall-E)
Won: Best Film Editing – Chris Dickens
2008 British Independent Film Awards
Won: Best British Independent Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Most Promising Newcomer – Dev Patel
Nominated: Best Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Nominated: Best Technical Achievement (cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle)
Nominated: Most Promising Newcomer – Ayush Mahesh Khedekar
2008 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Writer – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Young Actor/Actress (under 21) – Dev Patel
Won: Best Composer - A.R. Rahman
Nominated: Best Song – "Jai Ho", composed by A. R. Rahman, performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by Gulzar
2008 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Best Director - Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy
Won: Most Promising Performer - Dev Patel
Nominated: Best Picture
Nominated: Best Cinematography - Anthony Dod Mantle
Nominated: Best Original Score - A. R. Rahman
2008 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Nominated: Best Newcomer – Dev Patel
2008 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 Houston Film Critics Society Awards
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Runner-up: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
Runner-up: Best Original Score - A. R. Rahman
Runner-up: Best Original Song - "Jai Ho" performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by Gulzar
2008 London Film Critics' Circle
Won: The Attenborough Award: British Film Of The Year
Won: Best Screenwriter Of The Year – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best British Director Of The Year – Danny Boyle
Nominated: Best Director Of The Year – Danny Boyle
Nominated: Best British Actor Of The Year - Dev Patel
Nominated: The NSPCC Award: Young British Performer Of The Year - Dev Patel
2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Music Score – A. R. Rahman
Runner-up: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
2008 National Board of Review Awards
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Breakthrough Performance, Male – Dev Patel
Won: Best Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 National Society of Film Critics Awards
Won: Best Cinematography - Anthony Dod Mantle
2008 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Won: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
2008 New York Film Critics Online Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle with Loveleen Tandan
Won: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
Won: Best Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Music Score – A. R. Rahman
2008 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Film Editing – Chris Dickens
Won: Best Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Music Score – A. R. Rahman
Won: Break Out On Camera - Dev Patel
Won: Best Performance By a Youth, Male - Ayush Mahesh Khedekar
2008 San Diego Film Critics Society Award
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Won: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
Won: Best Film Editing – Chris Dickens
Won: Best Music Score – A. R. Rahman
2008 Satellite Awards International Press Academy
Won: Best Motion Picture - Drama
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Original Score - A. R. Rahman
Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Nominated: Best Original Song - "Jai Ho" performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by Gulzar
Nominated: Best Film Editing - Chris Dickens
2008 Scripter Award
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay
2008 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Runner-up: Best Picture
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
2008 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Foreign Language Film
Nominated: Best Picture
Nominated: Most Original, Creative or Innovative Film
Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
Nominated: Best Cinematography – Anthony Dod Mantle
2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Won: People's Choice Award – Danny Boyle
2008 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards
Nominated: Best Picture
Nominated: Best Director – Danny Boyle
2008 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association
Won: Best Film
Won: Best Director – Danny Boyle
Won: Best Breakthrough Performance – Dev Patel
Won: Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy
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