The making of the film is very Hollywood, but the script is very Bollywood! And I don't mean anything in a sarcastic way - this is truly an amazing collaboration!
The Bollywood has been producing dreamy, Utopian, feel-good (or sometimes bad), heart-over-mind, good-over-evil scripts for ages, and it has not only worked for thriving industry, but is slowly expanding way beyond Indian subcontinent. So something that appeals to may be couple of billions of people can't be wrong - can it?
On the other hand, Hollywood takes keen interest in realistic, mind-over-heart, fact-over-belief scripts. Nothing wrong with that either.
This movie brings the best of both - you cannot afford to miss it. The story will keep you engaged from the word go. Very able acting by the newcomers, Dev Patel (Jamal) as a special mention. But the young slum urchins played by child actors are absolutely fantastic!
Cinematography is pure master craftsmanship - hardly seen Mumbai (Bombay) in such vivid visuals!
A.R.Rahman's music brings a bit of unconventionality - miles apart from his bollywood affair, and rightfully so!
The film is the story of two Muslim boys living in the slums of Mumbai, who are orphaned by a pogrom against Muslims. (Unfortunately, such an event occurred in real life). They survive by their wits, and their wits are considerable. One ends up on a game show where he is poised to be a multi-million rupee winner. How did he end up there, and why is he getting all the answers right? The movie is the story that answers those questions. It is also an intense drama, and an expose of what India is really like. It's true the story is not realistic, in that there are too many coincidences. But the setting and the characters are realistic. The story does what it is meant to; it is meant to entertain and surprise you, and it does.
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