'Slumdog Millionaire', based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup's debut novel 'Q and A' and directed by Danny Boyle of Trainspotting (1996) fame, will close the 52nd London Film Festival (15-30 October, 2008). It was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 4 – 11, 2008). The film has generated a lot of interest because of its novel which became an instant hit and immediately got translated into 34 languages after its publication. Vikas Swarup, now posted in Pretoria as India's Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa, was earlier looking after political affairs at the Indian High Commission in London at the time when he was writing the novel.

'Slumdog Millionaire' boasts of a brilliant crew. Its British director Danny Boyle is known for his direction of 'Shallow Grave' (1994), 'Trainspotting' (1996), '28 Days Later' (2003), 'Millions' (2004) and 'Sunshine'.

The screenplay of 'Slumdog Millionaire' has been written by Simon Beaufoy who gave us the script of acclaimed 'The Full Monty' (1997). Beaufoy is an Oscar nominee.

It was reported in Indian media that Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan were offered lead roles but they declined, citing their busy schedule.

The film, featuring Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, with musical scores by A.R Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar, is one of the most awaited films at the Toronto Film Festival. Piers Handling writing for the festival says:

'Slumdog Millionaire' 2008The jumble and hustle of modern-day India provides the steamy, energetic backdrop to Danny Boyle's electrifying new feature, Slumdog Millionaire. The film is an eloquent and moving account of a boy who attempts to become a millionaire on a television game show, rediscovering the love of his life in the process. Boyle uses this extraordinary premise to paint a kaleidoscopic portrait of a society built around survival of the fittest, where betrayal is commonplace and greed and corruption lie just around every corner.

In a picaresque tale worthy of a Henry Fielding novel, this Tom Jones is Jamal, a poor, bright-eyed youth mischievously getting in and out of scrapes with his even more rambunctious older brother, Salim. In a horrifying turn of events, the two youngsters' lives change in front of their eyes when their mother is viciously killed during a riot. Alone, they turn to the streets, becoming “slumdogs.” A ray of sunshine comes into their lives when they befriend another orphan, the feisty young girl Latika, and soon the three are inseparable. Adventure follows as the trio learns to survive the cutthroat life of contemporary India – but at least they have each other. Or do they?

Years later, Jamal appears on India's version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Amazingly, he finds himself in the position of winning more and more prize money as the answers to the questions keep tumbling his way. But how can a “slumdog” with no formal education know the answers to these questions? Suspicions are raised, and Jamal quickly learns that the game show will be his biggest life test.

Boyle's film is a cinematic rollercoaster ride. Above all a romance, it is played out in a world where social, economic and political issues are never far away. The young cast is superb, but it is Boyle's dramatic smarts and feel for the heat, sweat and street life of Mumbai that transforms Slumdog Millionaire into a compelling and gripping cinematic experience.