Over the weekend in a period of time I had “off” I saw the film Slumdog Millionaire. The story revolves around three young people (slumdogs) in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay for you old colonialists) and their journey of survival as they come of age under very difficult circumstances. The mechanism that transports the viewer through this is that one of the characters, Jamal Malik, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire? in order to attract the attention of his love.

While it is a film set in Mumbai, it is not an Indian (Bollywood) affair, it’s more a British product coming from Danny Boyle (Trainspotting among other flicks.) So aside from the ending credits which give a nod to the traditional Bollywood dance number, don’t go in with that expectation. As an outsider who has visited India on business multiple times, it provides something of a glimpse into a side of the country I know exists, but one I haven’t really experienced. As one of my colleagues (an Indian executive) told me on a recent trip, “you can find anything you want in India, from infinite poverty to infinite wealth; often situated side-by-side.”

One of the things that struck me about the film is the role of chance in our lives and the resilience of humans, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Since one of the three of my readers might actually see the film, I won’t say too much more about it other than to say, get out there and see it. In my opinion, if this doesn’t win big awards the system is pretty broken…

Here’s the trailer for your viewing pleasure: