“Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. How did he do it? A) He cheated. B) He's lucky. C) He's a genius. D) It is written.”

Eighteen-year-old Jamal Malik has dazzled audiences with his winning streak on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. When he is only one question away from the top prize of 20 million rupees, he is arrested and tortured by the police, who believe he cheated on the show. After all, how could a slumdog like him know whose face is on the American hundred dollar bill?

To prove his innocence, Jamal tells the police the story behind each question he answered on the game show. Most of the film is a series of flashbacks to his childhood and his performance on the show. Jamal grows up in the slums of Mumbai with his brother Salim. Orphans themselves, they befriend an orphan girl named Latika, and all three are brought to an orphanage that exploits children. The two brothers manage to escape and make a living through pick pocketing and posing as tour guides at the Taj Mahal, but Jamal can never forget Latika, and he spends the next few years searching for her. Jamal tries out to be a contestant on the game show because he knows Latika will be watching.

Slumdog Millionaire is a powerful and engrossing rags-to-riches story that flawlessly blends drama, romance, comedy, and suspense. With superb acting and appealing music, this film is a rousing crowd-pleaser and a great cinematic achievement.