More than fifteen years after Slumdog Millionaire swept the Academy Awards, director Danny Boyle admits he would not attempt to make the film in today’s cultural climate.
Speaking to The Guardian, Boyle acknowledged the shifting attitudes toward cultural representation and appropriation, saying, “We wouldn’t be able to make that now. And that’s how it should be. It’s time to reflect on all that. We have to look at the cultural baggage we carry and the mark that we’ve left on the world.”
The 2008 film, which starred Dev Patel as a teenager from the slums of Mumbai who wins big on the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, became a global sensation. When questioned about his uncanny performance on the quiz show, Patel’s character explains how his life experiences uniquely equipped him with the answers.
Also starring Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Irrfan Khan, and Anil Kapoor, the film is based on Vikas Swarup’s bestselling novel Q&A.
Boyle, however, is candid about the film’s complicated legacy. “At the time it felt radical,” he said. “We made the decision that only a handful of us would go to Mumbai. We’d work with a big Indian crew and try to make a film within the culture. But you’re still an outsider. It’s still a flawed method.”
He added that while cultural appropriation might have been more accepted in certain contexts then, that is no longer the case. “I’m proud of the film, but you wouldn’t even contemplate doing something like that today. It wouldn’t even get financed. Even if I was involved, I’d be looking for a young Indian film-maker to shoot it.”
Slumdog Millionaire won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography. A.R. Rahman won two Oscars for the film: Best Original Song and Best Score. Resul Pookutty won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing.
While Slumdog Millionaire was widely celebrated in the West, reactions in India were more divided, especially regarding its depiction of life in Mumbai’s underprivileged neighborhoods.
Boyle's latest directorial 28 Years Later hit cinemas this Friday.