Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" is a Mumbai hit

British film-maker Danny Boyle is a hot Oscar candidate with his film about life in Mumbai's slums. Slumdog Millionaire, starring Dev Patel, tells the story of a poor boy's rise to riches. Patel plays Jamal, who appears on the Indian version of the hit TV game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Originally, Boyle had hoped for an all Bollywood cast. That was impossible, however, because local Indian actors "didn't look enough like losers" for the main role of Jamal, the director told the BBC.

Bollywood star Anil Kapoor has a part in the film, along with newcomer Freida Pinto. In September, Boyle won the Toronto Film Festival's main prize for Slumdog Millionaire. The People's Choice Award is regarded as an early indicator of success at the Oscars. Danny Boyle's previous films include Trainspotting and the zombie-horror success 28 Days Later.