Critically acclaimed “Slumdog Millionaire” held its Indian premiere in the film's native Mumbai Thursday night, shortly after it won 10 Oscar nominations. The rags-to-riches story about a boy from one of the city's teeming slums competing on a TV gameshow has been nominated for best director, best adapted screenplay and best picture at the Academy Awards, and seven other categories. “The city opened its arms to us. I don't want anyone to miss out on the debt of gratitude that we owe to this city,” said the film's director Danny Boyle at a press conference ahead of the premiere. A huge media fanfare greeted Bollywood stars and production company executives as they walked on the red carpet amid the sound of traditional Indian drums. The entire cast and crew danced down the red carpet. “Slumdog Millionaire” has already won four honors at the Golden Globes this month including best drama, and been nominated for 11 BAFTA awards. The film's famed music composer A.R. Rahman alone picked up three Oscar nominations. “It's incredible. Three for A.R. (Rahman) - you can't beat that,” Boyle said. But despite the international plaudits, Boyle arrived in Mumbai earlier this week to accusations by some parts of the Indian media that his film was voyeuristic “poverty porn”. Boyle, known for his unconventional story-telling in films like “Trainspotting”, was accused of romanticising slums and peddling begging rackets, prostitution and crime as “Indian exotica”. “Slumdog” has sparked a debate about whether such films reinforce Western stereotypes about the country, though Boyle said he was trying to capture Mumbai's “lust for life”.
