After BAFTA success, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ goes to Oscars on a high note

After bagging the prestigious BAFTA award for the Best Music Score for Slumdog Milionaire, music maestro AR Rahman is now looking forward to the Oscars.
The film directed by Danny Boyle bagged seven BAFTA awards. Boyle attributed the success of the film to the film itself and the spirit with which it was made and the people who helped make it.

The BAFTA awards will bolster the film's chances at the Oscars scheduled later this month. The film is based on diplomat-turned author Vikas Swarup's novel about ''rags to riches' story of a boy from a Mumbai slum winning a reality show. The film had entered the ceremony with 11 nominations and won prizes for best film, best director, original screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and sound.

With 10 Oscar nominations, the film is now well placed to win laurels at the Oscars on February 22.

Besides Rahman, the other Indian to receive a prize was Resul Pookutty for the best sound for the film along with Glenn Freemantle, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers and Ian Tapp.

However, Dev Patel the film's 18-year old star lost to Mickey Rourke in the best actor category. Patel is nominated in the best actor category for the Oscars along with Kate Winslet and Mickey Rourke.

Winslet has won the nomination for her role in 'The Reader' while Rourke for his performance as an athlete in 'The Wrestler'.

Slumdog writer Simon Beaufoy was awarded the prize for best adapted screenplay. He thanked Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup for his novel Q and A, on which the film is based.

Beaufoy said it was a great privilege to have won the award adding that he had two pretend Baftas at home. He said one Bafta was made of chocolate while the other one was a plastic replica he purchased online. He said the whole cast was thrilled at the way people were reacting to the film.

The low-budget British film is the story of a young man from a Mumbai slum who dreams of making it big by winning a Hindi TV game show, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. The film won four honours at the Golden Globes last month including best drama.