Slumdog Millionaire Is a 2008 Film by British Director, Danny by an Inspector Who Wants to Learn How a ‘Slumdog’ from the Boyle
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SCHOLASTIC READERS A FREE RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS! –EXTRA Level 4 This level is suitable for students who have been learning English for at least four years and up to five years. It corresponds with the Common European Framework level B2. Suitable for users of CLUB magazine. SYNOPSIS THE BACK STORY A young Indian man, Jamal, is being interrogated in a police cell Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 film by British director, Danny by an inspector who wants to learn how a ‘slumdog’ from the Boyle. Simon Beaufoy’s screenplay was based on the novel Q& A, streets of Mumbai did so well on a TV quiz. In a flashback, we see written by Indian writer and diplomat, Vikas Swarup. Boyle Jamal going onto Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? . Each question auditioned many young Indian actors for the part of Jamal as a reminds Jamal of his life story, and this helps him to answer the young man, but he finally chose Dev Patel, a young British Asian question correctly. actor. Freida Pinto, who plays Latika when she is a young woman, In this way, we see Jamal’s life story in a series of flashbacks was an Indian model who had never appeared in a film before. prompted by the questions. After their mother is killed in anti- Set and filmed in India, the film won eight Academy Awards Muslim rioting, Jamal and Salim befriend a young orphaned girl, (Oscars) including Best Picture and Best Director. Latika. The three live by foraging in the city’s dumps, until a man Despite this success, the film received some criticism. In India, called Maman takes them to his orphanage. Maman’s real some people felt that the film perpetuated a stereotypical view intention is to make the children earn him money by begging. of life in Indian cities. Some critics felt that the word ‘slumdog’ Salim and Jamal escape, but Latika is unable to follow. After years was offensive. Some British newspapers reported that the child away from Mumbai, Jamal persuades Salim to return to look for actors, were poorly paid for their work on the film. In response to Latika. As they free her, Salim shoots and kills Maman. However, this claim, the filmmakers explained that they had set up trust Jamal is not reunited with Latika for long; Salim is enlisted by a funds for the child actors and made provisions for their education. local crime boss, Javed, and Salim threatens Jamal with a gun, sending him away. When Jamal finds Salim years later, he finds MEDIA LINKS that Salim is still working for Javed. Latika has become the crime DVD: Slumdog Millionaire is available on DVD. boss’s ‘girlfriend’ – a prisoner in his luxurious home. We learn that Jamal has come onto to the quiz in the hope that CD: A recording of Slumdog Millionaire is available to accompany Latika will be watching TV, and will see him. After he is cleared of the Scholastic Reader. the charge of cheating, he faces the final question. Latika does Internet: Students can read and see more about the film at: see him on the show, and Salim helps her escape from Javed www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire and his men, killing Javed and dying himself. Jamal answers the Book: Advanced students might try the original novel Q& A by final question correctly and he and Latika are reunited. Vikas Swarup (first published by Doubleday in 2005). HOW TO USE YOUR SCHOLASTIC READER Choosing and motivating minutes. You could show it in chunks of, say, 15–20 minutes in Is this the right story for your class? Bear in mind that the structure parallel with the class reading schedule. Alternatively, show it of the story involves jumps between different timelines when when the class have finished the book, as a reward. Jamal remembers his past in flashbacks. Also, the story includes Glossary elements that some members of the class may find disturbing, Go to ‘New Words’ at the back of the reader. Translate the words for example, one boy is intentionally blinded. with the class or get students to find meanings at home. The Motivate them with background information (see The Back Vocabulary Builder on page 4 of this resource sheet practises Story above) and by reading aloud the first page of the story. the new words in a different context. Organising Fact Files Plan a class reading schedule. Decide how many pages to set for Set these as self-study or use for whole class work. These provide reading each week. Select exercises from the Self-Study section background information about the making of the film; India and at the back of the reader and extra activities from this resource its history; and the plight of India’s eleven million street children. sheet to go with each chunk of reading. (All answers on pages 5 and 6 of this resource sheet.) What did they think? Using the CD Get everyone to do a written or spoken review of Slumdog Millionaire . Compare opinions. Will they go and see the film? Did Students can listen and follow in their books. They can listen and you like it? Let us know at [email protected] . then read. They can read and then listen. All these activities will improve their reading speeds and skills. COMPETITIONS AND UPDATES Using the DVD Check www.scholasticeltreaders.com for competitions and Select the English language option on the DVD. The film is 115 other activities related to the Scholastic Readers. ©Scholastic Ltd 1 Teacher’s notes SCHOLASTIC READERS RESOURCE SHEET STUDENT ACTIVITIES d) The police refuse to help the children. e) The girl tells them her name is Latika. f) Jamal sees someone hit his mother with a heavy stick. g) They look at their old area from the top of a hill. –EXTRA 2 Answer the questions. a) Why does Jamal’s mother go to the river? …Sh…e…go…es…t…he…re…t…o …w…as…h …th…e…fa…m…ily…’s…c…lo…th…es…. b) Why do the men attack the people in the river? ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK c) Why don’t the police help the children? d) Why doesn’t Jamal smile when he answers the second Prologue –Chapter 1 question correctly? 1 Correct the mistakes in the sentences. 3 Why do you think the film-makers included the scene a) The police want to know how Jamal has won sixteen with the boy dressed as the god, Rama? In your opinion, thousand rupees. what does this add to this part of the film? …Th…e …po…lic…e…w…an…t …to…k…no…w…h…ow…J…a…ma…l …ha…s…w…on … Chapters 3–4 …te…n …mi…lli…on …r…up…ee…s. …………………………………… 1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false b) The Inspector and Jamal listen to Who Wants To Be A sentences. Millionaire ? on the radio. a) Maman wants to help the three children. c) Jamal’s job is making telephone calls in a call centre. …F.…M…a…ma…n…w…an…ts…t…he…m…t…o …wo…rk…f…or…h…im…b…y …… d) The first question is about a famous singer. …be…gg…ing…. ………………………………………………… e) Salim is Jamal’s father. b) Salim passes on Punnoose’s orders to the other children. f) Amitabh arrives in the slum by car. c) Latika likes to take the baby when she is begging. g) Jamal uses a ‘lifeline’ for his first question. d) Arvind is blinded because he sings badly. 2 Answer the questions. e) Salim chooses not to pull Latika onto the train. a) Why does the inspector think that Jamal has cheated? f) The brothers find several ways to make money at the Taj …Th…e …in…sp…ec…to…r d…o…es…n…ot…b…el…iev…e …th…at…s…om…e…on…e … Mahal. …fro…m…t…he…s…lu…ms……co…uld……kn…ow…a…ll…t…he…a…ns…w…er…s. … g) Jamal knows that Benjamin Franklin is on a one-hundred dollar bill because of Arvind. b) Do you think Prem expects Jamal to do well in the quiz? Why, or why not? h) Jamal returns to Mumbai to find Arvind. c) How does Salim behave towards Jamal in the Amitabh story? 2 Work with a partner. Imagine that you are Jamal and What does this show about his character? Salim. Pick one of these moments in the story and have a d) Why does the audience laugh when they hear the possible conversation. answers for the second question? a) The brothers are on the train. Jamal wants to go back for Latika; Salim does not want his brother to know that he let go 3 Answer the questions. of her hand. a) Salim and Jamal are brothers, but they are very different. b) Years later, the brothers are at the Taj Mahal. Jamal wants to Why does Salim behave so differently to Jamal, do you think? return to Mumbai; Salim is happy to stay where they are. b) Are you similar to your brothe r/ sister? In what ways? 3 Answer the questions. a) How would you describe Salim’s character? Is he a ‘good’ Chapter 2 older brother? Use examples from Chapters 3 and 4 to 1 Number the sentences in the correct order. support your opinion. a) Jamal tells a young girl to follow them. b) In your opinion, what makes a good older brother or sister? b) The brothers see a boy dressed like a Hindu god.