That said, I think his next project sounds pretty interesting, and definitely a shift from his usual material: A true story, SLUM DOG MILLIONAIRE is the story of a young, illiterate, uneducated boy from the slums of Mumbai that goes on the Hindi version of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ and wins it. Officials believe he must have cheated, that the audience were coughing to help him, or he had some kind of microchip in his head but he actually did win it.
Boyle also says “What’s clever about the film is that the structure shows you how he knows the answers. Certain things have happened to him in his life and they happen to ask questions about those things. But the real reason he’s on the show is to get in touch with the girl he loves but has lost in the chaos of Mumbai, and all he knows is that she watches the show religiously. So he’s not even there to win the money, but that’s when you win I suppose, when you’re not even trying.”