Danny Boyle wouldn’t make ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ today due to “cultural appropriation”
28 Years Later director Danny Boyle has admitted that he would never make Slumdog Millionaire in this day and age, “and that’s how it should be.”
The movie tells the story of Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai. After he is suspected of cheating on the game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’, his interrogation leads to flashbacks that recount his entire life.
Speaking to The Guardian, Boyle noted of the Oscar-winning movie, “We wouldn’t be able to make that now. And that’s how it should be. It’s time to reflect on all that. We have to look at the cultural baggage we carry and the mark that we’ve left on the world.”
Boyle noted that he was still “proud” of the beloved film, and at the time, some production decisions “felt radical.” He explained, ” We made the decision that only a handful of us would go to Mumbai. We’d work with a big Indian crew and try to make a film within the culture. But you’re still an outsider. It’s still a flawed method.”
Reflecting on the way things should be operated, Boyle noted, “That kind of cultural appropriation might be sanctioned at certain times. But at other times it cannot be… ou wouldn’t even contemplate doing something like that today. It wouldn’t even get financed.”
He finished, “Even if I was involved, I’d be looking for a young Indian film-maker to shoot it.” Reflecting on the youths in his life, three kids who are now technically all adults, Boyle has hope for the younger generation: “I look at the younger generation and they’re an improvement.”
Slumdog Millionaire became a box office sensation. Despite only boasting a $15 million budget, the movie made $378 million worldwide. Boyle’s latest directorial project, 28 Years Later, is also expected to perform well at the box office.
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