Jamal won 200 million rupees. But behind the winning, it was blood, sadness, and love...

I went to see the movie, "Slumdog Millionaire" with 4 students of Chung-Hsing University on April 7, 2009. I was very moved by the miserable and sad stories behind the winning of 200 million rupees of Jamal. It will take several posting for me to re-tell this story in my own words.

The character Jamal Malik was an 18-old boy grew up in a slum in Bombay with his brother Salim. How he could possible know every answer of the questions asked by Kumar who was hosting a show, "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" For example, how could Jamal know that the portrait in the $100 US dollar bill is Benjamin Franklin? Jamal told the police that his blind friend, Javed told him. Javed was singing and begging on a Bombay's street. Jamal recognized Javed that Javed grew up together with Jamal, Salim (Jamal's brother), Latika (Jamal's friend) under the supervision of a local gang, Mr. Chi. Mr. Chi picked up orphans from Bombay's street and gave orphans food and shelter. Being a gang, Mr Chi also drove the orphans to beg on the street to make money for him. In the evening, he would teach the kids to sing. Do not think Mr. Chi a good guy because he was teaching kids to sing at night. Once the kid knew how to sing well, he made the kid blind because a blind singer-beggar would get more money for him on the street. (The scene of making the kid blind is too graphic to be described here in the post.) Javed was one of Mr. Chi's victims; both Jamal and Salim escaped Mr. Chi's control. Out of sympathy, Jamal gave Javed $100 dollar bill. Javed asked Jamal, "who is on the bill?". Jamal said he did not know the name but he described the person to Javed. Javed said that the portrait was Benjamin Franklin and was a $100 bill.

Where and how Jamal got this $100 bill and who is Latika? Those stories will be reported later if you are interested in reading more.