Hollywood producers honor the ‘Slumdog’

Los Angeles, January 25: After sweeping the Golden Globes, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is going strong at other significant events and has fetched the top film prize from Hollywood's producers.

Danny Boyle’s presentation of a poor young man turning into a millionaire overnight was lauded by the Producers Guild of America, or PGA, making it an even stronger contender at the most-important Oscars, to be held next month.

The rags-to-riches story set in India, is already a favorite in the industry and has won 10 Oscar nominations, second only to Brad Pitt’s ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ which received 13 Oscar nominations.

An honor from the Producers Guild is usually considered a big step towards an Oscar, since a large part of the panel of voters who decide on the Academy Awards is made up of PGA members.

In a ceremony held at the Hollywood Palladium, Christian Colson, the producer of this out-of-the-box movie, was honored with the Darryl F. Zanuck producer of the year award.

The low-budget hit is about a poor young boy from the slums of Mumbai who risks it all for love. Armed with basic knowledge and a huge stint of luck, the boy goes on to win the ultimate prize money on the Indian version of the TV game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.’

Without the help of any famous Hollywood star, the film, starring Indian actor ‘Anil Kapoor,’ some locally-familiar British actors and other infamous artists, made it to the top-10 in box-office collections last week.

The critics’ pick is also looking set for commercial success. According to the movie website boxofficemojo.com, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ has already raked in more than $48 million in North America and over $65 million worldwide to date, and the attention bestowed by early Oscar-recognition is sure to boost the earnings further.