Critically acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire might be a frontrunner at the Oscars,but director Danny Boyle says that the films success in India is above the prestigious honour at the moment. The tale of an 18-year-old Mumbai boy from rags to riches has already won four awards at the Golden Globes,and garnered 11 nominations in Baftas. Boyle is eager to know the response the film receives in India. "The most important thing for us this week is absolutely the opening here. Big time. That's serious," Times Online quoted him as saying. "You can't expect anything really. You should always expect to get knocked down by a bus tomorrow morning,which is the only healthy thing to feel about success. It could all end at a moment's notice," he added. Many onlookers initially felt that the film,which will be given its premiere in the country on Jan 23 in India,would prove too "edgy" for conservative audiences found outside the big cities. With the poster campaign that focus on its well-known Indian stars,Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan,critics feel that stands a good chance of winning over the crowds. Moreover,the film is being released in Hindi version titled Slumdog Crorepati with an eye on tapping widespread commercial success. Meanwhile,Boyle is planning to direct another project in India's "Maximum City",which might be a modern thriller set largely at night when Mumbai's inhabitants are sleeping.
