Emphasizing its status as a “local” response to Danny Boyle‘s feelgood Oscar-winner from 2008 would be a promotionally savvy move: though born in Gujarat, Singh was educated in Mumbai before a stint at Bridgeport U in Connecticut, and his picture exudes the spicy tang of authenticity and verisimilitude. Having world-premiered at Toronto, this low-budget indie production will have no problem securing further festival berths and looks particularly suitable for events and sidebars dedicated to teenage viewers. On this evidence, Singh’s talents as a director currently outweigh his skills as a scribe, though he shows plenty of promise on both fronts and also serves as his own producer and production-designer.
Buoyed by two marvelous lead performances by non-pro youngsters, it makes up in atmosphere and detail what it lacks in plot. Slumdog Millionaire meets Mean Streets in Mumbai’s King ( Mumbai Cha Raja), newcomer Manjeet Singh‘s vibrantly engaging tale of hardscrabble life in India’s biggest, wealthiest, dirtiest metropolis.
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