Director Danny Boyle has said his Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire would not be made in today’s climate – and believes that’s exactly how it should be.
Speaking to The Guardian, the 68-year-old filmmaker reflected on the 2008 film’s legacy with a mix of pride and realism, admitting that shifting cultural awareness around authorship and representation means such a project would no longer be viable.
“Yeah, we wouldn’t be able to make that now,” Boyle said. “And that’s how it should be.”
A film rooted in Mumbai, but still told from the outside
Slumdog Millionaire, a rags-to-riches drama set in Mumbai and starring Dev Patel, was celebrated for its energy and storytelling when it swept the 2009 Academy Awards. It was shot largely in Hindi, with a local crew, and Boyle made efforts to ground the production in Indian culture.
However, he now acknowledges that the method, however well-intentioned, was still that of an outsider looking in.
“We made the decision that only a handful of us would go to Mumbai,” he explained. “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.”
Cultural appropriation and a changing lens
Asked if the production could be seen as a form of cultural colonialism, Boyle responded, “No, no. Well, only in the sense that everything is.” He clarified that what once felt radical at the time must now be viewed through a more critical lens, as conversations around cultural appropriation have grown louder in the years since.
“That kind of cultural appropriation might be sanctioned at certain times. But at other times it cannot be,” he said. “I’m proud of the film, but you wouldn’t even contemplate doing something like that today. It wouldn’t even get financed. Even if I was involved, I’d be looking for a young Indian film-maker to shoot it.”
A broader shift in who gets to tell the story
Boyle’s comments reflect a broader shift in the film industry, where the question of who gets to tell certain stories has become increasingly important. While Slumdog Millionaire was hailed at the time as a triumph of global cinema, some later critiques pointed to the way it framed poverty in India for Western audiences.
Rather than defending the film against such criticism, Boyle appears to welcome the fact that times have changed. His remarks suggest an understanding that what was once celebrated may now require re-examination, not out of shame, but out of progress.
“I’m proud of the film – but the world has moved on”
Boyle reiterated his personal connection to the film, but made it clear that he recognises how standards have shifted.
“I’m proud of the film,” he repeated, “but the world has moved on.”
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