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The vibrancy, colour and chaos of Mumbai (where much of the movie is set) is palpable in every sitar chord, hip-hop beat and tabla breakdown. It's not even necessary to have seen Slumdog Millionaire or harbour a deep love of all things Bollywood to appreciate the diversely rich sonic soundscapes Rahman has assembled here.
Watch the film’s end sequence with the ‘Jai Ho’ dance:
There's a reason why he won two Oscars for his work on this soundtrack. Like the movie that inspired it, the album is an epic journey - from the lively promise of youth ("O… Saya" feat. M.I.A), to the perils and thrills of slum life ("Riots", "Ringa Ringa") and the realisation of true love (the stunning, heart-breaking "Latika's Theme").
And if you thought you'd just about had enough of hearing M.I.A.'s mega-hit "Paper Planes" everywhere, get ready to swagger on the corner again, like it's the freshest thing you've heard all year. The original is here (gun blasts included!) as well as a righteously funky disco-punk remix by New York indie label DFA.
Bollywood gets a bad rap, as it should, most of the time. While its influence is essential to the Slumdog Millionaire aesthetic, like masala is to a mouth-watering curry, Rahman has turned the genre on its head, given it a much-need blast of realism (since Bollywood is mostly disinterested in stories about the poor) and made it as relevant to surburban Everywhere as it is to the destitute millions it honours.
Life is a celebration, and Slumdog Millionaire is your party host.
