Jamal Malik, former street child from Mumbai, is being interrogated by the police. He is a contestant on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and has made it to the final question but has been accused of cheating. Jamal insists that he did not cheat, instead knowing the answer to every question.

The explanation of how he knew the answers leads us through the history of his life. He remembers meeting a famous Bollywood star, the death of his mother during a raid on the slums by a Hindu mob, and how he and his brother Salim took in the young Latika (on whom Jamal has a life-long crush).

Living on the trash heaps, they are discovered by Maman and are taken to live in an orphanage where they go into the city to beg for money. Salim is groomed to become a part of Maman’s operation, and is tasked to bring Jamal so he can be blinded to improve his income potential. Salim rebels against Maman and the three children try to escape, but as they are attempting to hop a train, Salim is unable to pull Latika aboard and she is recaptured.

The brothers make a living traveling on top of trains and selling goods, until they are caught and fall off near the Taj Mahal. Jamal quickly makes a living as an unofficial tour guide while Salim and their new street gang steal the possessions of his clients.

Eventually, Jamal persuades Salim to return to Mumbai to locate Latika. He eventually finds her working in the red-light district, still a virgin and being trained in dance to improve her value. They prepare to leave together when Maman arrives to prevent the theft of his property. Salim draws a gun and eventually kills Maman, and then the three flee to a nearby hotel. Salim offers himself as a gun-for-hire to Javed, a rival crime lord, and then returns to claim Latika as his own. Jamal protests, but Salim threatens to kill him and Latika consents to save his life.

Years later, Jamal is working as an assistant in a call center. When he is asked to cover for a co-worker for a couple of minutes, he searches the database for Salim and Latika. He gets in touch with Salim, who has become a high-ranking lieutenant in Javed’s organization and invites Jamal to live with him. Jamal follows Salim as he leaves to get an assignment and sees Latika living in Javed’s house. He talks his way in as the new dishwasher and tries to convince Latika to leave. She rebukes his advances, but he promises to be at the train station every day at 5 pm if she changes her mind. Latika arrives but is followed by Salim and his thugs, who abduct and maim her.

Jamal tries out for the game show because he knows that she will be watching. He progresses to the final question, despite the hostile attitude of the host who feeds Jamal an incorrect answer during a break. At the end of the episode, Jamal has one question left to win 20 million rupees and is taken into police custody.

The police inspector calls Jamal’s story “bizarrely plausible” and he is allowed to return to the show for the final question. At Javed’s safehouse, they watch the news coverage of Jamal’s miraculous run on the show. Salim gives Latika the keys to his car and his phone and urges her to go to Jamal. Stuck in a traffic jam, Latika leaves the car and phone to watch the final question in a house on the side of the road. Jamal does not know the answer to the question (the names of the Three Musketeers, which was what they called their group as children) and uses his Phone-a-Friend lifeline. There is no answer, as he selected Salim and his phone is in Latika’s car. When Jamal announces that he listed his brother as phone contact, Latika realizes that she’s actually the contact and returns to the car just in time. Jamal is thrilled to hear Latika’s voice, but she doesn’t know the answer. Believing that “it is written,” he guesses at the answer (the one Musketeer they never learned: Aramis) and wins the money. Meanwhile, Salim sacrifices himself to kill Javed to let Latika and Jamal live a happy life.

Later that night, Latika is waiting at the train station from before and Jamal comes to meet her. The movie ends with their kiss, and a Bollywood musical number during the closing credits.

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