“Slumdog Millionaire,” the Oscar-winning film about a young man from an impoverished background who competes on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” could be headed for the stage.
Tony Award-winning producer Ken Davenport has secured the rights to develop the film into a new musical which will feature songs from the film including “Jai Ho,” the banger that accompanies the elaborately choreographed dance sequence that ended “Slumdog Millionaire.” It will also feature new songs by A.R. Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work on the 2008 film’s music.
“I’m incredibly excited to begin work on ‘Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical,’” Rahman said. “This reimagined version will take you on an electrifying journey with new songs and a few unexpected twists.”
In a statement, Davenport said he had a personal connection to the movie. “My father, Kenny Dipchand Hasija, never talked much about growing up in India, until I took him to see ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ Immediately after the credits rolled, the stories, the love, and the pride of where he was from poured out of him. It was one of the closest moments we ever had. Right then and there, I vowed to one day find a way to bring our Indian culture to the stage, as a way to honor him, and people of Indian descent all over the world.”
“Slumdog Millionaire” was inspired by the Indian novel “Q&A,” written by Vikas Swarup. It had a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and was directed by Danny Boyle. Produced for just $15 million, the movie grossed over $378 million worldwide.
Davenport’s credits include “Spring Awakening,” “Kinky Boots,” and the musical of “Groundhog Day.”
