Which Best Picture winner is set in Mumbai and follows contestant Jamal Malik?

The Best Picture winner set in Mumbai and following contestant Jamal Malik is Slumdog Millionaire.

Danny Boyle’s 2008 film follows 18-year-old Jamal, who competes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? His surprising success leads authorities to suspect cheating, so he explains how experiences from his difficult life supplied the answers.

The film was adapted loosely from Vikas Swarup’s 2005 novel Q & A. Dev Patel plays Jamal, while Freida Pinto plays Latika, his childhood friend and love. The story moves between the television studio, Jamal’s memories, and the changing neighborhoods of Mumbai.

The film is sometimes confused with Life of Pi because both are internationally acclaimed stories connected with India, but Life of Pi was not a Best Picture winner. Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture at the 81st Academy Awards and also earned Oscars for Boyle’s direction, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, score, song, and sound mixing.