Slumdog Millionaire: Urban issues in the Dharavi Slum, Mumbai

Where is the Dharavi Slum and why has it become famous?

Why do people come to live in the Dharavi slum?

Slumdog Millionaire film reviewWatch the Slumdog scenes (on the server) and complete the following table, identifying urban problems.

Scene Brief description of what happens

Problem/IssueWhat are some of the conditions that make living here difficult?

1 Several boys are playing on the aeroplane landing and a few security guards chase them away.

+ They are socializing among themselves and also they can manage to stay happy although their living conditions are so bad.

_ The guards are cruel and they intend to beat the children.

2 The boys are chased by the guards.

+

_The living conditions are terrible.

3 A man called Prakash pays a boy that is taking care of the public toilet to use the toilet. When the boy loses his customer because of his brother, he locks his brother in the toilet. A famous actor has just arrived and the boy’s brother idolizes him. He jumps into the hole straight into the pit containing the waste and manages to get an

+ They can get money by taking care of the toilets and that is a source of income for them.

_The situation is extremely unhygienic and if anyone falls down the hole they will land in the pit full of waste.

autograph of the famous actor.

4 It shows the view of the slums.

+

_It is very compact and densely-populated.

5 The women are washing clothes and the children are playing in the river.

+ The women and children can socialize while doing work.

_The water is dirty.

6 A girl is collecting rubbish to be sold. Several men are walking towards a tent with two people sleeping in it.

+ It is still a source of income for the girl.

_ The job has many hazards like stepping on sharp objects or contracting a disease from the rotting items in the dump.

7 A view of the city is shown. A boy is asking people if they know someone.

+ The boy is alone but he does not get kidnapped.

_The city is so big and there are many unfinished buildings around.

8 Two construction workers are sitting together at the top of an unfinished building.

+ They can rest a little without the boss hounding them to do their work.

_If one of them slips and falls, it is certain death for them.

9 A man is looking for a woman in a crowded train station.

+

_ The train station is very crowded.

10 A woman is caught in a massive traffic jam and the man that was looking for the woman in the previous clip is on a television show.

+ The people gather and they gather to watch the show without fighting.

_The arrival of the people cause the traffic jam.