Our video!

Here you can see our video. It is in Youtube too. Enjoy it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rx9w6buBZY&feature=youtu.be

A sister's promise

-Ram said the luck came from inside the person. Explain what he meant.

He meant that all the answers he knew, knew about the life, and that's lucky.

-Does the story have a happy end? Explain your answer.

Yes, it have. Ram met again with Gudiya and she will help him with the problems. He won the quiz and now he's rich!

The Last Question

-In this chapter we learn the true reason why Ram Mohammad Thomas went to the show Who Will Win a Billion. What is it?

The reason is the revenge to Prem Kumar the presenter. He killed Nellima and beated Nita.

-Why Ram choose the answer A?

Because the presenter tell him the other one but Ram don't trust him and choose later A. He won the quiz!

-What was Smita's secret?

That she is Gudiya. Now is a lawyer and she will help Ram with his problem.

Look after your Buttons

-In your opinion, who was more cruel to each other, Prakash or Arvind Rao? Why?

Both. But more Prakash because use voodoo with his own brother.

-Do you think Prakash Rao was right giving his wife all what she wished?

I don't think so, we can't not get all that we want.

-Is that a reason to steal and betray your own family?

If is necessary for survive I probably do it.

-What is voodoo and in which country do people usually practise it?

It's some kind fantastic. You can control everyone if you use it well. It's practised in Haiti

-How did she make voodoo to Prakash Rao's brother?

Take a little of his clothes and his hair. Later, she killed a chicken and let go the blood along one doll.

At home with a killer

-Explain how Salim became a junior actor.

He start working as a servant for a manager who make junior actors stars. He told Salim if he does some pictures to help Salim to become an actor.

-Would you betray someone who has saved your life if you know he's a criminal?

It depends on the person. Probably I can, but I must be in the situation to answer this question well.

-Why do you think Thomas didn't tell Salim about the quiz show?

I don't know. The reason is too personal for Ram. He didn't explain anyone.

A love story

-Ram and Nita fell in love. But why could they not get married?

Because the father of Nita are going to marry Nita with another man. And if Ram want to marry with Nita he must pay money for it.

-Nita is engaged to a rich and successful man who will pay her family 40.000 rupees. Do you think arranged marriages are a good idea?

In my opinion I think that arranged marriages are not a good idea. Marrieges musn't be a bussines and love have to be free. Everyone should get marry with the one who love or like.

-Why do you think Swapna Devi said this about his son: "perphaps death will be the best thing for him".

Because his life it's too sad and if he live or he death it doesn't matter. That's why he said it.

-In this chapter we see Thomas is really generous. Why?

Because he don't want that the boy die. If he can't pay money to get marry with Nita, he can make a good action for another person saving his life.

-Why is this chapter particulary important?

Because in this chapter Ram decided to participe in the TV show Who Want To Be A Millionaire to get enough money.

-How was the man of the hospital able to pay Thomas back?

He want to pay back with money but Thomas doesn't want it. Thomas say: If I need some help, I'll call you because you are a teacher".

Murder on a train

-Fifty thousand dreams had suddenly been taken from me. "What did Ram mean"?

He was thinking about the death of a man. He killed him and he think that the police can arrest him.

-Thomas is thinking about the Police and asks himself: "Would the Police tell me that I was a hero for killing a robber? Or would they call me a killer who had shot a man dead without even knowing his name?". Why does he think this? What do you think the Police would tell him?

He think this because he did it for defense itself. But probably the Police would tell him that he is a killier because he had shot a man without even knowing his name.

How to speak australian

-Who do you think phoned the inspector about Colonel Taylor and Jeevan Kumar?

I think that was Ram. Because he knew how to speak english. And english is similar to australian. In the text say: " He spoke like Australian". That's why I think that was Ram.

-Why was Thomas diferent from the other servants that Colonel Taylor had had?

Because Ram never lies Colonel Taylor. And Ram never tryed to stole Colonel Taylor. The other servants always do it and always have problems with Colonel Taylor.

-Now Thomas has 52.000 rupees. What will he do? How will he spend?

He want to buy a ticket for the train and go to see his friend Salim in Mumbai. He will spend his money in the ticket and the other will be in his bag.

-Where did he get all this money from?

He take from his salary and he had saving some money.

A brother's promise

-Do you think Ram should have helped Gudiya?

Yes. Ram it's a good boy and always want to be happy and see people happy. He did it right way.

-Will the police find him and arrest him for the murder?

No. Only Gudiya know who's the murder and she doesn't tell anything because Ram is like her brother.

-Will she ever see his brother and Gudiya again?

Yes, at the end of the book, Smita is Gudiya.

-Would you interfere if you knew your neighbour is beating his wife and his daughter?

I don't know. Probably I would do it, but I have to be in the situation.

A soldier's story

-He talks about a war. When was it and which countries were fighting each other? Why?

The war was in 1971. Between India and Pakistan. The fighted because Pakistan want to conquer India's country.

-How did the old soldier's stories help Ram with the answer to the next quiz question?

Because the old man talked about "Param Vir Chakra" that is the highest award given to the Indian armed forces. And the question was that.

Tragedy Queen

-Ram knew Neelima's lover face although he couldn't remember exactly where from. Who do you think it was? Where might he have seen him before?

Neelima's lover was Prem Kumar, that's the reason why Ram know his face. They might seen before in Mamma's house.

-Neelima says about her lover: "sometimes I think that he loves me. Sometimes I think that he hates me". Why does she say this?

Because this man abused of her and  mistreated her. He had hit her sometimes. That's why she said it.

-In your opinion, why men mistreat women? Why is Neelima mistreated?

Because men think that they can do all that they want with the women. The think that are stronger than the women and they must have all the power. Neelima is mistreated because his lover thinks this way.

-What happened to Neelima in the end? Name three celebrities who died the same way.

Ram found her in the bed. She was dead  with her award for the Best Actress.
Celebrities: Rihanna, Tina Turner and Halle Berry.

A home for the disabled

-How did Ram and Salim meet?

Salim arrived at Delhi Children's Home for Boys where Ram was after Father Timothy died. Salim was his roommate's and they become very good friends

-Why did they like each other?

Because both were orphans and they loved watch films. This is why they become very good friends.

-What was the Delhi's Children home like?

Ram said: It was crowned, noisy and dirty. The classrooms had broken desks and the teachers had not taught for years. Ram doesn't like too much Delhi's Childrem home.

-Why and how did they escape?

Salim listened a conversation between Sethji and Poonose saying that they are going to blind Ram. So Salim, hurry up to told him and the decided to escape in a train.

-Where are they planning to go?

They want to take the train to Juhul. There, Kumari try to get a job in her house like a servants and then protect them.

-How are they going to survive there?

Ram became Neelima Kumari's servand and she pay him. Then she give a apartment where Salim and Ram can live.

Father Timothy

-Father Timothy gave the orphan three names. How would these names help the boy?

He give three names to help the boy to have a good relationship with the three religions: Muslin, Hindu and Christianity.

-Find out about the wars between India and Pakistan and answer: In your opinion, why did Father Timothy give him these three names?

Father Timothy give three names to protect Ram of the different problems of religion. India and Pakistan have wars because of identity. Timothy want to protect his boys.

-How did Ram spend his childhood?

He used to play with the other kids of the neighbordhood. When father Timothy went to United Kingdom to visit his family, Ram went too. This language will help Ram in the future.

-How diferent was Ram Mohammad Thomas' childhood from yours?

My childhood was very nice. I can remember playing all day with my friends.. I was happier than now. I want to go back in the time and be a kid!

-In your opinion, what is going to happen with Ram after Father Timothy's death?

Ram will miss a lot Father Timothy. But he have to carry on and search his place in the world.

Cheat!

-In your opinion, who sent Smita? How did she know about his arrest?

In my opinion I think that Smita saw the TV show and reconize Ram. And she wants to help Ram because Ram helped she in the past. She know that Ram is a good man, not a guilty man.


-Why was Ram surprised to see Smita?

Because Smita becames his lawyer. He doens't expect it because he hasn't money for pay Smita's service.

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The main character

-His name combines the names of three religions. Which are they?

Ram Mohammad Thomas: Ram is from Hindu, Mohammad is form Muslim and Thomas is from Christianity.


-Where does he grow up?

He was born in Delhi and grows up in the city of Mumbai.


People, places and events in the story.

-Who was Surdas?

He was a saint, poet and musician. He was born in a small village in India. He couldn't see. Surdas was very religious man and wrote over one thousand poems, though only around eight thousand can be found today. He left his family at the age of six.

-  What is the connection between Surdas and the main character?

When Mamman catch Ram and Salim, Mamman gave them singer's lessons and his favourite song was Surdas because it's considerate the song of the people that can not see.

-  What is the historical background? What war appears in the story?

The historical building is Taj Mahal. This building appear in the book when Ram fall in love with Nita. Ram Mohammad Thomas was the guide of Nita in Taj Mahal because he needs the money to go back to Mumbai with his friend Salim.

-  What is the story behind Taj Mahal? 

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shahjahan. Work started in 1631 and took 22 years. The Emperor falled in love with 'the chose one'. The got married and had fourteen children. The woman died while giving birth to the last child in 1631. Before she died, Emperor promised to build the most beautiful palace in the world for her. The result was the Taj Mahal.

The TV show- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

The TV show that appear in this story is: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. This show has been seen in more than one hundred countries. In Spain we have our show called: Quién quiere ser millonario?. The Indian version of the show started in 2000 and has been hosted by Bollywood actors. Sometimes in this show we can see people competing for charity and, in some countries, children competing against one another for prizes for their schools.

Here we can see a video of the TV show in United Kingdom:

Viras Swarup interview

In this video, we can see the author talking about his books and the film Slumdog Millionaire.

 

A note about the author

The author of Slumdog Millionaire is Vikas Swarup. This man was born in India. Vikas went to study psychology, history and philosofy at Allahabad University. In 1986, he joined the Indian Foreign Service. As a diplomat, he worked at Turkey, the United States of America, Ethiopia, Great Britian and South Afrifca. In August 2009, he became Consul General of India in Japan.

Q and A is the title of the book which was made into the film Slumdog Millionaire. This was his first book. It took him only two months to write, but has now been published in forty-two different languages and made into a very succesful film. He has written a second novel, Six Suspects, which was published in 2008.

Vikes likes listening music, playing cricket(the famous sport in India) tennis and table tennis. He is married to Aparna and the have two sons, Aditya and Varun.