Q & A (novel)
Rupees! Rupees! (English: Q & A ) is a 2005 published novel of Indian author Vikas Swarup and politician. It describes the life of Ram Mohammad Thomas Slumjungen who plays in an Indian TV quiz show. Despite the lack of general knowledge he can through his eventful life story answer all questions and will therefore be suspected of fraud. The book was made famous by the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
Background
Swarup was already a successful diplomat, when he was living in 2003 longer time in London and was separated from his wife and children. In his spare time, he decided to write an " Indian novel Indian figures". On the subject of his book, he was inspired in his own words by visiting one of the learning stations of the educational project Hole in the Wall, as a framework of action he chose a quiz show because " at any time tactile tension" is available there. Since he is also a action fan, he built next local color and a quiz show also many dramatic scenes and himself admits that the book " quite commercial" was. Swarup wrote " four and a half chapters" and sent them to various literary agents in London. In August 2003 there was a positive feedback, and Swarup wrote the book in a month done.
Action
The poor 18 -year-old waiter Ram Mohammad Thomas has been in the quiz show Who Will Win a Billion? (in short: W3B ) ( dt: Who is billionaire? ) answers all twelve questions correctly. Since the production company of the quiz show prize money of one billion rupees can not pay, he is from the corrupt quizmaster Prem Kumar and the producers accused jointly with the police of fraud (which also it is that nobody trusts such a poor young people so much knowledge, that he could answer all the questions ). In prison, Ram is tortured and forced to admit that he cheated on the show. Only the lawyer Smita listens to him. In flashbacks Ram tells her twelve chapters of his deprivation of life.
Author Swarup used the twelve questions the quiz show as a guide to let Ram tell about life in the slums of India twelve short stories. Be addressed, inter alia, ethnic tensions between Hindus, Muslims and Christians, drug use, child abuse, corruption, the social gap between rich and poor, the difficult conditions for England and Pakistan and much more. Although Ram is poor and relatively uneducated, he makes his way with luck and skill. All twelve chapters end with a quiz question Kumars, the Ram can answer through his experiences. Among other things, the author Ram illegal work as tourist guides at the Taj Mahal, which is why he can answer a difficult historical question that has indirectly something to do with this building.
Although throughout the book Ram is a migrant worker, he thinks all the time on his best friend Salim, who dreams of becoming a Bollywood actor. In addition, Ram rescues a girl named Gudiya before their father, (but still in his youth ) is an alcoholic. Rams great love is the prostitute Nita, who was forced by her family at the age of twelve years to purchase, and whose virginity was once auctioned to the maximum cost.
At the end comes out that the lawyer Smita is the same girl, the Ram had saved years ago, namely Gudiya. It helps Ram with its defense to his money, which he can freely buy and marry Nita. Salim is with Ram as producers of a Bollywood movie star, and the corrupt quiz show operators go bankrupt due to the payment of Ram.
Reviews
- " Very Indian, very colorful, very spicy and quite noisy ... a virtuoso associated action ... a critical problem film from this book certainly does not. " Germany radio
- " For lovers of cross-border and cross-cultural social satire highly recommended. " German Wave
- " Extremely funny, but also deeply upsetting. A resounding yes to life. "- Wdr.de
- " A novel that ... waived admonishing forefinger and sultry exotic India, but is also trimmed so to read global capability that it ... requires the cultural idiosyncrasies of India any more. " Faz.net
Filming
British director Danny Boyle filmed the story under the title "Slumdog Millionaire". The film was a success with fans and critics and at the Oscar ceremony in 2009 won eight Academy Awards. The content of the book has been streamlined so that issues such as homosexuality, child abuse, Voodoo, Elternlosigkeit and nationalism in the film no longer be addressed. The quiz questions are partly different, and the names were largely changed. The unsuspecting young Salim in the book and only best friend was in the movie and criminal Rams older brother, while the role of Prem Kumar downsized and that was the Gudiya completely spared. In addition, Nita appeared in the film even in Rams childhood and even the plot is almost completely different than the book. Ram fleeing in the film, even voluntarily, as in the book, but is kicked out by Salim. Even otherwise, the film is much more critical than the book and represents the conditions even harder, making Germany the radio had not expected (see above review).