Slumdog Millionaire bags 8 Oscars; India celebrates

It was the day of the Slumdog at the Oscars!

Out of the ten Oscars that it was nominated for, Slumdog Millionaire swept eight Oscars, which included two Oscars for music maestro A R Rahman, Best Director for Danny Boyle and Best Sound Mixing for India's Resul Pookutty.

The film opened its Oscar account by winning in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Simon Beaufoy.

After that, there was no looking back as the film went on a dream run to win awards in Film Editing for Chris Dickens, Best Cinematography for Anthony Dod Mantle and Sound Mixing for India's Resul Pookutty.

36-year-old Resul Pookutty created history by becoming the first Indian to bag the Oscar for Best Sound mixing. Pookutty shared the Oscar with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke for their collaborative work for the film

"This is unbelievable. I share this stage with two magicians...I dedicate this award to my country," Pookutty said while accepting the award.

The biggest success for India came with a double Oscar treat for Rahman for Best Original Music Score and Best Song (Jai Ho).

The composer was overwhelmed and interspersed his speech with Hindi as well as Tamil on receiving the coveted trophy here Sunday.

"There is a dialogue from an old Hindi film - "Mere paas ma hai" - which means I have nothing but a mother. My mother is here, I have her blessings. I am glad she could be here," said Rahman.

He ended the acceptance speech by saying "God is great" in Tamil, something he says after winning every award.

He shared the second Oscar for best original song for the film's theme number Jai Ho with noted Indian lyricist Gulzar.

"All my life I had a choice between hate and love. I chose love and I am here," said Rahman after receiving his second golden statuette.

British filmmaker Danny Boyle won the Best Director award. Boyle was visibly excited and overwhelmed as he said "I want to thank my dad, my sisters and my wife... one person we haven't thanked is the choreographer who directed the last song in the film - Longines. I want to thank him too," said Boyle after receiving the award.

The film also won an Oscar for Best Motion Picture. The announcement for Best Picture saw a jubilant cast and crew of the film, celebrating together on the stage.

'Slumdog Millionaire' closing in on Oscars glory

Final preparations for the Oscars are being made, with uplifting drama "Slumdog Millionaire" poised to romp home in the race for the coveted best picture prize.

The red carpet was being vacuumed and streets surrounding Hollywood's Kodak Theater were sealed off to the public with the 81st edition of the Academy Awards less than 24 hours away.

The build-up to this year's ceremony has been dominated by the Bollywood-inspired "Slumdog", which has dominated other awards shows and is considered the overwhelming favorite for the best picture statuette.

Although period drama "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" will start the night with the most nominations, 13, compared to 10 for "Slumdog," experts say that British director Danny Boyle's film is unbeatable.

"It would be the biggest upset in modern Oscars history to see 'Slumdog' lose," said Pete Hammond, a veteran awards season pundit and Maxim film critic.

"It hasn't stumbled once this awards season. It has had an unprecedented sweep. It's the equivalent of the perfect season in football or baseball."

Pundits say "Slumdog" has delighted audiences with its rags-to-riches plot about a Mumbai teaboy who rises out from poverty and enters a television quiz show to win millions and be reunited with the love of his life.

The against-the-odds triumph of the film's central character is mirrored by the movie's improbable march towards Oscars glory. Made for only 15 million dollars, the film features a cast of unknown actors and is partially subtitled.

The movie was also very nearly released straight to DVD in the United States last year, a move which would have ruled it out of Oscars contention.