by Shannonn Kelly
06:47 AM, EST, February 23, 2009

A fairy tale for modern times from beginning to end is the story of Slumdog Millionaire.

Slumdog Millionaire is a story of hope and triumph, rooted in the poverty that is widespread in India. A story that has now reached a worldwide conciousness mainly due to bad banking practices the world over.

Slumdog Millionaire Director, Danny Boyle Kisses His Golden Boy!

British director Danny Boyle shepherded the Slumdog Millionaire exteneded family down the red carpet.

The nine cast members, who played the three main characters in the rags-to-riches fairy tale were all on hand for the Oscars ceremony.

The two youngest cast members, who still live in Mumbai’s Dharavi slums, were making their first trip outside India. 10 year-old Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who plays Salim, elder brother of the film’s hero,  Jamal and 9 year-old Rubina Ali, who plays the young Latika.  The adorable 8 year-old, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, who played young Jamal was also on hand but lives in a middle-class area of Mumbai.

From A.R. Rahman winning two Oscars for Best Original Song and best original score for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, to Best Sound Mixing Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty, who said during his acceptance speech, This is just not a sound award, but a history being handed over.”, to Best Editing by Chris Dickens, to  Best Cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire, to Best Adapted Screenplay winner Simon Beaufoy, who said, “The cast and crew of the film told me so much about India and writing,” to Best Direction for Danny Boyle to the big prize of the night – Best Picture.

Screenplay winner, Beaufoy also went on to say,  “this money thing, it’s been shown to be a real false idol.”

“It’s come out at a time when the value of money, which has been raised to this extraordinary height, is suddenly being shown to be a kind of very shallow thing,” “The financial markets are crashing around the world, and a film comes out which is ostensibly about being a millionaire. Actually, what it’s about, it’s a film that says there’s more important things than money: love, faith and family. And that struck a chord with people.”

Producer Christian Colson of Slumdog Millionaire said, “It has been a collaboration between hundreds of people. All of us are here to share this moment. This was an extraordinary journey.”

Much like the cast and story it portrays, Slumdog Millionaire itself was an orphan, Shot for a modets $15 million, Slumdog was dropped at one point by Warner Independent Pictures, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. Known for films such as The Full Monty, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, and Juno, Fox Searchlight Pictures ‘adopted’ Slumdog and released it in November. since that time, Slumdog Millionaire went on to win raves from critics and audiences, and has now made $100 million in domestic box office sales to date.

Eight wins out of ten nominations is a pretty good haul for the night and definately shows the world who the Top Oscar-Dog is today.

Today however, could be the first time that some residents of Mumbai’s sprawling Dharavi slum forgot Monday morning’s grind and watched television to hear what news would emerge from the Oscar ceremony in last night….

To read more coverage about the 81st Annual Academy Awards, please click on the New York Times article here.