Originally entitled Q&A, Vikas Swarup's Slumdog Millionaire unfolds the story of Ram Thomas, an uneducated orphan from the slums of Mumbai, India. The story opens with authorities, unconvinced that a slumdog could answer all twelve questions correctly on India's biggest game show, Who Will Win a Billion?, holding Ram on suspicions of cheating. Enter Smita Shah, a lawyer bent on rescuing Ram. With Smita as his listener, Ram reveals how his life experiences...

Jamal Malik is an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" When the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating. Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up. He describes their adventures together...