Immersion in the ‘Maximum City’? Interactivity, kinaesthetics and notions of embodiment in Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire (2008) has been criticized for its lack of authenticity, plausibility and realism. Another frequently appearing critique of numerous re/viewers revolved around the issue of ‘poorism’; the film’s alleged deployment of an orientalist Western gaze in depicting the dirty underbelly of a megacity in the developing world. Instead of asking whether Slumdog Millionaire‘represents’ Mumbai and its urban poor in a realistic or non-realistic (orientalist) way, this article tries to inquire whether and how the film engages its spectators into a visceral, sensual viewing experience. The article presents an analysis of the film’s deployment of participatory narrative strategies, kinaesthetic cinematography and notions of embodiment, in order to inquire the filmmaker’s overall ambition to immerse viewers into the experience of living in contemporary Mumbai.