Slumdog Millionaire questions

In the film, the theme of destiny is a central theme. What does it mean that all Jamal desires are just out of his reach? (The prized autograph, Latika, his brother, the answers, etc.)

I guess he had the bad luck to have to work much harder to get what he wanted than other people. I’ve seen people that get what they want when they want, it’s just the way it is, but Jamal was all the other way around, he did have to work for everything he got. Or maybe he just had to live past through that to become what he is now. It’s just matter of your criteria, if you believe in destiny or not.

Compare and contrast three pivotal choices or decisions made by Jamal and Salim. How do their choices affect their respective paths in life or “destinies”?

These boys went through a lot of things that may seem like little stuff but really changed their lives. For example, Jamal helping Latika when she was in the middle of the rain, who would've think that they would fall in love after. Also, when Jamal and Salim ran away from the bad guy to be finally free and when Salim made Jamal go away because he wanted to be with Latika, and Jamal had to survive by himself but later he found them. Everything happened for a reason, and every little thing that happened to Jamal helped him in some way to become a millionaire and be with Latika <3

Is ethical decision making possible when one must make choices based on survival? Do seemingly “bad”choices make a person bad?

When somebody’s life is at risk, I think everything is possible. “Survival of the strongest” is the real deal. I don’t agree with that, that a person is a bad one, if he takes a bad decision. We all make mistakes, or do something wrong, but it really depends on the situation. For example, in the movie that Salim kills the guy that made them ask for money when they were young. I think it was okay, because the guy would be still treating like that the other poor kids, so he may have done a very drastic thing, but it was all for the better.