Question 1

A tortured quiz show winner finds hope and a chance to prove his innocence through the fearless intervention of a young woman lawyer.

Accepted Answer

Imagine being in the shoes of Ram Mohammad Thomas, a man who finds himself in a terrifying situation after winning a quiz show. He's being subjected to brutal torture by Inspector Godbole, who is hell-bent on making him sign a false confession of cheating. Picture him hanging from a beam, his body wracked with pain, when suddenly, a beacon of hope arrives in the form of a young woman lawyer, Smita Shah.

Smita barges into the scene, demanding to see the legal documents for Thomas' arrest. She's not afraid to stand up to Godbole, even threatening to remove Thomas from the police station if the inspector doesn't comply. Feeling the pressure, Godbole leaves to consult with the police commissioner.

Fast forward a bit, and we find Thomas in Smita's house. He had passed out from the torture, and upon waking, he finds himself in a safe haven. Smita is determined to help him prove his innocence. She has a DVD of the quiz show and encourages Thomas to explain how he knew the answers to the questions. She believes in his innocence and wants him to trust her.

Thomas decides to take a leap of faith and confides in Smita. He tells her that he was simply "lucky" - the questions asked by the host were ones he knew the answers to. Smita, in turn, asks him to go through each question and explain how he knew the answers. She promises to listen with an open mind, ready to fight for justice.

Question 2

Ram was an orphan raised by a priest and learned about church.

Accepted Answer

Ram was discovered as an infant on a Christmas Day doorstep in Delhi. His first home was a church orphanage, where he spent two years before being adopted by Father Timothy, a compassionate priest. Father Timothy gave him a unique name, Ram Mohammad Thomas, a name that resonated with all religions. He taught Ram English and introduced him to the Christian faith. Ram spent his days playing with other children from the streets, feeling like he was part of a large family within the church. He admired Father Timothy's generosity towards others and was particularly fond of the Christmas traditions.

Ram cherished the bond he had with Father Timothy, so much so that he believed the priest was his biological father. However, the truth about his orphaned status came to light, and when Father Timothy passed away when Ram was just eight years old, he was devastated. His life took another turn as he was moved to a children's home.

Fast forward to the present day, where Ram's lawyer, Smita, is curious about how Ram knew the answer to the first question on a quiz show. The question was about the letters inscribed on a crucifix. When the quizzshow host, who promised him an easy start, asked him on the show what letters were on a crucifix, providing the options IRNI, INRI, RINI, or NIRI, Ram, having seen INRI countless times in church, correctly chose INRI without hesitation.

Question 3

In the face of betrayal and exploitation, two boys' escape from a sinister boys' home to freedom.

Accepted Answer

Ram's life takes a drastic turn after the death of Father Timothy. He finds himself in a dreadful boys' home in Delhi, where he forms a bond with a 7-year-old boy named Salim. Their lives seem to take a positive turn when a wealthy man, Sethji, offers them a chance to study and work at his school in Mumbai. However, upon reaching Mumbai, they discover Sethji's true colors. He is actually a gangster named Maman, who runs a sinister operation. His "school" is nothing more than a base where he maims street children, forcing them to beg for money on his behalf.

Upon hearing Maman's plan to blind them, Ram and Salim decide to escape. During their journey on the train, they show their compassion by giving their only money to a blind child singing devotional songs. This act is particularly poignant as they had just narrowly escaped the same fate.

Ram then shares a memory of a music teacher instructing Salim to sing songs in praise of Lord Krishna, composed by the renowned blind devotional singer, Surdas. This memory sticked, because it triggered the realization in Ram that he could have ended up as a blind singer himself. Later, when faced with a quiz question about which God Surdas sang to, Ram confidently answers Krishna.

Question 4

Ram's journey with a fallen starlet, Neelima, reveals a tragic tale of abuse and suicide.

Accepted Answer

Ram finds himself working as a servant for Neelima Kumari, a once-renowned actress, after escaping from Maman. He is introduced to her extensive film collection in her Juhu flat, where she confides in him that her most significant role is yet to come. Following the death of Neelima's mother, she invites Ram to move into her flat, although she occasionally sends him away for the night. Ram soon uncovers a dark secret - Neelima has a clandestine lover who is mistreating her, but she refuses to seek help from the police.

A shocking discovery is made one day when Neelima is found dead in her flat. Her body bears the marks of violence, but she is beautifully made up and is found watching one of her films. Fearing that he might be held responsible for her death, Ram decides to flee. The news later reports that Neelima had taken her own life.

As time passes, Ram discovers that Neelima had received the Best Actress award in 1985 for her performance in the film Mumtaz Mahal. This piece of information comes in handy when he is asked about the correct year of the award on a quiz show. Having seen the award in Neelima's flat after her death, he confidently answers 1985.

Question 5

Despite Balwant Singh's fabricated war stories, his tales inadvertently educate Ram, aiding his unexpected quiz show success.

Accepted Answer

In the midst of an India-Pakistan war, Ram and his neighbors find safety in a basement. Here, they meet an old soldier, Balwant Singh, who shares tales of his past. He speaks of his courageous friend Karnail, who lost his life. Singh also shares his own experience of showing mercy to an enemy soldier on the battlefield.

Singh then delves into his bravery during the 1971 Battle of Mandiala Bridge. He paints a picture of himself single-handedly fighting off Pakistani tanks and soldiers to reclaim the bridge.

However, the truth about Singh's past is revealed by a charity worker. It turns out that Singh had deserted his post during the 1971 war. While he was away, a bomb struck his home, killing his family. Overwhelmed by shame, Singh vanishes.

When Ram finds himself on the quiz show being asked about the highest military honor, he correctly identifies it as the Param Vir Chakra. The audience is taken aback, expecting him to falter. But Ram's knowledge comes from Singh's story about Karnail, who had received the lower Maha Vir Chakra. Despite Singh's lies about his own service, his stories had educated Ram about military honors.

Question 6

Ram's protective love for Gudiya drives him to extreme actions and unexpected intelligence.

Accepted Answer

When Ram first meets his new neighbor Shantaram, he seems like a friendly guy. However, it doesn't take long for Shantaram's true colors to show - he's abusive towards his wife and daughter, Gudiya. Things take a turn for the worse when Shantaram scalds Gudiya's face with boiling tea. Ram, who visits Gudiya in the hospital, is deeply affected when she calls him her brother. Feeling a strong urge to protect his newfound "sister," Ram takes a drastic step. He pushes Shantaram over an unsafe railing. Convinced he has killed Shantaram, Ram makes a hasty exit to Delhi, leaving behind his best friend Salim without a word of goodbye.

Before this incident, Ram had once heard Shantaram teaching Gudiya about the stars and planets. He even named her new cat Pluto, after the smallest planet in our solar system. When asked on the quiz show which planet is the smallest, Ram confidently answers Pluto, thanks to the knowledge he gained from eavesdropping on Gudiya's astronomy lesson.

Question 7

Colonel Taylor's secret surveillance of his servants backfires, making him a "persona non grata".

Accepted Answer

Ram, after leaving Mumbai, lands a job with an Australian family named the Taylors in Delhi. Unbeknownst to his staff, Colonel Taylor, the head of the family, has a habit of secretly monitoring his servants. Ram forms a close bond with the family's cook, Ramu, who is smitten with Maggie, the Taylors' daughter. However, when Ramu is found with stolen goods that were sneakily placed in Ram's bed, Colonel Taylor is the only one who knows of Ram's innocence, thanks to his secret surveillance.

As time goes on, Ram notices Colonel Taylor engaging in covert meetings with a government official, which raises his suspicions. Jai, another servant, manages to sneak into Colonel Taylor's private spy room, only to find it empty. Ram, however, uncovers the room's true purpose - it houses a collection of secret videotapes, some of which feature him.

The situation takes a turn when the Australian diplomat is declared persona non grata, a term meaning 'unwelcome person', and is ordered to leave India. This leads Ram to the realization that Colonel Taylor has been caught in his spying activities. Ram had previously come across this term when another diplomat was expelled, so when the same term pops up on the quiz show, he effortlessly provides the correct answer, demonstrating his intelligence. This is a testament to his keen observation and understanding of the events unfolding around him.

Question 8

Ram's selfless acts of kindness amidst tragedy and harshness ultimately serve as his saving grace.

Accepted Answer

In the city of Agra, Ram forms a bond with a seemingly disabled boy, Shankar. As their friendship unfolds, it's discovered that Shankar is the neglected and mistreated son of a wealthy woman, Swapna Devi. When Shankar contracts rabies, his heartless mother refuses to pay for the costly treatment. Tragically, Shankar succumbs to the illness, leading to a dramatic confrontation between Ram and Swapna at a party, where Ram presents her with the lifeless body of her son.

In the midst of these events, Ram finds himself falling for a girl named Nita. However, Nita is betrothed to a violent man. When she refuses to go through with the engagement, she is brutally beaten. In an attempt to help, Ram plans to steal from Swapna's safe to cover Nita's medical expenses. Unfortunately, the greed of Nita's father thwarts this plan.

Finding himself without money, Ram makes the decision to participate in the TV quiz show in hopes of winning some cash. During the show, he's asked a question about a character from Shakespeare. Remembering a teacher he had helped in the past, Ram calls him for assistance and receives the correct answer. Despite losing his money and love, Ram's past acts of kindness prove to be his saving grace on the show.

This tale highlights the stark contrast between Swapna's harshness and Ram's kindness. Most importantly, it illustrates how Ram's selfless deeds eventually come back to benefit him on the quiz show, reinforcing the theme of moral justice.

Question 9

Ram's shared past with Salim becomes a lifeline, highlighting the enduring power of their friendship.

Accepted Answer

In the bustling city of Mumbai, Ram finds his childhood friend Salim, who is now chasing his dreams of becoming an actor. Salim shares his journey with Ram, telling him about a man named Ahmed Khan who rescued him from the clutches of the wicked Maman and gave him a job. However, Salim soon found out that Ahmed was a hitman, receiving information about his targets in sealed envelopes. When Ahmed lost a bet predicting that the cricketer Sachin Malvankar would score his 37th test century, Salim saw an opportunity. He switched the next target envelope to set Ahmed on Maman's trail. Unfortunately, Ahmed's life was cut short by the police.

Fast forward to the quiz show, Ram is faced with a question about the number of test centuries scored by the cricketer Malvankar. Drawing from Salim's story, Ram remembers that Ahmed had bet on Malvankar scoring his 37th century, which did not happen. Since no cricket matches have taken place since then, Ram concludes that Malvankar must still be on his 36th century. Even though Ram and Salim are no longer in touch, their shared past comes to Ram's aid, providing him with the answer to the cricket question.

Question 10

A voodoo tale of sibling rivalry, guilt, and unexpected death also served as a quiz show victory.

Accepted Answer

Imagine being at a bar, where you meet a man named Prakash Rao. He begins to tell you a story about his life. He married Julie, an immigrant woman from Haiti who practiced voodoo. Julie created a voodoo doll that resembled Prakash's wealthy brother, Arvind. Prakash had always felt that Arvind treated him poorly, so he took pleasure in using the doll to secretly torment his brother. He would stab the doll's chest, and in response, Arvind would suffer a real heart attack. This continued until Arvind was committed to a mental hospital, leaving Prakash to take over the family business.

However, when Arvind eventually passed away, Prakash was consumed by guilt. In a fit of anger and remorse, he declared to Ram that he planned to kill Julie for her role in his brother's demise. But in a shocking twist of fate, Prakash suddenly clutched his chest in pain and died from what appeared to also be a heart attack.

Not long after this encounter, Ram found himself on the quiz show. One of the questions asked was about the capital of Papua New Guinea. Remembering his conversation with Prakash, Ram was able to eliminate the capitals of Haiti and Mauritius, which were mentioned in Prakash's story, from the given options. This left him with the correct answer: Port Moresby.

Question 11

Despite deceit and trials, Ram's unbroken virtue leads him to victory and a heartwarming reunion with his long-lost sister.

Accepted Answer

In the climactic moment of the quiz show, Ram uncovers the producers' deceit when they disguise a question as an advertisement. Later on, he confronts the host, Prem Kumar, exposing his knowledge of Prem's dark past - his abuse of actress Neelima. Despite his initial intention to kill Prem, Ram finds himself unable to commit the act.

Prem, in a desperate bid to control the situation, offers Ram the billion rupee prize if he would just select "C" as his answer. However, Ram opts to use a lifeline, narrowing his choices down to A or C. Prem subtly hints at C, but fate intervenes as Ram's coin flip lands on A. A stunned Prem is left with no option but to announce Ram as the winner.

The story takes an unexpected turn when Ram's lawyer, Smita, reveals her true identity as Gudiya, Ram's long-lost "sister". Ram had shielded Gudiya from her abusive father many years ago. Despite the numerous injustices he had endured, Ram held on to his moral compass, even going as far as sparing Prem's life. His virtue remained unbroken through all his trials, and whether by chance or destiny, Ram finally receives his reward. The narrative concludes with a heartwarming reunion between Ram and Gudiya, who is now prepared to champion Ram's cause for justice, just as he had done for her in the past.

Question 12

Ram's journey illustrates that destiny is shaped by inner virtue and conscious decisions, not mere chance or gimmicks.

Accepted Answer

Half a year after his victory on the quiz show, Ram's life takes a dramatic turn for the better, all thanks to his lawyer, Smita. The police decide to drop the robbery case against him, and Smita successfully proves Ram's innocence, ensuring he gets to keep most of his prize money. Meanwhile, the dishonest quiz show producers face bankruptcy.

In the meantime, Ram's friend Salim fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming a film star, with Ram financing his venture. Ram also ties the knot with his beloved Nita.

When Smita questions Ram about why he flipped a coin when they first met, he discloses that the "lucky" coin was actually rigged with heads on both sides. It was Ram who was in control of his destiny all along - the coin was merely a prop to "decide" whether to trust Smita, but it was Ram who made the conscious decision to confide in her.

Ram discards the coin, realizing he no longer needs such gimmicks. His life experiences have taught him that luck is a product of one's inner virtue, not mere chance. By sticking to his principles in the face of temptations and injustices, Ram was able to shape his own destiny.

The conclusion of this tale symbolizes Ram's evolution into a wise man who takes control of his own life. Through his unwavering moral compass, he was able to turn his once desperate circumstances around. Ram managed to rise above the darkness of violence and greed, stepping into the light of truth, love, and justice.

Question 13

Accepted Answer

"Slumdog Millionaire" by Vikas Swarup is a gripping tale of life, luck, and destiny. The protagonist, Ram Mohammad Thomas, is an orphan from the slums of Mumbai who becomes a contestant on a game show and wins a billion rupees. The story unfolds as Ram is accused of cheating and he recounts his life experiences that helped him answer each question correctly. The book is a vivid portrayal of the harsh realities of life in the slums, the corruption in Indian society, and the power of knowledge and experience.

10 Actions to Implement Learnings from the Book:

1. Embrace Diversity: Like Ram Mohammad Thomas, who has a name that represents three major religions of India, we should embrace diversity and respect all cultures and religions.

2. Value Life Experiences: Ram's life experiences helped him win the game show. We should value our experiences as they are a source of knowledge and wisdom.

3. Stand Against Injustice: Ram's life is filled with instances where he stood against injustice. We should also raise our voice against any form of injustice we witness.

4. Never Give Up: Despite the hardships, Ram never gave up. We should also cultivate resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

5. Be Honest: Ram was honest throughout the game show and in his life. Honesty is a virtue that we should uphold in all aspects of our lives.

6. Value Education: The book highlights the importance of education and knowledge. We should strive for continuous learning and personal growth.

7. Help Others: Ram often helped others in need. We should also extend our help to those in need whenever possible.

8. Be Observant: Ram's keen observation skills helped him answer the questions on the game show. We should also be observant and mindful of our surroundings.

9. Challenge Stereotypes: The book challenges many stereotypes about the poor and the uneducated. We should also challenge and question stereotypes in our society.

10. Believe in Yourself: Despite being from the slums and having no formal education, Ram believed in himself and his abilities. We should also have faith in our abilities and believe in ourselves.

Slumdog Millionaire - Book Summary (2024)