Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy. The film was produced by Christian Colson, with Loveleen Tandan credited as co-director. It was loosely based on the novel Q & A by Indian author Vikas Swarup. Starring Dev Patel in his film debut as Jamal, and filmed in India, it tells the story of an 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the slums of Mumbai.