Last tuesday our class saw Slumdog Millionaire, and it was such a gripping film!! It really displays the slum in Bombay, and I got quite moved by the story.
Afterwards we were assigned to write a short character analysis of a chosen role, and I picked Latika, who is Jamal's(the lead role) love interest throughout the whole film.
Here is what i wrote:


Latika

In the last English class, we saw the award winning drama Slumdog millionaire. The film is about the challenges Jamal faces trough life, growing up as an orphan in the slums of Bombay, India. Trough out the entire film he tries to find the love of his life, Latika, and the result of this is his appearance on “Who wants to be a millionaire”, so that he can get the attention of his lost love. Almost every choice he makes is based on the fact that he wants to find her again.
Latika is also an orphan in the slums of Bombay, and when some anti-Muslims attack their part of their quarter, she flees alongside Salim and Jamal. They are all taken inn by Maman, who turns out to exploit the fact that they are young, so that they can beg for money in the streets of Bombay. The boys manage to flee, but Latika is forced to train to become a professional prostitute. Jamal and Salim manage to save her, but after a while she sacrifices herself for Jamal’s sake, so that he can be free. Now they are about 14, and they don’t se each other for a long time. Latika is now the girlfriend of the fell known mafia-gangster Kazim, who most likely abuses her both mentally and physically. Jamal asks Latika to escape with him, but she is too afraid of what Kazim and what he might do. In the end she brings out enough courage to leave, but then Kazim’s men kidnap her. In the end she escapes Kazim, because Salim sacrifices himself so that Jamal and Latika can be together. To describe Latika, one could use expressions like afraid, yet courageous, hopeful for a better life, and she never stops loving Jamal despite all the obstacles she faces. She also is determined to make a better life for herself. I would describe Latika as flat character since she does not change throughout the film she sacrifices herself time after time for Jamal, and that does not change. Still it is quite difficult to make out her character, since the viewer does not get to see her that much, and the little we see is influenced by Jamal’s personal view.