Slumdog Millionaire Is Being Developed Into a Musical Featuring 'Jai Ho' and the Music of A.R. Rahman

Broadway producer Ken Davenport has secured the rights to the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and has announced plans to develop the property into a stage musical. The show will feature songs from the film including “Jai Ho” and new songs by multi-award-winning Indian musician A.R. Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work on the 2008 film (Best Original Score and Best Original Song, which he shared with lyricist Gulzar).

"I’m incredibly excited to begin work on Slumdog Millionaire: The Musical," said Rahman in a statement. "This reimagined version will take you on an electrifying journey with new songs and a few unexpected twists. We can’t wait for you to experience it with us!"

Davenport commented, “My father, Kenny Dipchand Hasija, never talked much about growing up in India, until I took him to see Slumdog Millionaire. Immediately after the credits rolled, the stories, the love and the pride of where he was from poured out of him. It was one of the closest moments we ever had. Right then and there, I vowed to one day find a way to bring our Indian culture to the stage, as a way to honor him, and people of Indian descent all over the world. I just never imagined that I'd be able to do that with that very film, and with A.R. Rahman himself! I'm so grateful that this beloved story has been entrusted to me, with a special thank you to Paul Smith at Celador.”

Slumdog Millionaire, which starred Dev Patel in his film debut, is a modern-day fairytale following two brothers as they struggle to survive on the streets of Mumbai. As one brother is seduced into a life of crime, the other defies all odds and embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that captures the heart of a nation. The film was released in 2008, and the following year, won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film is inspired by the award-winning Indian novel Q&A written by Vikas Swarup, with a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and directed by Danny Boyle. The film was produced by Celador Films in association with Film 4.

Slumdog Millionaire's hit soundtrack spwaned the English-language single “Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny),” sung by Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger, star of Broadway's Sunset Boulevard. The song was a Top 20 Billboard hit in the U.S. and a Top 10 hit in over 20 countries.