Slumdog? Two (billion) much!

Will Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire strike gold at the Oscars? A whopping Rs 2 billion ($41 million) is said to be riding on that question, as bookies pitch for the rags-to-riches drama, setting off a new betting trend here. The Oscar awards ceremony is on February 22,

 and the film set in Mumbai has 10 nominations. This includes three entries for AR Rahman’s background score, and two songs – all clear favourites with the bookies.
“This is yet another new trend picking up in Indian betting circles, apart from betting on cricket. This will probably be the first time when both bookies and punters are placing bets on the Oscars,” a Mumbai-based bookie said, on condition of anonymity. “Many of the punters who used to bet on cricket largely are now discussing Slumdog Millionaire’s chances of winning. But the number of punters and bookies is still low, as people are not aware of where to bet and how to bet,” said the bookie.

Rahman has been nominated for Best Original Score and his songs Jai Ho and O Saaya are also up for the Best Original Song for a motion picture. “Punters are crazy about Rahman. The reason behind placing bets on Rahman could be his high status in Bollywood. The Indian connection to the movie also makes it a favourite among the punters,” said a punter.

source: indiatimes.com