Which is better?

“Which is better—the book or the film?” I was asked. Not having compared the two before, I replied on the spur of the moment….. “the film.” The question set the thinking wheels in motion though. What is there to compare between Q&A by Vikas Swarup and Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle? Both are different entities altogether. Yes, Jamal participates in a game show and wins pots of money but that’s just about one of the few things common between the book and the film.
It would be wrong to say that Danny Boyle’s film is based on Q&A. The film takes off on its own after borrowing the slumboy-wins-on-game show idea from the book. Here are some of the few (just a few) stark differences between the film and the book.
● To begin with, there is a proper logic in the book of how Jamal (Ram Mohammad Thomas in the book) becomes fluent in English and uses it to his advantage.
● Jamal and Salim aren’t brothers in the book. They are both orphans who meet in Delhi and become best friends
● They don’t remain together throughout their childhood. In fact, Jamal has most of the adventures (through which he is able to answer the questions on the show) alone.
● He doesn’t meet Latika (Nita in the book) till he is eighteen years old.
● Latika is a prostitute in the book. She doesn’t disappear from Jamal’s life even once (contrary to the film where she keeps vanishing now and then)
● Salim has no interest in Latika whatsoever. They don’t even meet.
● The cops arrest Jamal not because they are suspicious of him cheating on the show, but because the producers of the show don’t have the prize money to hand over to Jamal. So they ask the cops to pressure Jamal into admitting that he cheated.
● He doesn’t work in any call center.
● The anchor of the game show has a past association with Latika.
● It is because of this link that Jamal takes part in the show and not to win money or find love or Latika. It is to take revenge.
● Swarup admits that its dumb luck that helps Jamal win the game show, whereas the film takes the destiny route.

The list is endless…..I fail to understand why Q&A has been republished as Slumdog Millionaire because there is no answer to “which is better.”
Q&A is not Slumdog Millionaire. One is a cinematic treat the other a literary one….