Real-Life ‘Slumdog Millionaire’: Man Wins Indian Game Show’s Top Prize

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Sushil Kumar, left, with Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, shows off his $1 million check in Mumbai, India. Kumar, a government clerk from a desolate region of eastern India, has become the first person ever to win $1 million on the popular Indian version of "Who wants to be a Millionaire."

A young man from one of India’s poorest regions won $1 million on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Hmm, where have we heard this one before?

No you haven’t woken up in the year 2008 on the set of a Danny Boyle movie, though Sushil Kumar, from the eastern Indian state of Bihar, is pretty much living the plot of Slumdog Millionaire. The 27-year-old newlywed is the first person to win the top prize on India’s version of the game show and just like Dev Patel’s character in the Oscar-winning movie, Kumar is from an extremely poor area. According to the Guardian, he was making $120 a month as a computer operator for the government and tutored on the side to supplement his income.

(VIDEO: The Real Slum of Slumdog)

In spite of his humble surroundings, he got all of the quiz show’s questions right, a feat his brother attributes to Kumar’s penchant for BBC programs.

Kumar is reportedly planning on spending the cash to pay off debt and buy a new home for his family. But NewsFeed is holding out hope that just a bit of the money will go to some top notch “Jai Ho”-inspired dance lessons.

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