With 10 Oscars nominations, the Golden Globe for best dramatic picture and millions at the box office, "Slumdog Millionaire" is both critically and commercially acclaimed in the western world.
But some residents in India, where the movie takes place, are protesting the film, calling it offensive.
"Slumdog Millionaire" is a story of a boy who grows up in a Mumbai slum who defies all odds by getting a shot to be the winner of an Indian version of the television game show "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" while he searches for his long-lost love.
Directed by Briton Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later), the film pulls no punches about the incredible poverty (and occasional violence) in Mumbai, yet is also a romantic fantasy in the Bollywood tradition.
Many Indians are embracing the film, which has put their country in the cultural spotlight around the world.
"Nobody ever thought the film would have the kind of success it has . . . everybody has embraced it," Dev Patel, the lead actor in the film, said.
But the title of the film, along with sharp images of Mumbai's underbelly, has hit a sensitive nerve with some Indians, especially those who live in the impoverished areas in Mumbai.
"I am poor, but don't call me slumdog," Rekha Dhamji, 18, said in a protest outside the home of one of the film's actors, Anil Kapoor.
She was one of about two dozen protestors.
"I don't want to be referred to as a dog," she said.
Nicholas Almeida, who organized the protest, says that he will be filing a lawsuit on Friday to get the name of the film changed.
The film's director, writer and stars were in Mumbai Wednesday to promote the film before it opened there.
"I felt I was writing a story about people with extraordinary sprit in overcoming life's terrible troubles," screenwriter Simon Beaufoy said.
"I think it's a beautiful title and I think this film will inspire a lot of kids in India," Kapoor said, who grew up in a Mumbai slum.
He said that the term "slumdog" shouldn't be considered offensive.
"Children from the slums are actually called much worse names," he added.
Despite the controversy, the film is creating quite the buzz in India as its Oscar nominations, which were heavily covered in the local media, came just in time for its Friday release.
With a report from CTV's South Asia Bureau Chief Paul Workman
