At the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAS) ceremony, Slumdog Millionaire, an English movie based on the award-winning novel of Indian Diplomat Vikas Swarup, won the award in three different categories including best film, best director and best newcomer (for its British lead actor).

The story of the Danny Boyle’s movie featuring Anil Kapoor focuses on a Mumbai teen who amazes every one by doing well on ‘Kaun Banega Karorpati’, Indian edition of ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’ quiz show.

The former artistic director of the Royal Court theatre, Boyle, was talk of the night and is already on many pundits' Oscar prediction lists.

Previously, he has directed astounding movies such as Trainspotting showing Edinburgh heroin addicts and The Beach in which Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead role.

Harrow-born Dev Patel, the young lead actor of Slumdog Millionaire, who is best known to British viewers as ‘Anwar’ in E4’s Skins, won the promising newcomer award.

The movie tells the story of a Mumbai teenage boy. As he does well on the quiz show, flashbacks chronicle his life, the truths of which Danny Boyle does not flinch from screening.

Boyle’s film, a third of which is spoken in Hindi opens in the UK on January 9 but has already down well on the festival circuit and opened to fantastic reviews in the US.