Slumdog people's favourite to win the Oscars

"Slumdog Millionaire" has been voted as the number one film people would most like to claim the Best Picture trophy at the 81 Academy awards this Sunday.

The story of a Mumbai slumdweller, who wins against all odds has already won many awards worldwide including seven Baftas and four Golden Globes and is the favourite to claim the top prize at this year's Academy awards.

A poll carried out for HMV's film and music social networking site getcloser.Com, revealed that "Slumdog Millionaire" would win the prize of Best Film and Best Director if the winners were decided by the public.

About 59 per cent of voters named the film as their favourite to win Best Picture, with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which stood at the second place with 22 per cent votes.

In the Best Director category also 59 per cent of the voters named British director Danny Boyle as their favourite to take the trophy.

If "Slumdog Millionaire" wins the Best Picture Oscar, it would be the first British film to do so since "Chariots of Fire" in 1981.

A report in The London News said, "the only shortlist to mirror BAFTA's should see the same outcome - with Slumdog snatching it.

"The Academy likes to reward big name directors after a run of films but with no other film feeling Oscar-worthy this year, Slumdog should win," it said.

As regards to the Best director, it said, "The director of four out of the last five Best Picture winners also bagged the Best Director Oscar and this time it will be Danny Boyle."

In the Best actor and Actress category, the voters picked Mickey Rourke and Kate Winslet for the top Academy honours while Taraji P Henson and the late Heath Ledger emerged as favourite for the Supporting awards.

"This poll suggests that 'Slumdog Millionaire' has a great chance of building on its Bafta success by also prevailing in the key best picture and directing Oscar categories - although it's likely to face a much stronger challenge from 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' this time around," said Matt Potter, content manager for getcloser.Com.

"The one thing I feel we can all say with a much greater degree of certainty, however, is that a posthumous Oscar will be awarded to Heath Ledger for his memorably manic portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight," Potter added.