Danny Boyle is the man responsible for this year’s “little film that could,” "Slumdog Millionaire", which skyrocketed to fame as it raked in award after award for best film of the year.

The film, set in modern-day Mumbai, follows the life of an orphan named Jamal, who finds himself on a game show.

The film won eight Oscars this year, including Best Film and Best Director for Boyle, and has sparked a growth in a number of charities set up to aid slum-dwelling children in India.

Boyle was born in Lancashire to Irish parents. His mother hailed from Co. Galway, and his father was born in England to an Irish family.

He began his work in television on such shows as "Inspector Morse" and "Mr. Wroe’s Virgins".

Some of his films have become cult classics, notably "Trainspotting", which brought Irvine Welsh’s novel about Scottish heroin addicts to life.

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