Dev Patel, the 18-year-old star of Danny Boyle's eagerly anticipated romantic comedy Slumdog Millionaire has described the film as a "classic underdog story".

Patel, whose previous acting experience only includes the E4 series Skins, plays Jamal Malik, a boy from the slums of Mumbai who hopes to escape poverty and win his lost love by appearing on India's version of Who Wants to be A Millionaire, only to find himself accused of cheating.

The young actor, who has already notched up the most promising newcomer title in the British Independent Film Awards, says that it was a learning experience visiting the real slums of Mumbai for the film.

He told the Daily Mail: "You can't help but root for Jamal. It was so hard because I haven't witnessed half of what my character has seen. But I knew what I could bring to it.

"I knew that he remains innocent. He is not untainted by the harshness of the people around him, he is a battler."

Slumdog Millionaire is released today.