Slumdog Millionaire shocked the film world today by receiving 11 nominations for Bafta awards, it was announced today.

It is competing against other films in these categories: Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Music, Production Design and Sound. Danny Boyle is nominated for Director, Dev Patel for Best Leading Actor and Freida Pinto receives a nomination as Best Supporting Actress.

A vigorous debate has also blown up in India over whether it is being favoured because it has a white director.

British actor Dev Patel today said: “To be nominated alongside Brad Pitt, Mickey Rourke, Frank Langella and Sean Penn is unbelievably exciting and such a huge honour. I am so excited that Slumdog Millionaire has received 11 nominations and just thrilled to be a part of this film’s amazing journey.”

Indian actress Frieda Pinto said: “The British sure have a unique and beautiful way of showing us their love and appreciation. I am obviously more than thrilled to receive a nomination myself -albeit feeling a little unworthy to be put in the same category as Amy Adams, Penelope Cruz, Tilda Swinton and Marisa Tomei – actors who have inspired me to become an actor myself.”

The film is currently at the top of the UK Box Office, having taken £2.9 million in its first six days of release.

The film has also come under some criticism and praise from Bollywood stars. Amitabh Bachchan this week openly criticised Slumdog Millionaire, questioning if an Indian director would get similar global recognition.

Writing on his personal blog, he said: “If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not.”

He added: “The commercial escapist world of Indian Cinema had vociferously battled for years , on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray at all the prestigious Film Festivals of the West, and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass oriented box office block busters that were being churned out from Mumbai. The argument. Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes and Berlin and Venice.”

His complaint that global cinema was ignoring traditional Bollywood, and Slumdog Millionaire was part of that trend, was rejected by Bollywood actor Anupam Kher.

He told a journalist that this was “the golden period of Indian cinema”, adding that: “Most of our films, they may be not English-language films, but they are movies that are being made now which are of international standard and they are doing wonderful business and also getting critical acclaim.”

Asked whether, on the heels of “Slumdog”, a fully-Indian film could win plaudits and achieve financial success worldwide, Kher told an AFP journlist: “Of course it’s going to happen.”

Though Slumdog Millionaire had brought “a certain stature and dignity to Indian cinema”, he said, “after all, it is a (British director) Danny Boyle film.”

“It happens to have Indian actors, which is an achievement, but it will be interesting to have an Indian director making an Indian film and then getting international acclaim and being a big box office hit.”