Danny Boyle has the optimistic energy of a freshman, unaffected by the chaos surrounding him. On a Tuesday night, he screened his new movie, “Slumdog Millionaire,” to a rabid crowd, only to affably and enthusiastically answer every question following. The next morning he had to film a local news promo, do a telephone interview and have an in-person talk with three Michigan press members. I had the good fortune to be one of them.

In a sit-down last month in Birmingham, Mich., Boyle — the visionary behind “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later...” — opened up about his work. He discussed his love for India, the way he makes films and how he achieved his personal best with “Slumdog Millionaire.”

The film tells the story of Jamal Malik (newcomer Dev Patel), and his upbringing in the slums of Mumbai. Jamal grows up longing for his long lost sweetheart and also gets a shot at India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” A story of love, fate and game shows, Boyle may have found his first mainstream hit. A simple and modern kind of fairy tale, it marks a surprising foray into optimism.

But before we can talk about his new work and his angst-ridden legacy, a perky Boyle asks in his Manchester accent: “You get a drink? Anything to drink? You all all right?”

This is an interview that doesn’t feel like an interview. Shutting off a heating system and downing a coffee, he’s game for conversation — not just rehearsed responses.

Boyle has reason to be chipper. He’s having the time of his life right now. After a career of being essentially a stark Vincente Minnelli, he can finally add "awards bait" to his list of accomplishments. “Slumdog Millionaire” is already being pegged as a potential Best Picture nominee. Boyle credits screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (“The Full Monty”) for piquing his interest.

“I didn’t read the novel (“Q & A” by Vikas Swarup), I read the screenplay,” Boyle said. “I loved the fact that the spine of the screenplay was a love story, which doesn’t exist in the novel. I would have never have done the novel, had I read the novel first.”

Never mincing words, Boyle is incredibly excited about this project. It’s a wild film and fits his oeuvre, complete with all the necessary darker amenities. It just happens to be a Dickensian saga that other people might love, too.

Despite the hype, Boyle has always been a modest, hard-working, independent filmmaker. He doesn’t want to make huge movies, and he admired the Indian work ethic on his film.

“I made a big film, ‘The Beach,’ and I didn’t really enjoy it, and it helped me on this film,” Boyle said. “We took an army of people ... and you are like an invading army ... and I knew this was the wrong way to make this film (“Slumdog”), so, I took 10 people, and the rest a Bollywood crew, and that’s the way to make these kinds of films.”

With last week's attacks on Mumbai still fresh, it might be difficult to distinguish the city from the news, but it’s a living, breathing epicenter. Boyle admired the atmosphere in Mumbai, which didn’t hurt his creative gaze with “Slumdog.” A noted stylist for his work, Boyle got the chance to be both a tourist and a local. The people and places were key to his direction, and in person, his excitement’s contagious.

“Their energy, the places are extraordinary,” Boyle said. “You know, they’re not like what you think ... they’re incredibly, yes, they’re dirty because there’s not sewers and not enough running water and their electricity’s stolen, but they’re incredibly industrious places with very dignified people trying to lead their lives the best they can.”

This admiring gaze guided the shoot.

“The effect of the city on you is phenomenal ... it’s like New York in the '80s, when I first went there. It’s a city that just slaps you in the face and says you’ll never be the same again,” Boyle said. “You never feel you’ve done enough ... and I remember feeling like that about ‘Trainspotting,’ ...