Ten-year-old Slumdog Millionaire star Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail was physically disciplined by his father in full view of a crowd in Mumbai, drawing an outcry from onlookers, Popeater.com reports. The actor, who played the youngest Salim in the Oscar-winning film, was reportedly slapped and kicked by his father after refusing to talk to local press.
Feb 27
2009
09:22 PM ET
Treatment of 'Slumdog Millionaire' child actor draws criticism
- Comments 24
- Add comment
Latest News
- 'Vampire Diaries': Inside EW's photo shoot
- 'Idol': Fox assures fans Symone Black OK
- 'Idol': Symone Black falls off stage: Clip
- 'House' will end after this season
- 'Reservoir Dogs' live read: Who's in?
- Colin Farrell in 'Seven Psychopaths': Pics
- 'Bourne' trailer intros Jeremy Renner
- Joss Whedon talks 'Buffy' comic shock
Most Commented
Top 5 Most Read
- Fox’s ‘House’ will end this season
- This Week’s Cover: ‘The Vampire Diaries’ stars talk about the red-hot Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle
- Watch ‘American Idol’ contestant Symone Black fall off the stage — VIDEO
- Bill O’Reilly defends Ellen DeGeneres in One Million Moms, J.C. Penney controversy
- 'Vampire Diaries': Exclusive pics!
I hope his father rots in h*** for treating any kid like that.
Maybe I need to slap and kick his father in front of a crowd for being an idiot.
Like most westerners, I abhore slapping and kicking a child. While it is a long lost part of our culture in most sectors of our society, it is NOT in other cultures and their ways should also be respected.
Shame of him. Since the movie have made millions who will take care of the childrens money, will it be placed in a trust or will the parents take it and use it?
The photos of this incident and the kid’s current living conditions are shocking. It’s disturbing to think that an adorable child who happens to be one of the main reasons “Slumdog” is so successful has been dumped back into squalid misery. Either the Indian government or the movie studio that got rich off of young Azharuddin needs to help pave a better life for him instead of simply “talking” about it.
I have been to India and have to say it is unfair for the western world to take any stance on this- this form of discipline is common there and his father therefore cannot be blamed for raising his child the way he was raised…
Well it seems that daddy likes the money his son brings home and is frustrated when he does not try to get more attention from the press, it’s just shameful. A kid remains a kids,what can you say to the press when you are only ten.May be daddy wanted him to invite the press over for hide and seek!!! shame
like OTIS and ERIN said, do not take stance on this, because… nothing has changed. His father is still an uneducated slum dweller. They are always in misery and they breed their children with these tough steps to make them strong. Not that his actions were appropriate but we can’t change anything in there lives with 2600 Dollars, can we??
The producers are getting them homes. Why don’t you guys read all the articles about what’s been happening with the kids since September. One round of money given to a builder for a home has disappeared already. It’s very difficult to move quickly when the parents’ consent is required on every issue. But really, the Fox team in Bombay just needs to put them up in a modest hotel for a few days till their homes are finalised. At least they would have 4 walls to protect them from the media and any other undesirable elements.
It is strange how one kid, just because he was lucky enough to get picked for a major part in a movie that made it big, caught so much attention from the entire world… while other kids, who don’t play parts in movies, but in the real life get worse treatments, not just from their fathers and relatives, but also from total strangers who humuliate them, use them, abuse them, kill their innocence, and ultimately kill them! Children all over te African continent turn into soldiers and warriors. Girls turn into prostitutes. They get AIDS because elder holders of the virus who can’t have sex with an adult rape them. Who is speaking about them? In which forums do we find arguments over what should be done to save them. Seriously, a kid getting spanked by his father in public is the last thing that moves me… knowing that kids in Palestine get rockets on their heads and bullets in their hearts by soldiers who do not hesitate to tear their little bodies to pieces!!!
People – let’s not get caught up in the media’s description of the father “slapping and kicking” his son. Nobody knows what really happened. I assume he yelled, and maybe even smacked him on the head to get his head right, but kicking? who knows. but seriously, who KICKS their son?!
Anyways, Karim, I couldn’t agree with you more. I think the public reaction and aftermath of this movie took an expected route – viewing India once again as a poverty driven country. I feel the average movie go-er who watched this movie probably liked it, came back home, read more about SD and hopes the kids get a better treatment. Maybe even write some comments on a msg board like this. But where are my above average people at who want to stand up to global poverty and change the face of this planet? When will an average American, even in the “toughest” times, be content with their materialistic possesions and think about what they can do to change the world? Danny Boyle failed to deliver his message.
India is a land of misery people who contradict me unfortunately no longer live in India…TO MANY PEOPLE..its like when you visit a ball game and there is a crowd of 100k around you and you know that after the game they will go away except in the case of India the ball game never ends, If you visit India you will will find lots of dust, lots of diesel smoke,lots of bikes, people dressed badly, definatly a lot of thrash everywhere and people staring at you and about 10 million people coming up to you either to beg or to scam you, did i mention india has the worse weather prob in the world. only about 10% of India is really great “wonder why”..cause those are the places where you will find the least amount of Indians. BTW i am born in India but unfortunately don’t consider myself one. And yes it is true people from India really do stink except specially the darker ones
It looks like Mr JAYKAY is himself a rotten product of India and discarded from the basket of rotten apples otherwise he would not be stinking so badly.
INDIA is great. LONG LIVE INDIA !!
i so agree with karim……
I have friends who LIVE in India. And none of us agrees that this child deserved to be slapped around for his unwillingness to be a sideshow attraction after a 20 hour flight. While other children around the world are suffering horrific lives at the hands of adults, the fact remains that this little guy helped bring in millions for the film studio. A studio whose director and producer promised to remove Azharuddin from the slums. Yet, photos show that he remains in squalor, despite the film’s $100 million box office. There’s something really wrong with that.