The Associated Press is reporting that Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, a 10-year-old star of Slumdog Millionaire, is now homeless after his family home was bulldozed earlier today in a government mandated "pre-monsoon sweep" of illegally built shanties in Mumbai, India’s Garib Nagar slum. Now Ismail, who played young Salim in the $326 million grossing Best Picture-winning film, and his family are preparing to spend the night on the muddy ground surrounded by the rubble of their former shack. Director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Coulson have promised to donate $30,000 to ultimately help the young stars find permanent housing.
May 14
2009
09:10 PM ET
'Slumdog Millionaire': Child star's shanty home bulldozed
- Comments 23
- Add comment
Latest News
- 'Idol': Join MJ Santilli's live chat now
- Nancy Pelosi's 'Stop Colbert' ad: Watch
- President Obama has a Spotify playlist
- 'Wet Hot American Summer 2'? Not yet
- 'Game of Thrones' season 2: New photos!
- 'Hatfields & McCoys': Exclusive clip!
- 'True Blood' alum to guest on 'Grimm'
- George Lucas talks 'Menace' 3-D
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
- 'Vampire Diaries': Exclusive pics!
- Bill O’Reilly defends Ellen DeGeneres in One Million Moms, J.C. Penney controversy
this is crazy. 326 million dollar film and this kid and his family are sleeping in the mud? literally? this goes to show the inequity that exists is the world and the lack of compassion that is the uphill battle we face as humans. are we really that lacking in compassion or are we just predetermined to only respond to the needs of those in our lives right in front of us?
somewhere mainstream religion got sidetracked
How freaking hideous is it that so many people got rich off this film and $30,000 is the best they can do for one of the kids responsible for filling their coffers? Obscene. There shouldn’t be one kid used in that film still living in a slum.
There’s nothing I can say but… 30,000 bucks promised and not given on a movie that so far has grossed 326 Million bucks…
I know I saw this movie, but I also know I WON’T watch the next Danny Boyle movie… UNLESS he (and the studio) does the right thing here…
I just want to cry. The injustice of it all…
I am totally floored, for thats the best the PEOPLE in the USA can do, in helping one another,,things like this confirms the simpliest thing, ,MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL,, people use others to benefit themselves, and in this situation, you’d think someone would step up..#0,000- compared $386,000,000.00= something just don’t add up…
This is simply disgusting to try to slide out from under due responsibility for the child star and those who are also affected. Danny Boyle needs to re-think the scale of his intervention to a far larger genuine donation that gets REAL about this.
Do it NOW.
I live and work in India and this bleeding heart stuff is total gullible nonsense. (the love of money is the root of evil). These kids were paid at least union rates, they travelled and saw the world. Their parents and relatives ate up the money they received. Why is there an ongoing obligation? Just because the risk taken by Boyle and team was an out of left-field success. This little boy and his “guardians” are playing the same tearful game as every child beggar on Indian streets plays. It’s more likely the demolition was arranged by a local politician or goonda with a split agreed with the father on any money they can extort from western guilt. Funny the media was there to witness it. Boyle did the right thing. Money in trust until the kids are old enough to waste it themselves – keep it away from the parents and family. The 200k extortion – the magic Indian Rs 1 Crore dream. The men behind the scam are too dumb even to extort for a sensible amount. We don’t do compassion in India.
I am truly appalled at the fact that this family is still living in a slum while the producers of this movie live lavish rich lifestyles. Talk about exploitation! This is a microcosm of the injustices faced by millions of poor while us rich westerners live the good life.
There is no excuse for that family living in slum. period. You can’t blame it on the father or the family. If they had been paid fair amounts commensurate with the success of the film they would be living in better conditions. For Christ sakes just put them up in a hotel man! How much could a Mumbai hotel cost? $10 a night? This is truly ridiculous.
This shows truly how cheap the rich in the west really can be.
Sad. Sad. Sad.
The movie’s makers have set up trust funds for the young actors that they will have access at age 18. They also receive money every month and attend a private English-language school. The filmmakers also donated $747,500 to a charity to help slum kids in Mumbai, The A.P. reported.
I watched a news magazine about the slums of Mumbai and apparently, there are many people who choose to live like that so they do not appear to be affluent. The show followed a young graduate student who was working a very good job and could easily afford to move his family out of the slums, where they lived forever, but they have not done so because the family WANTS to stay where they have always lived and this young man has to lie to his co-workers as to where he lives because of shame, but because of the ties that are put onto Indian families, this young man is not able to leave his parental home and hurt his mother and father. So, we in the west have to remember, not every culture holds our same “western” values.
It is a shame this young man has to sleep in the mud, but if they didn’t squander the money the child received in the first place, they would not be in this situation. Always remember that people.
Man, do I love hamburgers.
The govt itself should stand up to maintian the values of the small boy for putting up the flag of india in the film industry and encourage him to do more in the future.moreover i just don’t know how Boyle coule react emotional to see the boy he used to make such money sleep in the cold and later die of it.
It seems that most of the negative comment on this board are by people who don’t have all of their information straight. I have a lot of compassion for the kids but their families are behaving in a disgusting manner. Danny Boyle and Christain Coulson gave the family of the little boy money the last time his home was destroyed and they pretty much took the money and ran. They also offered to buy flats and let them live in them but the families wanted money up fron instead. The parents of the other children on the film have stated that they were paid fairly and treated well by Boyle but the two families of the slum children are taking them for a ride. Danny Boyle has asked the film studio to help but thus far they have done little. ALL of the money the children received and the trust set up in their name has received comes from Danny Boyle’s pocket. I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, he’s in a no win situation because ignorant people who don’t bother to get their facts right.
Being an Indian I’d like to share the real scenario. Danny Boyle is no way to blame for this situation. When the parents of these children received enough money to leave slums forever and settle for a better life they preffered to stay where they are. Apartments being offered to these children will be rented out to others by their parents so that its an income for them and they can still live in slums for free. Few months back father of another “Slumdog millionare” child actress Rubina, wanted to sell her for money. But later he changed his statement to “why will I want to sell a chicken which lays golden eggs”. All that these people need is MONEY and they are ready to do anything for that. Its a disgrace to call them as my countrymen.
First of all the $30K that is being talked about is a LOT of money in India. Something that the family would never make in 5 generations. I think Danny Boyle compensated them fairly and there is no ongoing obligation. If they can’t make a better life for themselves with that money then there is noone who can help them in this world! I think it’s all an attention seeking strategy to try and get more money from westerners who are not familiar with the culture and society in India.