Child stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" head to Hollywood for the Oscars

[Honey]

The young stars of Slumdog Millionaire will attend the Oscars on Sunday after all, the film's producers have confirmed.
The news comes after the Daily Mail revealed how two of the child actors are still living in poverty in Mumbai's slums.
The parents of Rubina Ali, nine, and ten-year-old Azharuddin Ismail, who play Latika and Salim, two of the surprise hit British film's main characters in the early stages of their lives, initially claimed the children were underpaid and exploited by film-makers.



Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, who played the young Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire, at Mumbai Airport on his way to Los Angeles for the Oscars on Sunday

They are said to have rejected an initial invitation to fly out to the awards in Los Angeles to see their film compete in ten categories, asking for money instead.
However, after last-minute talks they agreed to let the pair travel if relatives were allowed to accompany them. It is the first time that any of the family has ever left India or been on a plane, and they will be put up in a five-star hotel for two days.
Rubina spoke of her excitement, saying: 'Not in my dreams did I ever think that I will go to the Oscars. My friends are saying, 'Your fate is so good'.


Rubina Ali, who plays Latika, leaves her home in India with her father and is also heading for Hollywood

'I’m going to go and take a lot of pictures and show them to people over here.'
She and Azharuddin will now join seven other child stars from the hit film - about a boy from the slums who wins India's version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - who are also being flown out for the occasion, including Ayush Khedekar, who plays the main character Jamal in his early years.
Director Danny Boyle, who cast real slum children to help them out of poverty, insisted that he paid the children well and funded the whole of their education, with a 'substantial' sum set aside for them when they turned 18.
Earlier this month Azharuddin and Rubina were denied permission to attend the awards by their parents after a clash over money.
Both are still living in squalor in Mumbai.

Enlarge
Salim, played by Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, and Rubina who plays the younger Latika, also played by Freida Pinto


Jamal, Latika and Salim in a scene from the hit film
Azharuddin’s home, in the Behrampada shanty area, where rats crawl around in daylight and sewage runs untreated, is made of blankets and tarpaulins.
His mother, Shameem, who will travel with him, is blind in one eye and his father Mohammed brings in 1,500 to 3,000 rupees (£20-£40) a month selling scrap wood. But he has tuberculosis and often cannot walk.
All the children received the same amount for 30 days of filming - the equivalent of a monthly salary payment for the production company’s senior staff in Britain - but it has already gone.

The Slumdogs are coming: Child stars of hit film head to Hollywood for the Oscars | Mail Online

[IviilBrown]

Aww that's great that they get to go to LA. An I do hope Danny's telling the truth about the money.

[rollo]

It is exciting for them to go to LA although it helps promote the movie as well. It seems their families need the money now, not when they are 18 though.

[Aella]

I don't say that kind of thing often, but those kids are adorable.

[celeb_2006]

It's nice, but it's one of those things were they will be flown out for the movie, the audience will give a standing 'O' as they are introduced, and hollywood will pat itself on its collective back for being such great humanitarians for giving attention to their plight.

And then afterwards the few kids will go back to their normal routine of poverty and hopelessness, and hollywood will forget them just as easily as the next 'cause.' Rings hollow to me, yea I know I'm the resident cynic here.

[misskris]

It's tough because on one hand, if they were paid now, their families could easily misuse the money in the same way that young celebs stars have been exploited in North America. On the other hand, they are living in squalor and should be paid something now for the work that they did.

[tipofthehat]

Good, they're both gorgeous and cheeky and deserve something nice. It's like, not everybody's going to be "saved" by Slumdog but if you can just make a difference to some lives it's going to be all the better.

Hope the kids have a blast.