Slumdog Millionaire Star's Slum Bulldozed
May 14 2009, Published 12:48 p.m. ET
One minute, you're a star -- then, your home is being demolished.
The ramshackle house inhabited by one of the child stars of Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire was bulldozed as part of a mass demolition effort by Mumbai city workers Thursday.
Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who played the youngest incarnation of Salim in the film, said he was rudely awoken by a police officer, who whacked him with a bamboo stick to alert him of the pending efforts.
"They didn't give prior notice," the boy's mother, Shameem, who did not own the property, told the AP. "We didn't even get a chance to take out our belongings... I don't know what I am going to do."
City officials told the AP the boy's family would be relocated to a new home. The process is common in India, where authorities routinely order procedures like this to prevent overcrowding.
Since starring in the $326 million blockbuster, two children from the film, Ismail and Rubina Ali, have gone back to the poverty of the Mumbai slums they were discovered in. They do, according to the film's producers, have "substantial" trust funds in their name for when they become adults. (Photo: WENN)
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
