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'Slumdog Millionaire' Kids Reunite, Five Years Later: How They're Doing
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/slumdog-millionaire-kids-reunite-five-683120 "More than a dream, it was fantasy come true," recalls Tanay Chheda, 17 -- a child star of Slumdog Millionaire and now a student at Connecticut's Choate prep school -- of the film's eight statuettes won at the 2009 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Danny Boyle.
The film, a kinetic tale of reaching for game-show riches amid the Mumbai slums, cast six young actors to play Jamal (Dev Patel), Jamal's brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and love interest Latika (Freida Pinto) at different ages. Says Boyle of Fox Searchlight's efforts to fly them all to the Oscars: "Some of the kids don't know their birth dates, so getting them a passport was a nightmare."
Upon landing, the kids were whisked via armored car to Brooks Brothers for fittings; hours later, they were on the red carpet, fielding cheek pinches from the likes of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (For Chheda, it was Miley Cyrus who made the biggest impression: "I was a crazy Miley fan," he laughs.) But controversy accompanied the film's triumph as the two poorest children, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali, returned home amid reports of abuse, bulldozed shanties and infighting among opportunistic family members. (One tabloid said Ali's father tried to "sell" her for $400,000; he denied it.)
"We were aware we would have to make provisions for the children," says Boyle, who admits the backlash caught him off guard. Boyle designated Ismail and Ali, both now 15, as beneficiaries of a trust with an emphasis on completing school. Ismail is clear that the trust is making a difference: "I used to live in a slum. Now I live in a nice apartment and go to a good school." While the director concedes there are concerns ranging from the kids' attendance to what will happen to the money they'll receive for finishing their education, he is proud that, for now, they're "benefiting hugely."
The film, a kinetic tale of reaching for game-show riches amid the Mumbai slums, cast six young actors to play Jamal (Dev Patel), Jamal's brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and love interest Latika (Freida Pinto) at different ages. Says Boyle of Fox Searchlight's efforts to fly them all to the Oscars: "Some of the kids don't know their birth dates, so getting them a passport was a nightmare."
Upon landing, the kids were whisked via armored car to Brooks Brothers for fittings; hours later, they were on the red carpet, fielding cheek pinches from the likes of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (For Chheda, it was Miley Cyrus who made the biggest impression: "I was a crazy Miley fan," he laughs.) But controversy accompanied the film's triumph as the two poorest children, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali, returned home amid reports of abuse, bulldozed shanties and infighting among opportunistic family members. (One tabloid said Ali's father tried to "sell" her for $400,000; he denied it.)
"We were aware we would have to make provisions for the children," says Boyle, who admits the backlash caught him off guard. Boyle designated Ismail and Ali, both now 15, as beneficiaries of a trust with an emphasis on completing school. Ismail is clear that the trust is making a difference: "I used to live in a slum. Now I live in a nice apartment and go to a good school." While the director concedes there are concerns ranging from the kids' attendance to what will happen to the money they'll receive for finishing their education, he is proud that, for now, they're "benefiting hugely."
Long story short: they're all in college now, having lived in the streets of Mumbai six years ago.