Slumdog Millionaire | Slumdog kids finally get homes of their own

The two child stars of Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire finally have a reason to smile as Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan Friday announced Azharuddin Ismail Shaikh and Rubina Ali will get permanent homes.

According to an official statement from the chief minister’s secretariat, the homes will be allotted from the chief minister’s discretionary quota.

The celebrity kids will be allowed to select their flats in the Malvani area of Malad suburb in northwest Mumbai. The move comes when the children’s schools are due to open after the summer vacation and the monsoon is about to set in.

The cost of the flats, each estimated at around Rs.400,000, shall be borne by the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), as per the statement.

Soon after the film bagged Oscars in several categories earlier this year, MRCC chief Kripa Shankar Singh had first requested Chavan to allot flats to the two children, who live in Garib Nawaz Nagar slums of Bandra East.

In the past few weeks, the children and their families were thrown onto the streets after the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) demolished their shanties, terming them unauthorised.

Following the demolition, a shocked Danny Boyle, the director of the movie, and its producer Christian Colson rushed to Mumbai this week to look into the situation and make arrangements for permanent homes for the two children.

While Azharuddin played the role of the elder brother of the movie’s central character, Jamal, Rubina played Latika, the female lead in the superhit film which raked in eight Oscars.

After the movie’s success, the two children have earned celebrity status and regularly feature in various television shows, advertisements and events.

- IANS

Top Ten Songs of the Week 19-5-2009

1.Genda Phool – Delhi- 6

2.Ringa Ringa – Slumdog Millionaire

3.Pardesi – Dev D

4.Tere Bina Lagta Na… – Kal Kisne Dekha

5.Khudaya Khair- Billu barber

6.Tujh mein rab dikh… – Rab Ne bana di jodi

7.Aye Bachchu – Ghajini

8.Soniyo – Raaz The Mystery …

9.Khabar Nahi – Dostana

10.Fashion Ka Jalwa – Fashion

The top ten songs of this week are

1. Genda Phool – Delhi- 6

2. Ringa Ringa – Slumdog Millionaire

3. Pardesi – Dev D

4. Khudaya Khair – Billu barber

5. Tujh mein rab dikhta hai – Rab Ne bana di jodi

6. Desi Girl – Dostana

7. Nazaaraa hai – 8X10 Tasveer

8. Soniyo – Raaz The Mystery Continues

9. Guzarish – Ghajini

10. Tainu leke – Jai Veeru

Oscar winning Indian music director A R Rahman of Slumdog Millionaire fame, his Sri Lankan co-performer MIA of the hit ‘O Saya’ song A R Rahman (L) and Nandan Nilekani and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani have made it to the Time 100 list of the World’s Most Influential People.

The new list to be published in the May 11 annual Time 100 issue is the pick of the magazine’s editors and may not be confused with the popular choice in TIME.com’s online poll.

1.Genda Phool – Delhi- 6

2.O saaya – Slumdog Millionaire

3.Emosanal Attayachar – Dev D

4.Tujh mein rab dikh… – Rab Ne bana di jodi

5.Gazab – Aa Dekhen zara

6.Khudaya Khair – Billu barber

7.Soniyo – Raaz The Mystery

8.Guzarish – Ghajini

9.Desi Girl – Dostana

10.Nazaaraa hai – 8 X 10 Tasveer