Celebritista: Slumdog Child Actor Falls Ill at Home in Slums

Slumdog Child Actor Falls Ill at Home in Slums
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nyles on 04 March, 2009 12:03:00
 
A week after Slumdog Millionaire swept eight Oscars, the child actors have gone
home to Mumbai to a hero’s welcome and have since tried to settle back to a
life of poverty.
Two of the children, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, and Rubina Ali, 9, have
returned to each of their homes in the slums and to their English language
school, the tuition of which is paid for by the Oscar-winning movie. The two
played the younger versions of the movie's main characters, Latika and Salim in
the "rags-to-riches tale about a poor Indian boy competing for love and money on
a TV game show."
On Friday, Ismail was photographed being hit by his father after the boy refused
to talk to the media visiting him in their home. On Sunday, the child fell ill
with fever due to exhaustion. He vomited and developed a fever that registered
at 103 degrees. Despite being prescribed antibiotics by doctors, Ismail
condition failed to improve and has taken a turn for the worse.
The child’s mother, Shamim Ismail, claims that he has had trouble readjusting
to a life in the slums after living five luxurious days in Hollywood, where he
was able to sleep in sofa beds, had access to clean water, and enjoyed trips to
Disneyland. She says, "It has all become too much for him. He is very ill and
has not recovered from going to America and all the media interest since we got
back."
Meanwhile, Ali is also distressed to be home and is refusing to take off the
blue dress she wore to the Academy Awards ceremony. She reportedly said, "I
don't want to sleep on the floor anymore. I want a proper bed and live where the
air does not smell of poo. I have seen what it is like in America. Here, there
is garbage everywhere, people get angry, swear and shout. I have realized how
bad life is here. I just want to get out."
While the children are having great difficulty going back to their usual life,
Mumbai government aides have intervened and made public their intention to
provide proper housing for their newest stars.
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor says, "I think the government has really given them
a lot of respect, love and recognition. Two of them are getting new houses.
Everyone is getting a lot as far as education is concerned too. They'll be well
taken care of."