Slumdog Child Star's Home Is Bulldozed

A child star of the Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire has had his family home bulldozed by Indian authorities.

Three months ago he was the toast of Tinseltown. Azharrudin Ismail and his fellow child actors were wowing Hollywood and charming the crowds at the Oscars in Los Angeles.

Now, just weeks later, the actor who played Samil is homeless.

The bulldozer arrived at the Garib Nagar slum while Azharrudin was sleeping. He and his family were told to grab what they could and get out.

His mother Samina said the authorities gave no warning.

"They did not inform us. No notice was given to us." she said.

"They suddenly came and ran the bulldozer on our houses and broke everything in the slum area."

In the wake of the worldwide success of Slumdog Millionaire, civic authorities in Mumbai had promised the movie's child stars would be plucked from the slums and given proper new homes, but that promise has gone unfulfilled.

Azharrudin's humble polythene-covered shack was one of several illegally-built huts which were swept away in the latest public demolition drive.

His father, Ismail Shaikh, is in despair.

"It's not about Azhar or me. It's about all the poor people here. They made a movie 'Slumdog' and similarly we are living life of a dog here.

"Anybody can come here and run a bulldozer over our houses."

Slumdog Millionare told the story of a young boy who works his way out of the Mumbai slums and onto a national TV gameshow.

The film-makers say they have given substantial assistance to the child actors, including a trust fund to pay for their education and a financial nest-egg when they graduate.

But it seems even trust funds and Hollywood stardom can't stop a bulldozer.