Young slumdog moves into new home

Azharuddin's mother says she is happy they have "a roof over our heads"

One of the child stars of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire has moved from his Mumbai (Bombay) shanty dwelling into a new home in the city.

Azharuddin Ismail, who played the youngest version of the main character's brother Salim, will now live in an upmarket suburb nearby.

He said his new home was "really nice" but he would miss his old friends.

A trust set up by the film's producers bought the property after Azharuddin's

family was made to leave the slums.

The Jai Ho Trust, named after the film's sound track, says it is still looking for a new home to buy for co-star Rubina Ali.

'Roof over our heads'

Azharuddin, nine, and his family moved into the property in the Santa Cruz area of Mumbai after being given the keys on Friday.

Danny Boyle set up a trust which is supposed to look after the child stars

"I like it here, it is really nice," Azharuddin told Reuters news agency. "But I will miss my old friends back in Bandra. Maybe I will go and visit them once in a while."

His mother said: "We have lived on the road for so many years. I had never dreamed that we would have a roof over our heads."

Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars in February and has made more than $200m (£140m) in box office takings around the world.

Film director Danny Boyle has strongly denied charges of exploitation.

The Jai Ho Trust bought the property on Azharuddin's behalf and it will become his when he turns 18 and finishes his education.

There was uproar in May when the family's corrugated iron hut in the Gareeb Nagar area of Bandra was torn down for being illegal. Rubina Ali's suffered a similar fate but she has yet to be rehoused.

Source : BBC