`Slumdog Millionaire` kid to move to a flat

The days of slum life are finally over for Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail.

London, June 11: The days of slum life are finally over for 10-year-old Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, the star of Oscar winning ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, as a trust has completed all formalities of buying a flat for the child and will soon hand over the keys of the house to him.

The Jai Ho Trust, backed by film director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson, has bought a 250 sq ft apartment here for Azharuddin, reported newsoftheworld.co.uk "We signed the papers on Monday. We have the keys and we will hand them to the family," said a spokesperson from the trust. He added that the young boy`s father, who had earlier refused to live in an apartment bought in Azharuddin`s name, is no longer complaining. Azharuddin`s home last month had been a makeshift construction of tarpaulin sheets after the civic authorities demolished his slum dwelling. The trust is also looking for a house for Rubina Ali, the other child star of the movie. Rubina`s family had reportedly been shown a house approximately nine miles away from where they live, but they turned down the offer. "They have been very finicky about where they want to move. There is no place in Bandra where they want to live," said the spokesperson. The makeshift house that Azharuddin lived in was pulled down by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation May 16, while nine-year-old Rubina`s home was demolished by railway authorities four days later. While Azharuddin played the role of the elder brother of the movie`s central character, Jamal, Rubina played child Latika, the female lead in the superhit film which raked in eight Oscars. IANS