'Slumdog' grabs 8 Oscars

Slumdog Millionaire was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won eight, the most of any film that year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song.
The film has been directed by Danny Boyle, co-directed by Loveleen Tandan and written by Simon Beaufoy. It is an adaptation of the Boeke Prize-winning and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-nominated novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.




Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati, mentioned in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

SHE’S THE SONGBIRD of the hit movie Slumdog Millionaire but in her native Sri Lanka suspicions about Oscar-nominated hip-hop star M.I.A.’s political sympathies have cost her success and fans.


The Complete List of Winners



Best Movie: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best Actor: Sean Penn - Milk

Best director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best original screenplay: Milk

Best adapted screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Best animated feature film: Wall-E

Best animated short film: La Maison en Petits Cubes

Art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Costume design: The Duchess

Make-up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Best live action short film: Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Best supporting actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Best documentary feature: Man on Wire

Best documentary short subject: Smile Pinki

Visual effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Sound editing: The Dark Knight

Sound mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

Film editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best original score: Slumdog Millionaire

Best original song: Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire

Best foreign language film: Departures - Japan





UPDATE: 28 FEB 2009

Slumdog Millionaire child star beaten by father after returning home


Despite the big success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, life has not changed much for Rubina Ali, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (front row, left to right)

'Slumdog Millionaire' child star Azharuddin had a rather painful homecoming after attending the Oscars, for the boy was beaten up by his father just because he wanted to have some rest.

Mohammed Ismail slapped and kicked his 10-year-old son in front of shocked neighbours and passers-by soon after he flew back to India from Los Angeles, where he and his other young co-stars watched as their movie picked up eight Oscars.

Azharuddin, who plays young hero Jamal, got tears in the eyes and ran back inside his home, cowering and begging his father to stop while trying to hide in a corner.

The young star had been given the day off school after his long flight and wanted to take rest, but his father wanted to show him off outside their home.

And when the boy didn't agree, the 45-year-old father, who is hoping his son could be his ticket to get out of Mumbai's Dharavi slum, launched his attack while his mother pleaded Ismail to stop.

"Azharuddin's father was upset that he was asking to be left alone because he was so tired. He didn't attend school today so that he could recover from his long flight from LA and simply wanted all the attention to stop. However, when Azharuddin put his foot down and said that was it and there was to be no more talking, Ismail just flipped," a stunned onlooker said.

However, Azharuddin's return to the slums was another picture altogether when his father had lifted him up and paraded him like a trophy.

Just a few hours after the attack, TB patient Ismail apologised for the attack, saying: "I was very sorry I did what I did. I was confused and stressed by my son's homecoming and I did not know myself for a minute. I love my boy and I am very happy to have him home."


UPDATE: 2o Mar 2009

Slumdog Millionaire Kids Walk In Delhi Fashion Show




Two of the "Slumdog Millionaire" Child Actors Rubina Ali Qureshi and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail Walked and Catwalk under Delhi's Fashion Week on Thursday.
"Slumdog Millionaire" Child Stars walked the ramp shows creations by designer duo Ashima and Leena Singh at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week in New Delhi.



UPDATE 19 APR 2009




“Slumdog Millionaire” child star Rubina Ali’s father plans to get rid of poverty and become a millionaire by selling his nine-year-old daughter, a British news website reported after conducting a sting operation. Newsoftheworld.co.uk reports that in a bid to escape slum life, Rafiq Qureshi has put Rubina up for adoption, demanding 200,000 pounds.

Rafiq offered the shocking deal to the News of the World’s undercover reporters posing as a wealthy family from Dubai. He told the fake sheikh this week: “I have to consider what’s best for me, my family and Rubina’s future.”

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses for forcing him to put his daughter up for sale. As he tried to fix the illegal adoption deal, Rafiq declared: “We’ve got nothing out of this film.”

Then, almost embarrassed to speak it out loud, he whispered to an accomplice the price tag he has put on his daughter: “It’s 200,000 pounds”, he was quoted as saying by the website.

That was an astonishing four-fold increase on his opening demand. But Rafiq’s equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: “The child is special now. This is not an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!”

Rafiq, who stays in the Bandra slum sprawl of Mumbai, is reportedly desperate to cash in on his daughter’s success in the multiple-Oscar winning film by selling her to the highest bidder.