Little Azharuddin Mohammed rose swiftly from the slums of India to the bright lights of Hollywood after starring in the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.”
But no sooner did he return to the slums than reality was slapping him in the face.
His own father slapped and kicked the child as horrified fans looked on.
The ten-year-old boy who was tired from yesterday’s long-haul flight from Los Angeles and had wanted to be left alone refused his father’s request to leave the shack and face curious onlookers.
Just days ago as one of the movie’s child stars he’d walked the Oscars red carpet in glamorous clothes but now back in the slums he was being kicked and slapped around the face.
The ugly scenes lasted no more than 30 seconds despite the child’s mother, who is blind in one eye, begging Ismail, 45, to stop the physical punishment.
Yelping as he tried to evade the flailing hands and feet he cowered in the corner of the ramshackle tent, that serves as the family home.
At one point Azharuddin grabbed his face in pain and finally ran off to cry after Ismail, who is infected with TB, was pulled off by neighbours. READ MORE…
