Indian authorities cleared part of an "illegally-built" slum where "Slumdog Millionaire" child star Rubina Ali lives, but her shanty was safe so far, police said Wednesday.
Approximately 18 shacks in the slum were demolished because they were illegally built, police said. The area, called Garib Nagar, or colony of poor, belongs to railway authorities that carried out the demolition, said senior area inspector Rahim Sheikh. Rubina’s home was spared because it was in a different part of the neighborhood, police said. Last week the home of another child star in the Oscar-winning film was demolished. Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail’s family shanty was among 20 destroyed because of illegal construction, authorities said. Watch an interview with child “Slumdog” star » Bulldozers leveled the slum built on a municipal garden. Mohammed said afterwards that his family had not been given notice of the demolition and did not have time to remove their belongings. But, they planned to return and rebuild.
Though the movie they starred in grossed millions, most of the child stars returned to their poor neighborhoods in Mumbai. “Slumdog Millionaire” is the story of Jamal, an impoverished, uneducated teen who competes on an Indian game show. The movie won eight Oscars in February, including one for best picture.
