Daily Lessons from Life 02 November 2009

" 'Slumdog' stars skip class, may lose cash The money comes from the Jai Ho Trust. - Mon, Nov 02, 2009 AFP

MUMBAI - Two child stars from the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire" may lose their monthly allowance unless they improve their school attendance, a report said Monday.

Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali - who played younger versions of the main characters in the rags-to-riches blockbuster - have been told to stop skipping class in Mumbai or forfeit a 120-dollars per month payment, NDTV news reported.

The money comes from the Jai Ho Trust, which was established by the movie's British director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson to manage the children's interests.

Nirja Matoo, one of the trustees, told the Press Trust of India that a social worker had informed her that the children, who grew up in the slums where the film was set, were missing class.

"As an attempt to pressure the families to send the kids to school, we have told them that the monthly allowance will be discontinued if the attendance does not improve," the news agency quoted Matoo as saying.

When asked about his truancy by NDTV, Ismail, 11, said, "My father died and I had to go through the rituals so I couldn't attend."

Ismail's father died in September after a lengthy battle with tuberculosis. Ali, 10, gave a similar excuse, telling the network "I had hurt my foot with a glass shard and got burnt with cracker. So I was not going to school."

Ali's father Rafiq defended her, saying "I know what is best for Rubina. They called us and said they will stop helping us. I told them God will take care of us."

The trust has set up a fund for the children, to be accessed after they graduate, and also gave them new apartments after their makeshift homes were torn down as part of Mumbai's slum clearance drive."

This 'Slumdog' thing is very big in the Hollywood and the Western world.

Lessons for me are:

1. we need to help ourselves ultimately, if not, even an hand-out cannot keep us out of 'troubles'!;

2. if we do not, we will not try very hard to keep the hand-out as these kids are obviously doing or seemed to be doing;

3. it can be daunting as the gap is so very big between reality and the commercial success of the movie. For one so young, is it at all possible to comprehend? How about the adults? Do they themselves understand the deeper meaning besides the dollar and cents?

It is a fairy tale. A modern one. It would have been great if it can continue. I hope it will. So, I hope the minders of the 2 kids understand, get helps to help them help the 2 kids!!

Without hope, there is no point of carrying on the life's struggle!