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The 10-year-old child, who was plucked from a Mumbai slum to play the young Salim in the multiple-Oscar-winning movie, has been living amid constant media scrutiny since his return home from Los Angeles.
Tired after a long flight, Azhar wanted to go to sleep and refused to come out to oblige the media. His father Mohammed Ismail wanting to make the most of the newly acquired celebrity status of his son, got infuriated and slapped him.
"I was being naughty. I did not want to give the interview as I was tired so he slapped me but he loves me," said Azhar.
Azhar returned back on Thursday to his shanty home in Mumbai's crowded slum after being in the media glare at the Oscar awards and later when he visited Disneyland.
He and Rubina, the young Salim and Latika in "Slumdog Millionaire", have shot to international fame post the phenomenal success of the film.
"Many mediapersons wanted to get his interview but he refused saying he was tired and had a headache. His father got angry and slapped him lightly but he loves Azhar very much," Azhar's mother Shamima said wondering why an issue was being made of nothing.
Azhar's father Mohammed Ismial, a TB patient, tried to defend his action, saying, "My child was very tired and bored but I had committed to one journalist. I felt bad when he refused him. He is my child and I just slapped him but I feel sorry now."
Rubina's return to her home has not been smooth as well. The child returned to a divided house, with both her biological mother Khushi and her step-mother Munni asserting their right over her.
Rubina, who played young Latika in the film lives with her father Rafiq Qureshi and Munni in a slum in Mumbai.
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A paper owned by Rupert Murdoch (the Sun) initially printed the story about the child being beeten by his father...Murdoch owns the distribution rights in the US to this movie through his company, Fox Searchlight.. The father is trying to get enough money from Fox to keep the family from living under a tarp until the boy reaches 16... This was an obvious attempt to make the father look bad.
Guys, why don't you leave them alone. Give them some privacy.
I was horrified with the behavior of the parent. This poor boy is 10 years old and he just got back from a long trip. If he is tired, he should be able to rest. Surely, the journalist should have the common sense to wait. This father is an awful human being who obviously does not care much about his child. People don't own their children. This is the basic problem with many of these parents in the slums.
Guys, this is India, where parents do beat their children for not obeying or for any reason, there is no child abuse here. "Spare the stick and spoil the child" is still followed here irrespective of any religion. Ideologies change as you travel across world. This is not a case of child abuse, nothing big here. In fact this is no news, and there is nothing wrong here. Lets be in touch with reality. As with respect to Andrew and others who are spitting venom, these people seem to be orphans, who never knew this fact dont understand the love of their parents. Just ignore these !@#!@!@#.
LOOKS LIKE THE MEDIA HAS NO OTHER ISSUE. THEY WISH TO 'DICTATE' THE SOCIETY IN THEIR OWN WAY RATHER THAN HELPING TO BUILD UP CONSTRUCTIVE PUBLIC OPINION - NOT THE CHEAP ONE LIKE THIS STORY. INDIAN MEDIA NEEDS SELF INTROSPECTION.
I have read the responses and it is a sad fact that the hatred between Hindus and Muslims runs so deep that a trivial incident like this can spark immediately such anger. Very sad indeed. Can we have some sanity if not silence?
THIS WILL CREATE UNNECESSARY PROBLEM IN THE FAMILY. IT IS THEIR PERSONAL FAMILY MATTER. ALL FATHERS BEAT THEIR CHILDREN. WE HAVE SEEN IN FILMS TOO. NOBODY HAS OBJECTED WHEN FATHER BEATS HIS SON IN FILMS.
These people think that their kids are ways to exploit Indian systems. They won't stop giving birthuntill all of them will be forced by government as Sanjay Gndhi did. I am sure they all are planning to be second generation of Khans, Zeenat Aman and Parveen boby. Let themm achieve puberty - we will see Indian Miley Cyrus
what does one expect from a fake muslim who only thinks of money??? the slum people are as good as dogs and when they get a bone will chew it to the end. he now started wearing a muslim cap to show he is religious. some mulla has got to him now. majority of slum dwellers are muslims and politicians like sunil dutt (now dead) support them for votes
sheeraz is offended by the truth. the actor got paid for 30 days and got a fund for his education. now they want a house, and to be taken to usa for treatment!!! beggars. the muslims play the minority and poverty card to get everything. Im christian and we get nothing. and that is my real name.
Why are you talking like this!? And why the hell this is big news? He is his father above all! Its a family matter...
It may not be news to you but in some civilized parts of the world this kind of trestement is termed child abuse.
People like Andrew, for sure he changed his name and perhaps father, always think in terms of Hindu and Muslim.There was no need to spit venom for a non issue. This reflects how these shameless people communalise every small reason. THEY ARE THE KILLERS OF mAHATMA gANDHI AND ANTI NATIONALS.
Mr Sheeraz,We don't know who is Andrew. But you spit vemon against RSS and many hindus who follow RSS. Put it stright, why so much round about. Vemon from people like you seen all over the world.
The moot point here is if it right to physically abuse a child. Wonder why you guy stray from the topic of discussion.
Mr. MuppetWho is running away from the topic of the discussion? The child abuse is a word created to split parents from their off-springs and put them in a Foster care where 90% of the kids become anti-social elements,also don't get the love what a mother or father can give? In Canada alone 85,000 kids livig in Foster care because step-mother and step-father culture. Mr. Pet Please Relax and think twice about the bond between parents and the kids in Indian culture, beating child physically is not a child abuse, but this makes child to reliaze his mistake and not to repeat it again. After all mother carries the child in her womb for 9 months and they have the right to correct their off-springs whatever the way it is. People like you should realize that both parents and children have mutuall obligation to fulfill. I have seen parents saying always "Yes" to their kids demand and they feared to say "NO" because of confrontation.