The Slumdogs Blog

The story and the life of Syed is a lesson to be learned by the child actors of the eight Oscar Awards film "Slumdog Millionaire". What reminded Shafiq Syed about his own childhood and short-lived fame was watching the child stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" in Los Angeles as the film swept the Oscars in February. Having basked in the limelight for his portrayal of a street kid in the 1988 Oscar-nominated film "Salaam Bombay," Syed now struggles to feed a family of five at his home in southern India, Bangalore. His own rags-to-riches story has ended up after some time and he now earns $3 (2.1 pounds) a day driving a motor rickshaw (See the article in Reuters).

This is a kind of warning for the child stars of the Sludog Millionaire. Syed has some advice for this slum kids. He says that "It's good that they have got this huge break, but they should not get carried away and focus on studies so that they can lead a meaningful life on their own when they grow up,". But when compared to Syed, these children have got much more privilege than him. The government have promised to shift them to a new apartment, besides their studies are taken care, a trust has formed to look after their studies and help them financially unto an age. How ever, the children should keep in mind what Syed says. The fame and money will not last!