The Slumdog Millionaire life isn’t all red carpets and Disney Land for one of the film’s stars. Photographs published in The Sun in London, show Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, the youngest Salim, taking a beating from his father. The incident took place at the boy’s home in the Dharavi slum in Bandera, Mumbai. The young actor was exhausted after a flight from L.A. in addition to a lengthy welcome home by adoring fans. When Ismail refused to be put on display outside his home, his father reacted, violently. The incident lasted only 30 seconds but one onlooker recounted, “it was like a scene out of Slumdog Millionaire.”
Ismail’s father recently expressed his remorse for his actions. “I was very sorry that I did what I did. I was so confused and stressed by my son’s homecoming that I did not know myself for a minute. I love my boy and I am very happy to have him home.” While it's nice to know the man feels regret for how he treated his son, there's no excuse for striking a child. Tired, angry, confused; I could never imagine raising my hand to a child, or anyone for that matter. You’d think with the constant media attention, Ismail’s father would have been as concerned about his own public appearance as he was his son’s.
