Slumdog Millionaire makers donate £500,000 to Mumbai charity

The rags-to-riches tale of Slumdog Millionaire took a fresh twist today as the film's makers announced plans to funnel a portion of the film's profits to a charity working with slum children in the city of Mumbai. A donation totalling £500,000 will be overseen by the charitable organisation Plan. Slumdog Millionaire was filmed in the Indian metropolis on an estimated $15m (£10m) budget. It went on to win eight Oscars at February's Academy Awards and has so far earned more than $300m at the global box office. "Having benefited so much from the hospitality of the people of Mumbai it is only right that some of the success of the movie be ploughed back into the city in areas where it is needed most and where it can make a real difference to some lives," director Danny Boyle said in a statemet. "Despite intimidating odds, extraordinary work is going on to help people break the cycle of poverty through education. We're delighted that this initiative will add to that ongoing work." Following Slumdog's success, the film's creators faced criticism for their handling of the Mumbai-based actors. In February it was revealed that child stars Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail were still living in makeshift shacks on the city's outskirts. Both were later rehoused by the Indian authorities. The £500,000 donation will fund a five-year project to improve living standards for the city's children. "Around one billion of the world's population live in slums and there are 100,000 new slum dwellers every day," said Plan spokesperson Marie Staunton. "Slumdog Millionaire has shown audiences around the world a snapshot of what life is like for one in six people on the planet."