David Lalmalsawma

NEW DELHI March 20 - The child stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" relived their Oscar night fairytale at one of India's premier fashion events, walking the ramp in glitzy designer outfits far removed from their own humble origins.

Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail, both plucked from a Mumbai slum to star in filmmaker Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches romance, were show-stoppers at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week on Thursday.

The pair of eight-year-olds made their catwalk debut for designers Ashima and Leena Singh -- Ali twirling her multi-hued gypsy skirt, Ismail in a traditional knee-length black sherwani with red motifs -- dancing to the strains of "Jai Ho", the Oscar-winning song from "Slumdog".

"I am never afraid," Ismail told reporters after the show, posing for cameras and grinning when asked if he felt nervous on stage.

"Slumdog Millionaire", an often dark but ultimately hopeful tale of a poor Indian boy who competes for love and money on a TV game show, won eight Academy Awards last month.

The film, shot in the teeming shantytowns of Mumbai, cast several children who live in the city's Garib Nagar slum -- including Ali and Ismail.

Indian authorities had already promised them new homes but on Thursday, designers Ashima and Leena Singh announced they had set up a foundation to sponsor the education of Ali, Ismail and other slum children.

The designers, whose collection on day two of the fashion week mostly featured flowy black dresses in silk and velvet, said they took Ali and Ismail out shopping a day earlier for shoes to match their outfits.

"We never name our collection but now I think it's got a name of its own -- the 'Slumdog' collection," Leena Singh said.

-Source: Reuters