Even the global accolades and financial success of the hit film don't so easily translate into actual transformation out of a life of poverty for kids that were selected and paid to star in the film.

This AP article, "`Slumdog Millionaire' kid stars face uphill battle" is worth a read, it hints at many realities that make poverty a difficult nut to crack.

Not that anyone expected hollywood or bollywood to offer sustainable solutions to poverty. A few good intentions aside, the entertainment industry exists to make profits, not to help people or tackle global problems.

 Ten-year-old Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail lives in a lean-to made of tarpaulins and blankets. Nine-year-old Rubina Ali's home is a tiny bubble-gum pink shack. A murky open sewer runs down her narrow lane...