"Slumdog" kids ready for trip to the Oscars

By Shilpa Jamkhandikar

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Eight-year-old Rubina Ali is excited about going to the Oscars. So is Azhar Ismail.

It's a fairytale come true for Ali and Ismail, child actors taken from the slums of Mumbai where the rags-to-riches tale of "Slumdog Millionaire", nominated for 10 Oscars, is set.

“I have never sat in a plane. I am really looking forward to that," Ali told Reuters, smiling shyly as curious neighbours come out to watch.

"And I want to click lots of pictures in Amreeka (America)."

If they get their visas on time, Ali and Ismail will be off to Los Angeles for the 81st Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theater on Sunday, rubbing shoulders with the Jolies and Winslets of the world.

There are few bets against "Slumdog Millionaire" at the prestigious Hollywood awards and the story of a young boy on an odds-defying quest on a television game show has picked up a clutch of awards this season.

But experiencing the Oscars first-hand is more than just a trip abroad for the film's young stars, who have spent most of their lives in the squalor of Mumbai's slums.

"I just hope that I get my visa on time,” Ali says, excitement writ large over her face as she makes preparations for the big night.