Two of the children who starred in the first section of the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” have hit the Mumbai equivalent of the jackpot. In recognition of their service to the country, the Indian government has awarded free homes to little Rubina Ali and Mohammed Azharuddin Ismail, who played the young Latika and Salim, respectively.

Even though they appeared in a hit film, neither child lives in a home with a permanent roof. Soon they and their families will have sturdy shelter.

And Sunday night, director Danny Boyle said there is now a fund to get the kids educated too. The fund was seeded with the $15,000 prize money that “Slumdog” won as the audience-choice film at the Toronto Film Festival.

Boyle told me on the red carpet, and repeated afterward in the interview room, that he was initially fearful of freaking the kids out by flying them to Hollywood for the Oscars.  But then he rationalized that their little minds would find a way to deal with it, and denying them the trip would be robbing them of the experience of a lifetime.

That experience included trips to Universal studios and Disneyland, and autographs from stars such as Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep. The kids knew who they were. Even though the children had never before left India, Hollywood had extended its reach into the consciousness of Mumbai.

Now Mumbai has returned the favor.

Here’s the extended “Slumdog” family,” beaming in the red-carpet spotlight: