'Jai Ho', 'Slumdog' in race to be millionth English word

'Jai ho', 'cuddies' and 'slumdog' are among the 73 other finalists from across the globe to become the millionth English word.

The Global Language Monitor, an Austin, Texas-based firm that analyses and catalogues the latest trends in word usage and word choices with a particular emphasis on English, will choose the millionth word on June 10 at 10.22 a.m. GMT.

At present, there are 999,927 words in their 'English language world clock'.

According to the firm's site languagemonitor.com, 'cuddies' - the Hinglish word for ladies underwear or panties; jai ho - used as a term of praise in Hindi that became popular through the Oscar winning "Slumdog Millionaire"; as well as slumdog - a disparaging description of slum dwellers - are all in the race to becoming the millionth word in the English language.

"The million word milestone brings to notice the coming of age of English as the first truly global Language," said Paul J.J. Payack, president and chief word analyst of the Global Language Monitor.

According to the site, owing to the "global extent of the English language, the millionth word is as likely to appear from India, China or East Los Angeles as it is to emerge from Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's home town)".

Payack who authored "A Million Words and Counting" also said that there were three major trends involving the English language at present.

"First - an explosion in word creation - English words are being added to the language at the rate of some 14.7 words a day. Second is a geographic explosion where some 1.53 billion people now speak English around the globe as a primary, auxiliary, or business language. Third - English has become, in fact, the first truly global language."

Other English millionth word finalists are Australia's alchopops - sugary flavoured mixed drinks; bangster - a Polish combination of gangster and banker, de-friend - Internet lingo for no longer following a friends update on sites, sexting - texting of sexual content, quendy-trendy - British youth slang for hip and up to date, and mobama - relating to the fashion trends of US first lady.

Another word in the list is 'OK' - called "the most recognised English word on the planet".

Global Language Monitor has been tracking English word creation since 2003.

In Shakespeare's time, there were only two million speakers of English and fewer than 100,000 words. He himself coined about 1,700 words.

Former US president Thomas Jefferson invented about 200 words while George W. Bush created a handful, including misunderestimate. US President Barack Obama's surname passed into the word list last year with the rise of obamamania.

Leave Slumdog stars alone!

Director Danny Boyle has pleaded with the press to leave the young stars of “Slumdog Millionaire” alone - because the constant attention is ruining their lives.

The Oscar winning movie's child actors, Azharuddin Ismail, 10 and nine-year-old Rubina Ali, were catapulted into the limelight following the global success of the film, which has grossed $353 million at the worldwide box office.
But both kids have been hit by scandal and tragedy since they became famous.

Ali's father was quizzed by Indian police over allegations he attempted to sell his young daughter for $300,000, although he has since been cleared of the claims.

And Ismail's dad was forced to apologise to the world's press after he was seen beating his son just days after the film's Oscar glory in February.

Boyle is convinced their sudden fame is responsible for the incidents - and he has begged the media to leave the pair in peace.
He tells Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, "The parents are good people who love their children. All the pressure and tension on the family is media-dominated and there has been a lot of miscommunication because we live in London and have only been able to read the news stories from afar."

Both families were also forced out of their homes in Mumbai, India in May when local authorities bulldozed swathes of the city's slums - before Boyle stepped in to buy new apartments for the young stars and their relatives.
And the director is dedicated to building a happy future for Ismail and Ali - away from the prying eyes of the press.

He adds, "They are really wonderful kids who have been brought up in very difficult circumstances. It has obviously been a very difficult period, but the best possible benefit that this film could ever give them is an education and we are very, very proud that they are making progress and have passed all their exams.

"Things are looking positive - they will be in their houses soon. I certainly hope this is the last time I have to speak to the media about Azhar and Rubina in this context."

Slumdog… kid's father slams Danny Boyle

"Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, who rushed to India on Wednesday (May 28) to help the film's child stars, was stunned when a child's father accused him of ignoring them.

Some of the children have become homeless after civic authorities razed their shanties. Boyle had come down to offer them help.

However, Rafiq Qureshi, father of Rubina Ali, 9, left their meeting in anger accusing the filmmaker of neglecting them after the film's global success.

"A house is being provided for the kids...we have been listening this for the last five months...I don't see any house coming our way. The shanty that we were living in has already been razed...where are we getting a house from?

"If they are providing us a house, when are they going to do it? Our kids are literally living on the road now," an exasperated Qureshi told a news channel later.

"Slumdog" producer Christian Colson also participated in the meeting held at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences on the outskirts of the city.

"We are looking for a legal accommodation that should be held by the trust (Jai Ho) to ensure the safety of these kids and it would be properly monitored as well," a calm Boyle told the reporters.

The kids including Azharuddin Ismail M. Shaikh, 10, the main child star of the movie, apart from Rubina, were both thrown on the streets after Mumbai civic authorities demolished their shanties May 14, terming the slum unauthorised.

The producers of the multiple Oscar-award wining underdog drama had earlier announced a setting up Jai Ho Trust to look after the two child stars and ensure that they receive quality education and a house to live in.

Will Aamir star in Danny’s next

Danny Boyle was in the city to help his child stars to get a roof above their heads. But we are told that this wasn’t his sole purpose.

The director also met up with Aamir Khan to discuss his next project.

The star is back from his long holiday with his family in the US and director, Danny Boyle didn’t want to miss his chance of talking to him.

If sources are to be believed, the Slumdog director has expressed his desire to work with Aamir when the actor came down for the premiere of his Oscar winning film.

Danny uncle must be busy now

Shyam’s Secret, the Swiss film for the promotion of which Ayush Mahesh Khedekar walked the red carpet at Cannes, needs to be kept a secret, at least for the time being and the child actor knows best.

He wouldn’t part with any details about the film, but is happy blurting out all about his experience, the little trivia, the inability of sharing which weighs heavy on his little chest. He begins the interview with a confident ‘Hi’ and goes on chit-chatting about the little world to which he belongs and the big dreams that the film called Slumdog Millionaire has brought with it.

To begin with, Ayush can’t get over his Cannes hangover and is fiercely vocal about the same. “People knew me there. And when I walked the red carpet, they would be like, ‘Yo Ayush, yo Ayush’. The shutterbugs would also make a beeline to take my pictures. Bahut saare artistes bhi thhe wahan pe, bahut saare fancy kapdon mein.” So, did he take a special liking to any? The child actor says should he mention one, it has to be Eric Cantona, the larger-than-life former French footballer, who appeared in Cannes to promote the Ken Loach-directed movie, Looking for Eric, in which he plays himself. “He’s super cool,” Ayush quips.

The Slumdog experience is also hard to get over and though Ayush can’t talk about Shyam’s Secret, he’s happy talking about the movie that has made him a known face. “I would play games with Danny uncle and Loveleen aunt, who were really nice. But now, Danny uncle must be really busy, so we don’t get to talk much,” Ayush says like a grown up. And what about Freida aunt? Ayush correctly points out that the actor is Freida didi to him and not ‘aunt’. “Freida didi and Dev bhaiya dono hi mere achhe dost hai.”

Mention the famous scene where the youngest Jamal jumps into a pool of excreta, which was made out of chocolate and Ayush gets nostalgic, “Woh toh mere dummy ne kuda tha.” But wasn’t the thought of jumping into a pool of chocolates tempting? “Oh, that was butter chocolate. I don’t like that,” he explains.

Ayush, who aims at giving a shot to Bollywood as well apart from Hollywood ventures, wants to do a movie with his fave hero, Hrithik Roshan. Perhaps a Koi Mil Gaya or a Krrish like venture? “I haven’t thought about the kind of film it could be, but there has to be just the two of us.” Ask him about his fave heroine and the nine-year-old puts it diplomatically, “I like all of them.”

Movies apart, the child actor also places a lot of importance to education. He says it isn’t difficult managing both acting and studies at the same time and it also has to do a lot with two careers that he wants to pursue in future. “I want to be an actor and a scientist when I grow up.”
Now, that’s so sweet!

Danny Boyle to Slumdog... kids' rescue

Director Danny Boyle has jetted to India to help find a home for the displaced child stars of his Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”.

The director met with several of the film's stars at the private lounge of Mumbai's JW Marriott hotel on Tuesday (May 26) as part of his ongoing efforts to provide financial aid for the young actors.

Boyle established the Jai Ho Trust last year to ensure nine-year-old Rubina Ali and her co-star Azhar Ismail, 10, would receive financial backing to ensure their educations after plucking them from impoverished obscurity to star in his film.

But the children don't appear to be receiving any monetary aid - Ali was left facing life on the streets after authorities demolished her shantytown shack earlier this month, days after her co-star Azhar Ismail suffered the same ordeal.

A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Their lives do not appear to be any better."