No bounds for Scottish love in 'slumdog' india

THEY were wasted wrecks who opted to choose drugs not life and become Edinburgh anti-heroes.

Trainspotting's sleazy characters – led by Renton and Begbie – introduced cinema audiences to the bleak underbelly of Edinburgh's 80s drugs scene, where all that mattered was getting the next fix.

The book and the film shot controversial writer Irvine Welsh to global fame and landed him with an "enfant terrible" reputation for shocking his audience with expletives and graphic descriptions of drug abuse, vicious crime and seedy sex.

But now the Edinburgh writer has revealed a much softer side and given his support to a low-budget film and music project which involves some of India's most desperate "slumdog" children.

Welsh has been credited as executive producer and the voice of a new movie filmed at Edinburgh-based charity Scottish Love in Action's (SLA) school and home in India, where 500 destitute children are cared for.

Along with Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith, and former Edinburgh "makar", poet Valerie Gillies, Welsh even wrote lyrics to be put to music for the children to record as a CD.

And he also provided the moving voiceover narrative for the film, which it's hoped could receive its world premier at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

The short movie cost less than 10,000 to make and was created by Edinburgh based arts collective Transgressive North. It stars children who were rescued from poverty to be given new hope at the charity's Light of Love home and school in the rural market town of Tuni.

Most of them are "slumdog" Dalits or Untouchables – the lowly Indian "caste" which makes up a quarter of the population but has been stigmatised for centuries as unclean, ignorant and beneath contempt.

In a poignant reflection of their own plight, the movie, Everything is New, is a fantasy story of how determined children help their elders overcome their own prejudices to make a better world.

The children, many of them orphans, were also recorded singing the songs using the famous writers' lyrics, set to music by the collective's musicians in association with Edinburgh folk artist Margaret Bennett and Jamie Stewart of American "art" rock band Xiu Xiu.

It all sounds a long way from the drug-fuelled, self-centred lives of Welsh's Trainspotting characters. But according to SLA director, former nurse Gillie Davidson, the Edinburgh-born writer has become an enthusiastic supporter of the charity's life-changing work.

"I told him about what we are doing and he responded immediately," she explains.

"It's fantastic that he – and the others – decided to become involved."

Gillie and development manager Colin McRae helped launch the charity ten years ago after leading a city youth project to build the Tuni school and realising the scale of problems affecting youngsters there.

Since then, the charity has expanded the school and opened a second facility at Hyderabad, which cares for 60 children.

Youngsters taken in by the school and home are often Dalit orphans or living in poverty. Many arrive at the charity's bases after being found scavenging in bins for food, or living on the streets where they are at risk of becoming child prostitutes or "bonded" labour and often without parents or family to raise them.

As well as supporting the film and CD, Welsh last year offered to auction a part in the prequel he is writing to Trainspotting, with proceeds going to the Edinburgh charity.

He explains: "I have been a frequent traveller to India over the years and poverty is obviously a huge issue.

"But lack of opportunity goes beyond essentials like food and shelter and employment. With access to a cultural life people's experiences are enriched beyond measure. I feel proud that a group of talented young artists from my home city are involved in this exciting and worthwhile project."

McCall Smith, whose Lady Detective novels have become bestsellers and who provided lyrics for the children's songs, also backed the project: "Music is an international language, and its use as a means of spreading love is something that we can all be enthusiastic about.

"Music heals. It is a sad truth that many children all over the world have lives that are blighted by cruelty, deprivation and loss.

"The work of SLA and Transgressive North, as demonstrated in this marvellous project, helps to redress those wrongs."

The film and CD evolved after Jamie Chambers, artistic director Transgressive North, witnessed the emotional impact the charity's work had on a close relative who visited the Tuni home.

He says Welsh's involvement in the project has been "invaluable".

"It's been amazing to get a commitment to the project from this wonderful array of people. We're just a group of young artists who have no money but a lot of energy and we're just starting out.

"Irvine Welsh has approached this with open arms, he's done so much for us, giving time and support and answering our questions."

The film and CD – called We Are Growing into a Tree – will be released later this year and are expected to be the highlight of the charity's tenth anniversary celebrations. The charity, which is based at the Pleasance, needs to raise 300,000 from private donations every year in order to help run its homes for infants up to teenagers at Tuni and at Hyderabad.

It also supports older youths into further education: some who arrived at the school, homeless and orphaned, ten years ago are now embarking on university courses.

"There are millions of children like them all across India," says Gillie. "The scale is unbelievable. Awful things happen to these children, yet they are so full of love and life.

"It's sad because young adults here think money is everything and choosing this or that is going to give them joy," she adds.

"But they don't realise what these children go through – some have been destitute, scavenging in bins, begging.

"There's child prostitution, bonded labour and they suffer terrible rejection and exploitation.

"They are truly incredible children."

To find out more information and details of how to donate to Scottish Love in Action, log on to www.sla-india.org. For details of Transgressive North, visit www.transgressivenorth.com

STARS THAT SHINE DESPITE HORRORS OF SHORT LIVES

THEY are the stars of a film backed by Irvine Welsh. But their true life stories are every bit as shocking and moving as the strongest work of fiction.

Padma, 16, and sister Anjali, eight, arrived at Scottish Love in Action's home because their family could no longer support them.

Their father was severely disabled and their mother was struggling to work and care for him.

The girls' future looked bleak but now, thanks to SLA, Padma is studying nursing.

Filmmakers found Padma had a talent for singing and dancing. She stars in the film alongside sister Anjali, whose acting skills impressed her teachers so much that she has a pivotal role.

Another of the film stars is David, an 11-year-old orphan who has spent almost his entire life at the Tuni home since his father died of typhoid.

He was given a special role after the arts group making the movie became enthralled by his dynamic and quirky personality.

And even though the Tuni home's youngsters have all witnessed their own personal horrors, few could match that of Mary Hemlata who arrived at the home after her mother died from stomach problems and her father was murdered.

Mary's voice, along with three of her friends, provides the theme tune to the film.