MUMBAI: Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri is very happy because his short film ‘Slum Stars’ has bagged the best short film award at the International Film and Entertainment Festival Australia (IFEFA).

“I am very happy because of ‘Slum Stars’ submission in Grammy. Now let’s see if it is selected in the top five. Also I would like to thank the IFEFA Awards, held in Sydney, for recognising ‘Slum Stars’ as the best short film,” Lahiri said.

‘Slum Stars’ is a movement by the veteran vocalist to give a platform to gifted artistes from the slums of Mumbai.

To energise the youngsters, Lahiri created a short film on the issue.

“There are kids from slum areas in Mumbai, they have sung the ‘We love India’ song. I selected five kids from 20 kids and we recorded the song in just five minutes. The kids are very talented but lack encouragement, so my film is about encouraging them and giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent,” said the composer, known for hits like ‘Disco Dancer’, ‘Namak Halaal’, ‘Dance Dance’ and ‘Sharabi’ among others.