Headlines
Rubina
Slumdog Star On Sale
23rd April 2009
The father of “Slumdog Millionaire” actress, Rubina Ali, has attempted to sell his daughter in order to secure the “girl’s future”, writes Shae Courtney.
Rafiq Qureshi is at the centre of a newspaper claim made by the News of the World. The newspaper claims that Qureshi attempted to sell the nine-year-old girl, who played the youngest, Latika, to an undercover reporter from the media conglomerate for around 20 million rupees (approximately £200,000). Other sources say that Qureshi was forced into the sale owing to his daughter’s “movie star status.”
The undercover reporter, claiming to represent a wealthy Arab Sheik who wished to adopt the child, approached Qureshi whilst at home in a Mumbai slum. The star’s uncle, Rajan More, told the journalist that, “We are securing our girl’s future. Obviously if you wanted to adopt we could discuss this. Her parents are expecting some proper compensation in return. We are talking of around £50,000.”
An Indian newspaper reporter claimed that “Rubina’s family are furious that despite the film doing so well, the family is still living in such rough conditions.” Save the Children spokesman, Adrian Lovett, said: “We [Save the Children] pay tribute to the News of the World for highlighting this awful reality. We will do all we can to help Rubina.”
The Times has since reported that Rubina’s mother has demanded that the youngster be removed from the care of Mr Qureshi. Six months after the small-budget film’s success, Rubina still lives in Garib Nagar – a filthy, squalid slum next to a railway track. It is reported that the family only received £2000 for Rubina’s performance.
The illegal trafficking of Indian children, especially young girls such as Rubina, to the Middle East is an ongoing and serious problem. Mr Qureshi has since denied all allegations of attempting to sell his daughter. The dispute continues.