Before Slumdog happened, Rubina attended an Urdu medium school in the neighbourhood. But director Danny Boyle insisted that Rubina get English education, and got her admitted to the Palli Chinmai School last year, where she is in Grade one.
Rubina's father refutes the rumours that his daughter was not paid well for her work in the film. "They took good care of my daughter. They treated her very well. She has not been paid well. She has already received Rs 35,000 for her work and will continue getting Rs 1,500 as a monthly allowance until she is 18 years old. Her education expenses will be taken care of until she is 18 too. Azharuddin (who played the youngest Salim in Slumdog) and she will get Rs 25 lakh between them. They have taken care of my daughter's future."
The money has already helped them, as the family moved out of their rented shanty earlier, and into their own recently. But they fear that their home may be demolished any time, as it is built on railway property. The house is very small, just big enough for everyone to sleep in.
Slumdog, interestingly, is not Rubina's first brush with movies. She had auditioned for two other films and got selected for one but it didn't materialise. That's when Slumdog happened. "Everyone on the sets was very nice to me. I would play with all of them. Even Danny uncle would play with us," Rubina smiles.
In the photograph: Rubina with Munni (centre) and her sister
Also See: Slumdog Millionaire is just a masala film
Advertisement
