Father of Slumdog Millionaire kid tries to sell her

[Equipoise]

I don’t know if this should be in Cafe Society, MPSIMS, Great Debates or the Pit. Mods can feel free to move it elsewhere if they think it’s appropriate.

Two undercover reporters met with Rubina Ali’s father (Rafiq Qureshi) and uncle to “arrange” a deal where the undercovers would be able to adopt Rubina for $270,000. Ali played the youngest Lakita in the film Slumdog Millionaire.

Father tries to cash in on daughter’s fame

THE poverty-stricken father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.

In a bid to escape India’s real-life slums, Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced darling of the Oscars Rubina up for adoption, demanding millions of rupees worth £200,000.

As he offered the shocking deal to the News of the World’s undercover fake sheik this week, Rafiq declared: “I have to consider what’s best for me, my family and Rubina’s future.”

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses for forcing him to put his daughter up for SALE.

As he tried to fix the illegal adoption deal, real-life slum dweller Rafiq declared: “We’ve got nothing out of this film.”

Then, almost embarrassed to speak it out loud, he whispered to an accomplice the price tag he has put on his innocent young daughter: “It’s £200,000!”

That was an astonishing FOURFOLD increase on his opening demand. But Rafiq’s equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: “The child is special now. This is NOT an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!”

…

It was a lie that the family got nothing for Rubina’s work in the film.

In fact Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson have set up a trust to ensure Rubina gets a proper education, is well housed and receives support dealing with media attention.

It was reported that Rafiq had spent some of his daughter’s film fees on medical treatment to a leg he broke while working as a carpenter. He also used her cash to buy a new mobile phone for himself so agents can contact him to discuss work offers for his daughter.

Plus,

A fortnight ago Rubina and fellow child actor Azharuddin Ismail were each given a £12,000 luxury apartment by Slumdog sound engineer Rasul Pookutty. The property in Kerala, south India, was awarded to Rasul - who himself escaped poverty - by the local council in honour of his Oscar achievement.

Plus,

Rajan explained that no deal could go ahead for a few weeks because the family have been promised a house by the Indian government. If Rubina went abroad they would lose the house.

I hope this spurs something (else) being done. I don’t know what else, but something. I actually don’t blame Boyle and the filmmakers. They hire actors and that doesn’t mean they’re responsible for them the rest of their lives, but they have already gone far and above what they were obligated to do. Besides what’s already mentioned, thanks to the filmakers the kids are transported (free) to school (also free) every day (I don’t have a cite, but I read that around the time of the Oscars). What more can they do, kidnap the kids? I want the kids out of the slums as much as anyone, but as has been seen (with Rubina and others), if the kid gets cash, the parents will spend it.

It’s also upsetting that if Rubina had never appeared in the movie, she’d still be just as poor and worse off. We only hear about this because she appeared in the movie and the movie was successful. It’s heartbreaking to think of all the kids who are going through worse and we’ll never know their stories.

This is politically incorrect, but maybe someone should give families a hefty cash reward for having vasectomies and tubal ligations, but I’ve always thought that, and not just about India. America and China too. I realize it’s unworkable, but damn. I had a tubal ligation when I was 21 because I didn’t want to add to the overpopulation of the world, so my own viewpoint is very biased.

Forum appropriate addons:

Cafe Society: Hopefully Rubina will make more movies. She was wonderful.

MPSIMS: This is so so sad.

Great Debates: How much responsibility do the filmmakers have?

The Pit: Rightards would love to see the US have the overpopulation, slums and no government help for the poor of India.

[KGS]

Sorry, I only buy American.

[obfusciatrist]

Why must the reality of abject poverty intrude on our orgasmic enjoyment of movie poverty?

In is very hard to view the poor of the world as essentially happy since no matter how much they suffer they can’t be deprived of the capacity to love and might win the lottery if the newspapers are going to insist on showing us that it really does kind of suck a lot.

I refuse to consume any further news from the slums of India that does that not end with a happy dance number!