They may be the child stars of one of the most acclaimed films at the Oscars, but the actors of Slumdog Millionaire have not seen much of the fruits of their labor.
Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail and their respective families still struggle in the grips of poverty in their native Mumbai.
Director Danny Boyle is said to have established trust funds for the children and footed the bill for their education, but it’s also come to light that the children were underpaid for their work.
In an industry where actors often receive multimillion dollar paychecks, Rubina and Azharuddin were paid $1060 and $3600 respectively for a year’s worth of work.
That’s almost offensive!
The children still live in squalor. Most of Azharuddin’s paycheck went toward treatment for his father’s tuberculosis and Rubina’s father is out of work due to an injury he received on the Slumdog set. Neither family has heard news of the supposed trust funds.
Despite her circumstances, Rubina dreams of being a star, like Freida Pinto, who plays Rubina’s adult character. She says, “I am going to ask Danny-uncle [director Boyle] to take me to London and be in more films. I want to travel the world and wish I could still be with the Slumdog team.”
The film’s producers could not be reached for comment.
Come on, Boyle!
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