Rubina Ali, the young Slumdog Millionaire star who has the world talking about her excellent performance in the film, is exactly what she plays in the movie. A little girl from the slums. Rubina (who plays Latika as a child in the movie) had never even eaten a pizza before Slumdog Millionaire changed her life.
From then, it was a fun ride -- acting in the film, playing on the sets with Danny Boyle, co-director Lovleen Tandan and actor Dev Patel, and then, unexpectedly, the Oscars.
On February 26, Rubina returned to her home in the slums of Garib Nagar in Bandra East. The road outside the slum was packed with locals and members of the press. When the red Chevrolet Tavera decked with flowers rolled up, the waiting crowd pounced upon it, trying to get a glimpse of the girl who had made their slum famous.
Rubina was whipped out of the car and lifted onto a pair of shoulders as she made the trip from the car to her little tin house in the slum of Garib Nagar. Passed proudly from one pair of shoulders to another, Rubina happily waved to the crowds following her. She grabbed out at a bunch of roses someone held out to her, and waved the flowers to the beat of Ringa Ringa that a bunch of boys started playing. The whole slum was swaying and singing to the song.
However, by this time, Rubina was beginning to get nervous by the swelling crowds. As she reached home, there was more trouble brewing. Rubina's birth mother, who is said to have left her family years ago, had made an appearance, demanding to see her child. Rubina's father, however, was bent upon preventing that from happening. While the adults fought it out, Rubina burst into tears and was whisked away to her uncle's home, where she regained enough composure to talk to the press.
Rafiq Quereshi, Rubina's father has had three marriages so far and now Rubina lives with him and his third wife. Quereshi was in no mood to forgive or forget when his ex-wife demanded to see her child. "Main nahi chahta ki bachhi apne maa se mile, kyonki woh saat saal pehle doosri shaadi kar ke chali gayi thi. Ab jab bachha Oscar tak pahuch gaya hai, toh usko laalach ho gayi hai. Kehti hai, mere bachhe ka haq do." (I don't want the child to meet her mother because she re-married and left us seven years ago. Now when the child has reached the stage of the Oscars, she has become greedy. She wants her rights.)
After a host of arguments and abuses being hurled back and forth between the two parents, Rafiq ended the matter by hitting his ex-wife and removing Rubina from the scene.
Text: Insiyah Vahanvaty | Photograph: Stringer/REUTERS
Also Watch: Showcasing Oscars, 2009
Advertisement
