Slumdog Millionaire

Child Exploitation in 'Slumdog Millionaire'?

By Alicia on

Getty Images.

Rubina Ali lives in a Mumbai slum. Slumdog Millionaire has been on the tail end of a lot of criticism lately: many Mumbai citizens feel the film unfairly represents their city and their country.

The latest news surrounding the film, that two of its primary child actors, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail, were reportedly paid £500 and £1,700 respectively, is not bound to go over well either.

The film's director, Danny Boyle, has said in several interviews that he has set up trust funds for the children, both of whom live in Mumbai slums. While both children are currently attending a local school and recieve monthy allowances of £20 for books and food, their parents say they have heard nothing about the supposed trust funds in their children's names.

Rubina Ali, the girl who played the young Latika, lives in a hut with her parents, brother, and sister. Her father, a carpenter who broke his leg during filming and has not been able to work, told a reporter, "I am very happy the movie is doing so well, but it is making so much money and so much fame and the money they paid us is nothing. They should pay more. I have no regrets. I just had no knowledge of what she should have been paid."

A spokesperson for Fox Searchlight said:
A plan has been in place for over 12 months to ensure that their experience working on Slumdog Millionaire would be of long term benefit. For 30 days work, the children were paid three times the average local annual adult salary. Last year after completing filming, they were enrolled in school for the first time and a fund was established for their future welfare, which they will receive if they are still in school when they turn 18. Pictures of the Slumdog Millionaire cast: