Shock Report: Dad Tried to Sell Slumdog Star
April 18 2009, Published 12:41 p.m. ET
In a potentially disturbing turn of events, the Oscar gold of Slumdog Millionaire could be tarnished by a scheme to sell one of its young stars for adoption.
Little Rubina Ali, who won hearts playing a young Latika in the film, has allegedly been put on the market for around $295,000 USD.
News of the World reports that Ali's father Rafiq Qureshi has been offering the girls guardianship for cash for quite sometime, claiming to have exposed him in an undercover investigation where the newspaper posed as wealthy sheiks looking to take the child to live in the United Arab Emirates.
"I have to consider what's best for me, my family and Rubina's future," Quershi allegedly told the undercover team, "...since all this film thing I haven't even worked. We have got nothing out of this film, they have given us nothing."
The paper claims they were tipped off by a tourguide in the family's home city of Mumbai, who says they've been shopping an adoption for some time.
Quershi's initial demand was reported in the neighborhood of $37,000 USD, but when it came to bargaining time, supposedly claimed "The child is special now. This is NOT an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!"
Quershi is said to insists that he has Rubina's best interest at heart.
Slumdog told the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who went on to win India's vertion of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Photo: Getty)
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