THEIR roles in Slumdog Millionaire  have won them international acclaim and seen them rub shoulders with the film’s glamorous stars and its British director.

But the reality of life for Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail is far closer to that of the characters they play in the story of love, violent crime and extreme poverty in India.

The child actors’ parents have accused the hit film’s producers of exploiting the eight-year-olds, disclosing that both face uncertain futures in one of Mumbai’s most squalid slums.

Slumdog Millionaire has already won four Golden Globes and is nominated for 10 Oscars. It is on its way to making hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.

The film’s British director, Danny Boyle, has spoken of how he set up trust funds for Rubina and Azharuddin and paid for their education. But it has emerged that the children, who played Latika and Salim in the early scenes of the film, were paid less than many Indian servants.

Rubina was paid $1060 for a year’s work while Azharuddin received $3600. Continue to Read More.