Mumbai: From slums to flats, from Slumdog Millionaire to another international movie with Anthony Hopkins. The dream ride continues for Rubina Rafik Quraishi and Azhar Al Deen Esmail, who will now be seen in British director-producer Martin Pennell's Lord Owen's Lady.
The third child actor seen in Danny Boyle's Oscar winning film, Ayush Mahesh Khadekar, the son of a civil engineer, has also found a role in Lord Owen's Lady that stars Rohini Hattangadi along with Silence of the Lambs star Hopkins.
Fourteen-year-old Rubina's father Rafik Quraishi, whose family has moved from a tenement to a flat in Bandra after his daughter appeared in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, is jubilant.
"I am extremely happy that my daughter has got such a huge film. She will start shooting for the film in the next two to four months," Rafik told IANS, adding that he got a call from Pennell a year ago.
"Now things have fallen into place. She was earlier supposed to play a sister but now there are apparently some changes.
"We have been told that she will be paid £1,000 a day [Dh5,900] for 21 days," he added.
Support
Rafik, who once allegedly tried to sell Rubina, now says he will always support her.
"She always wanted to be an actress and I am with her. My dream is to see Rubina working with Salman Khan. Rubina herself is a huge fan of Salman. Though she has never met Salman, she wants to work with him at least once."
Lord Owen's Lady, a love story between a Welsh nobleman and a naively romantic Indian woman, will be shot in London and Shimla and Rafik is hoping to accompany Rubina.
"Rubina now goes to a school called Asima in Bandra West. We stay in a Bandra flat given to us by Danny Boyle's trust. We shifted just a week back," said Rafik.
Rubina's co-star Azhar Al Deen, also 14, is going places too. He has moved into his flat in the suburb of Santacruz as well and is studying in Class 4 in Asima.
The one bit of sadness is the absence of his father, who passed away last year.
