Thaindian News

Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” child-actor Rubina Ali Qureshi, whose shanty was demolished Wednesday, is looking forward to a special New Year gift - a spacious new flat gifted by director Danny Boyle through his Jai Ho Trust.
“We have already selected and finalized the deal for a flat costing Rs.3.2 million in the Mumbai suburbs. Even ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ director Danny Boyle has approved it. After finalizing the relevant formalities, Rubina and her family plan to shift there within a month,” Rubina’s business manager Dinesh Dubey told IANS here Thursday evening.

However, he denied that nine-year-old Rubina and her co-star, 11-year-old Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail Shaikh have been given government accommodation after they shot to international fame early this year.

They were given letters allotting tiny flats - each measuring 180 square feet in the far-flung suburb of Malvani - from the state government, which they have refused, Dubey said.

He explained that since they live in the Garib Nagar slum near Bandra station, they would be automatically entitled to a flat measuring 225-square feet as per the slum rehabilitation policy of the government.

“Then why should they settle for something which is much less and lose out on a better future option?” Dubey pointed out.

Azharuddin has already moved into a flat in Santacruz east given by Boyle through the Jai Ho Trust he has set up in Mumbai.

Now, it is Rubina’s turn to move into her own flat with her family and this should materialize very soon, Dubey said, adding that it was a long overdue gift and it was appropriately coming in the New Year 2010.

Meanwhile, the Qureshi family rebuilt their shanty Wednesday night and are planning to restart their lives afresh. This was the second demolition in 8 months by the Mumbai civic authorities.

The worst sufferer due to Wednesday’s demolition was Rubina’s two-month-old step-sister who shivered all through the cold spell that Mumbai has been experiencing since the past one week, Dubey said.