Mother of all fights

Slumdog kid Rubina's mother and stepmother launched into a catfight over custody of the little girl. Somita Pal and Sayed Sameer Abedi bring you a ringside view of the action

As soon as the news of Slumdog Millionaire child actress Rubina being sold for a sum of Rs 1.4 crore by her father was telecast on television, all hell broke loose in the slums of Garib Nagar, Bandra. To verify the report, I made my way to the slums.



As I walked through the narrow lanes, I saw several people rushing towards Rafiq Qureshi's hutment. I pushed my way through, and to my horror, saw Rubina's mother Khushi holding her stepmother Munni by the scruff of her neck and slapping her black and blue. Enthusiastically I got close to the action and almost landed in the middle of the cat fight.

Taking a step back, I inquired about Rubina's father Rafiq, only to be told that the father and daughter were away giving an interview to a news channel and denying the story of selling Rubina.

Khushi, who stays with her elder daughter in Jui Nagar, had rushed to grab her share as soon as she heard about the money her ex-husband was about to make. In fact, she had created a scene earlier too, when Rubina returned after attending the Oscars.

"I suspect my husband must have hidden Rubina. I am sure that they want to sell my daughter. They want to bank on her stardom, and that's why they wanted her custody," said a fuming Khushi.

Cat fight

While Khushi was desperately waiting for Rafiq and Rubina to return, she saw Munni talking to some news channels. She lost her cool and launched a verbal attack, accusing Munni of using black magic to control Rubina and usurp her wealth. "Kutti, kameeni, meri beti wapas kar," screamed Khushi. When Munni's mother came to her rescue, an outnumbered Khushi grabbed a wooden stick and attacked Munni.

The neighbours intervened and pushed Munni back into her 50-sq-ft room.

With tears rolling down her eyes, she said, "Khushi has been after Rubina since the time she went to the Oscars. Why will we sell Rubina? She is her father's favourite. I love Khushi's children more than she would have loved them."

Fake claim

Rubina's father Rafiq returned and said, "Some sheikh from London called up and said his wife wanted to meet Rubina. These allegations are false. We don't raise our children to sell them. As far as Khushi is concerned, she left Rubina when she was two years old. Why should we give her custody now? The children are happy with us."u00a0



The family, along with Khushi, was later led to Nirmal Nagar police station, Bandra (E). After noting down the statement, the family returned and so did Khushi.

'Hawa aane do, please'
After the dust settled, I was finally allowed to meet Rubina. A neighbour led me to her uncle's shanty where several news channels were already lined up. The nine-year-old surprised everyone with the relative ease with which she tackled the media.

"I will not talk to anyone, until my father clears their names first," she said.

When the reporters began crowding at the shanty, she nonchalantly remarked, "Could you please step aside from the doorway, andar hawa nahi aa rahi hai."

Then like a pro, she dialled her father's cell and confirmed the names of the channels before speaking to them.
"I am happy with my stepmother and father. I don't want to stay with my real mother. The reports of my father trying to sell me are not true. Those people were fake," said Rubina.