Forget Slumdog - Just Plain "Dog"

Sadly, another disturbing incident involving one of the child actors who performed in "Slumdog Millionaire." Rubina Ali, the little girl who played the child version of the female lead, was reportedly offered for sale by her father for 200,000 British Pounds. Comment boards are aflame with people hoping someone, anyone, comes in and rescues Ali from her family; angry comments being made against the director and producers of the movie for not providing more for the child actors; comments about the need for the Indian government to step in; comments about the evil things poverty does to people; and, of course, the run-of-the-mill comments about why are people in such poverty not controlling themselves "more responsibly" and have such large families that they can't support.

Whew!

While it would be great if a benefactor did come in and adopt Ali and save her from her situation, the sad fact is that in India, alone, there are more than 11 million children living in the exact same conditions that she is. 11 million in one country, living in squalor. Approximately 50% of Indians live in poverty; 40% of these individuals are children. One benefactor coming in and saving Ali will not change the conditions for these other children, many of whom are, assuredly, facing being sold into prostitution and slavery as well. It would be great if there was as much outrage and outcries on behalf of these children as there is for Ali.

With regards to the Indian government stepping in and helping these children, that is unlikely to happen without consistent pressure from the outside world and media. The Indian government is known for being corrupt and suffering from it's own inertia. It will likely step in and investigate the Ali situation because of all the worldwide attention being paid to the situation, but as soon as the cameras go away and the lights dim, Ali, just like the millions of other children, will be left to fend for herself.

As far as the producers of "Slumdog Millionaire," honestly, while it would be great if they stepped in and did something, I do not find them to be responsible for this situation. Yes, Ali got paid approximately $4000 to perform in a film that has grossed millions worldwide. Yes, the producers and other workers on the film have undoubtedly made huge sums of money in comparison. But, as with all unknown actors, Ali was paid a prearranged sum for her work. Most actors do not get profit-sharing of the film, regardless of their life situations; in that manner, this case should be no different. As it is, after the fact, the producers did set up educational trust funds for the "Slumdog" child actors and have arranged for their families to move out of the slums. Blaming the filmmakers for this situation is the wrong action, in my opinion.

Personally, I believe that the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Ali's father, Rafiq. While the poverty that the Alis live in probably plays a factor, the father's apparent greed and desire for more money for himself appears to be the strongest contributing factor. And unfortunatley, in this regard, he is no different than the numbers of parents here in the United States who exploit their own children for wealth and fame (see: Dina Lohan, Lynne Spears). Even if the filmmakers had given Ali $100,000 or even $1 million for her work, I do not believe it would have been enough for her father - he would still be seeking to make more money off of his child. And unfortunately, as with the complexities surrounding poverty in general, the question of how to deal with parents like this is not an easy one - or one that has a convenient Hollywood ending.