'Slumdog' kids hit big time!

This surely is more than a dream coming true for the child actors of Slumdog Millionaire.
Rubina and Azhar have been cast in Lord Owen���s Lady to be directed by Mark Weatherbe. Guess how much the child actors would be paid for each day? Well, nothing less than ��1,000 per day of the shoot.
Talking about the project, Lord Martin Pennell, chairman of Dragons Productions (Wales) Ltd which is producing the film, says, ���Lord Owen���s Lady is a musical love story about a nobleman who falls in love with an Indian girl visiting her aunt in Wales.The pair meet while working in a shelter for the homeless. We have confirmed Rubina and Azhar to play grandchildren in the film. They have lines in the film too.
The other stars include Rohini Hattangadi and Nirvasha Jithoo. Anupum Kher has confirmed his participation in principle but not yet in writing. Even as we speak, we are in talks with Sir Anthony Hopkins��� agents in the US. We are also planning to cast Welsh actor Owain Yeoman as one of the lead stars. Filming will begin once the entire funding is secured. That should likely be after May 2010.���
Though Pennell is still raising the finances and also looking for investors, he is planning to offer both Azhar and Rubina ��1,000 per day for being present for the shootings. ���I also plan to offer Rubina and Azhar a one per cent profit share of the film and make sure that their future is secured,��� he adds.
Unfortunately, Azhar���s father succumbed to tuberculosis on the day (September 4, 2009) he had signed this consent letter to allow his son to do this film. ���It was shocking when Azhar���s father passed away on the day he signed and sent the letter to Pennell. We���ll ensure that Azhar fulfils his father���s dreams,��� says Dinesh Dubey, who has been long associated with Azhar���s family.
While selecting the director, Pennell also had in mind some reputed Indian directors. ���But we settled for Mark because of his exposure to India and his expertise. He has worked with the likes of Guy Ritchie, Jodie Foster and Adam Baldwin. Being a musical, we plan to have three Indian and two Welsh songs. We have confirmed Anthony Hopkins��� daughter, Abigail, to do a song. The Indian songs will be taken care by Sanjay Kapil. The Indian leg of film will be shot either in Delhi or Mumbai. The rest will be shot in Cardiff. The script may change to accommodate more scenes in India,��� Pennell signs off.