'Mummy, mujhe ghar jaldi aana hai'

Proud moment: Rubina's family and neighbours in the Garib nagar slum have stayed awake to watch the Oscars. pic/Atul Kamble

Rubina, who has never been away from her family, was craving for some homemade food. Munni (28), Rubina's mother said, "Rubina is missing all of us. She wants to come home soon and eat homemade food. She told us they have been kept in a room with high security. When she called, she was leaving to go shopping for her Oscar outfit."

She added that they have cooked her favourite Pulao. "She wants to be an actress like Preity Zinta and help the poor."

Proud parents

Rafiq, Rubina's father (36), said, "Whether she wins or not, we are happy. We have kept a mannat and will visit Ajmer Dargah, Maqdum Shah Baba Dargah and Haji Ali if Slumdog Millionaire wins. Along with us, every Mumbaikar must be praying that we win. We're proud that our kids, have reached the Oscars. My daughter is going to bring T-shirts for us."

Rubina had asked her uncle, Salim (27), to gift her a mobile phone on her return from LA.

"I will gift her the mobile phone the moment she returns, and we will also distribute sweets in our entire neighbourhood.''

Awake for Oscars

Not only the families of Slumdog child stars Rubina and Mohammed Azharuddin Ismail, but the entire
neighbourhod didn't sleep a wink to catch the Oscars live this morning. Though Rubina's sister Sana (13) and brothers Abbas (7) and Irfan (8) were asleep, her brother Babu (10) was awake with the excitement.

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