'Slumdog' child stars to earn £1,000 a day

Slumdog Millionaire child actors Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail will earn £1,000 a day for their roles in planned film Lord Owen's Lady.

Producer Lord Martin Pennell is in talks with Anthony Hopkins to play the leading role of a nobleman who falls in love with a visiting Indian woman when they work together at a shelter for the homeless.

Lord Pennell said that he will pay the two child stars £1,000 for each day they are on set and give them a stake in the proceeds from the film.

In an interview with The Times of India, he spoke about choosing director Mark Weatherbe for the project, saying: "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’s 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."

Ismail's father signed the contract giving permission for his son to act in the film on the day that he succumbed to tubercolosis.

Family friend Dinesh Dubey told TOI: "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."