'Slumdog' Stars May Lose Trust After Skipping School

According to a new report, Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali--the child stars of last year's Oscar-winner "Slumdog Millionaire"--may lose their monthly allowance if they don't stop skipping school.

The money comes from the Jai Ho Trust, which was set up for them by filmmaker Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson as compensation for their work in the film.

According to the AFP, one of the trustees told the Press Trust of India that the threat was an attempt to pressure the families into making sure the children attend school.

The AFP reports:

When asked about his truancy by NDTV, Ismail, 11, said "My father died and I had to go through the rituals so I couldn't attend."

Ismail's father died in September after a lengthy battle with tuberculosis. Ali, 10, gave a similar excuse, telling the network "I had hurt my foot with a glass shard and got burnt with a cracker. So I was not going to school."

Ali's father Rafiq defended her, saying "I know what is best for Rubina. They called us and said they will stop helping us. I told them God will take care of us.

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