From the slums to the stars - nine-year-old heroine of Danny Boyle's hit film SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE tells her story

Rubina Ali was born in East Bandra, Mumbai, in one of the largest slums in India. Her mother deserted her when she was two years old, and she has been brought up since then by her father and a new step-mother and siblings. Growing up between the railway track and one of the sewers that carve up her Mumbai slum, Rubina has hardly been to school. Lucky enough to be called by a middle-man in her slum to audition for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, the rest of Rubina's story is history. Since the film became a million-dollar hit, Rubina's shanty home has been razed by officials and was recently almost destroyed in a fire. Due to the unprecedented media glare, she and her family have been re-housed by the local authorities. In 2008, Danny Boyle and the producers of the film set up the Jai Ho trust fund to provide welfare for Rubina and her co-star, Azhar, and their familes, until they leave school. They have also provided support for them to cope with their rapid change in plight and with the onslaught of media attention since the film's release. Rubina continues to fascinate the tabloid media and is in constant demand for international fund-raising events. Her acting career is also taking off as she is due to appear in a new Bollywood blockbuster on release later this year. Royalties from this book will be shared by the author and Medecins du Monde, who are setting up local healthcare community projects for new mothers and children.