Freida Pinto

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Freida Pinto
Freida Pinto 3, 2012.jpg
Pinto at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Dinner in September 2012
Born Freida Selena Pinto
(1984-10-18) 18 October 1984 (age 28)[1]
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Actress, model, presenter
Years active 2006–present
Partner(s) Dev Patel (2009–present)

Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October 1984) is an Indian actress and model. Hailing from a Mangalorean Catholic family, she wanted to become an actress from a young age. Prior to making her cinematic debut, she worked as a model and television presenter, and acted in plays while attending college. Pinto continued modeling for four years and enrolled herself in an acting course at the "Barry John's Acting Studio" in Mumbai where she was trained by Barry John (theatre director).

Pinto rose to prominence playing the role of "Latika" in the 2008 British Indian drama film Slumdog Millionaire, a film that marked her debut. Her performance was well received as she won the "Breakthrough Performance Award" at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In addition, her work was nominated at various award ceremonies such as British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) and MTV Movie Awards. Since then she has starred in a number of British-Indian and Indian-American productions, notably You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Immortals and Trishna where she played the titular character.

In 2009 Pinto became romantically involved with Dev Patel, her co-star in Slumdog Millionaire, with whom she is currently living. Her off-screen roles include being a part of the "Agassi Foundation", a philanthropic organisation started by Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf which looks after providing education for deprived children.

Contents

Early life and modeling career[edit]

Pinto was born into a Mangalorean Catholic family in Mumbai.[2][3] Her surname is of Portuguese origin as the result of her ancestors' conversion to Catholicism by missionaries.[4][5] Her mother, Sylvia, is the principal of St. John's High School (Goregaon), and her father, Frederick, is a senior branch manager at the Bank of Baroda.[6] Pinto has an elder sister, Sharon, who is the associate producer of NDTV, a news channel.[7] Pinto aspired to become an actress since she was five years old.[8] When she was ten, Sushmita Sen won Miss Universe 1994, which inspired the former to become an actress and turned out to be a defining point in her life.[9][10] Pinto studied at the Carmel of St. Joseph School in Malad, Mumbai where she actively participated in sports and sang in the school choir. She completed a degree in arts with a major in English literature, and minors in Psychology and Economics, from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.[8][11][12]

Pinto is an accomplished dancer in Salsa and Classical Indian dance.[1] She had acted in plays and amateur theatre while attending college.[10] Later she joined the Elite Model Management and modeled for two-and-half years.[8] Pinto was featured in several television and print advertisements endorsing products such as Wrigley's Chewing Gum, Škoda, Vodafone India, Airtel, Visa, E-Bay and DeBeers.[6] She modeled for four years and appeared in runway shows and magazine covers including Femina and FNL.[6][7] She learned acting from "The Barry John's Acting Studio" in Andheri, Mumbai where she was trained by theatre director Barry John.[1]

Acting career[edit]

Career beginnings and breakthrough (2008–10)[edit]

Pinto along with the crew of Slumdog Millionaire during its screening at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival.

Before her entry into films, Pinto anchored Full Circle, an international travel show which was aired on Zee International Asia Pacific in English during the period 2006–08.[13] During this time, Pinto got an opportunity to visit countries like Fiji, Malaysia and Thailand, thereby exploring different cultures.[6] By that time Pinto auditioned for numerous films, all of them turned out to be unsuccessful. Later in an interview while being questioned about her rejections she added, "I'm glad things happened the way they happened. I needed to be rejected, and I needed to learn that it's part of the game ... I can have 100 rejections, but I'm sure there's going to be one particular thing that is almost destined for me to have".[14] She received a call for Slumdog Millionaire;[15] she was short-listed and finally selected to star in the film.[11] Directed by Danny Boyle the film starred Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan alongside Pinto. Pinto played the role of Latika, the girl with whom Jamal, the film's lead character would fall in love.[16] The film premiered at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Cadillac People's Choice Award.[17] Slumdog Millionaire turned out to be a sleeper hit, receiving universal acclaim,[6] mainly for its plot and soundtrack. It emerged out as the most successful film at the 81st Academy Awards winning eight of the 10 nominations, including major categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.[6] The film also gained nominations at various award ceremonies including the Golden Globe Awards, where it won four awards. Pinto herself was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2009 BAFTA Awards,[18] In addition, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture alongside other cast members from the film.[19][20]

Pinto next starred in Woody Allen's comedy-drama film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, alongside Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Anupam Kher and Naomi Watts.[21] The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, receiving negative reviews.[22] Pinto played a minor role by the character name Dia.[23] She next appeared in the 2011 science fiction film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series, where she played Caroline, a primatologist, and was cast opposite James Franco. Pinto played the central character in her next production Miral, a biographical film based on a novel by Rula Jebreal. the film opened to negative reviews. A review from East Bay Express noted, "Pinto handles the central role with a certain dignity, but the real drama is in Miral's rejection of violence in favor of Hind Husseini’s (Abbass) example of education and negotiation."[24] Following that, Pinto starred in 2011 fantasy-action-drama film, Immortals, in which she played the oracle priestess Phaedra.[25] The same year, she played "Princess Lailah" in the 1930s-set period drama film Black Gold; she was cast alongside Antonio Banderas and Mark Strong.[26]

Trishna and the future (2011–present)[edit]

In 2011, Pinto starred in Michael Winterbottom's British drama film Trishna alongside Riz Ahmed; she played the titular character in the film. An acclimatization of Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles, the film first premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Described by The Guardian as a "seductive, allegorical study of male-female relationships",[27] the film features Pinto as the daughter of a peasant who falls in love with a London-based hotelier, played by Ahmed.[28] Unlike her previous films, Trishna gained positive response from critics.[29] The film was universally acclaimed as it was nominated for the Best Film Award at the London Film Festival and Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival.[30]

Pinto's forthcoming release Desert Dancer is a biographical drama film that revolves around the life of a dancer. Pinto underwent rigorous dance training consisting of eight hours of rehearsals a day lasting for 14 weeks, as demanded by that role.[31] As of 2013, she is scheduled to act with Christian Bale in Knight of Cups,[32] and the romantic thriller NH10, which marks Pinto's Bollywood debut. The film, which began filming in March 2013, has since been delayed.[33]

Media image and personal life[edit]

Soon after the release of Slumdog Millionaire, Pinto garnered immense popularity and was frequently included in the "Most Beautiful Women in the World" list. In 2009, she was featured in People magazine's "Most Beautiful People List",[34] and "List of World's Best Dressed Women".[35] The same year, Daily Telegraph reported that Pinto was the highest-paid Indian actress, although she never appeared in a Bollywood film.[36] She was also included in Vogue's 2009 list of the "top ten most stylish women".[37] On 13 May 2009, Pinto became a new spokesmodel for L'Oréal.[38] A controversy arose when she appeared for a TV commercial for promoting L'Oreal, as many thought it to be racial discrimination from countries that are possessive about fair skin; the commercial showcased Pinto lighter than her true skin tone.[39] In 2010, she was featured in the "Top 99 Most Desirable Women" poll conducted by Askmen.com in 2010.[40] Two years later, People named her one of the "Most Beautiful at Every Age".[41] The following year, Pinto was voted the "Hottest Indian Chick" in a controversial poll conducted by GQ.[42]

Before making her film debut Pinto was engaged to former publicist Rohan Antao; the relationship ended in January 2009.[43] After that she started dating her Slumdog Millionaire co-star Dev Patel. Since then the couple have been living together in Los Angeles.[44] Later in an interview, Pinto stated that she does not want to act with Patel as she feels they will not be able to meet out the "chemistry" they had in their debut film.[45] Pinto was criticised for having "shunned" the Indian film industry.[46] However, she claimed that she is unable to find roles that suit her in Bollywood. She also stated that she enjoys watching Bollywood films and is keen to act in future.[47]

Pinto joined Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf in support of their philanthropic organisation "Agassi Foundation". She is the only Indian actress to have participated in their annual fund raiser titled, "The 15th Grand Slam for Children", aimed at raising funds for the education of underprivileged children.[48] In 2013, she appeared in a video clip for Gucci's "Chime for Change" campaign to raise funds and awareness of women's issues in terms of education, health, and justice.[49] In April 2013, Pinto collaborated with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim for the Call to Action - Girl Rising campaign. The documentary film Girl Rising made by Academy Award nominee Richard E. Robbins, showcases the power of education in transforming girls' lives around the globe.[50]

Filmography[edit]

List of films acted by Freida Pinto
Year Film Role Notes
2008 Slumdog Millionaire Latika Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Palm Springs International Film Festival – Breakthrough Performance Award
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Black Reel Awards of 2008 – Best Ensemble
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
2010 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Dia
2010 Miral Miral
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Caroline Aranha
2011 Immortals Phaedra
2012 Day of the Falcon Princess Leyla Film also referred to as Black Gold
2012 Trishna Trishna
2013 Knight of Cups Post-Production
2013 Desert Dancer Mentor Post-Production
2014 NH10 Detective Announced

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Freida Pinto – Biography". Screen (magazine). Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  2. ^ "Slumdog has done India proud, says Frieda's father". Daily News and Analysis (DNA). 23 February 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  3. ^ Blanks, Tim. "Freida Pinto". Interview (magazine). Retrieved 7 April 2013. 
  4. ^ Sung, Helena (2009). "Destiny's Child". Audrey (magazine). Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2013. 
  5. ^ "Freida Pinto wants to undergo DNA test to prove she is Indian". The Daily Telegraph. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2013. 
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Why is she Famous". Askmen.com. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  7. ^ a b D'Mello, Gerry (25 November 2008). "The Newest Star on the Mangalorean Horizon-Freida Pinto". Daijiworld Media. Retrieved 25 November 2008. 
  8. ^ a b c Sung, Helena. "Destiny's Child". Audrey Magazine (February – March 2009). Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2009. 
  9. ^ Silva, Horacio (19 August 2010). "Out on a Limb". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  10. ^ a b "Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto's amazing rise to fame". Daily Mirror. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  11. ^ a b "It's natural to want to become an actress after living in Mumbai". Rediff.com. 16 June 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008. 
  12. ^ "Unplugged: Freida Pinto". The Times of India. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  13. ^ "Freida Pinto had a brush with suicide bomber". The Times of India. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  14. ^ Martin, Michael. "Freida Pinto". Interview (magazine). Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  15. ^ Ramani, Nithya. "It's natural to want to become an actress after living in Mumbai". Rediff.com. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  16. ^ "What's next for the stars of Slumdog Millionaire?". Daily News (New York). 25 February 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  17. ^ "Film based against Indian backdrop wins award at TIFF". The Economic Times. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  18. ^ "Film Awards Winners in 2009". BAFTA. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  19. ^ Parker, Eloise. "Woody Allen casts Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto for upcoming film". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  20. ^ "Slumdog Millionaire bags 2 more US film awards as well as picking up 8 awards at the oscars.". CNN IBN. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2009. 
  21. ^ Verma, Sukanya (17 December 2010). "A twisted Woody Allen fairytale!". Rediff.com. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  22. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2010 as it happened: day four". The Daily Telegraph. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  23. ^ A. O. Scott (21 September 2010). "Looking for Something When Life Signifies Nothing". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  24. ^ "Miral". East Bay Express. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  25. ^ "Freida Pinto takes on Immortals". The Indian Express. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2010. 
  26. ^ Fischer, Russ. "Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong and Freida Pinto Cast in Black Gold". /Film. Retrieved 18 April 2013. 
  27. ^ "Trishna – review". The Guardian. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  28. ^ Collin, Robbie (8 March 2012). "Trishna, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  29. ^ Nigel M Smith (15 September 2011). "Sundance Selects Nabs Michael Winterbottom's Trishna". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 April 2013. 
  30. ^ "Film Description Trishna". Barrie Film Festival. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  31. ^ Joshi, Priya (13 October 2012). "Freida Pinto: 'Dance training for Desert Dancer was daunting". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  32. ^ Larkin, Mike (15 March 2013). "Life's a beach for Christian Bale as he frolics on the shore with brunette beauty Freida Pinto". Daily Mail. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  33. ^ Joshi, Priya. "Freida Pinto's first Bollywood film NH10 delayed?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  34. ^ "Sneak Peek: World's Most Beautiful People". People. Retrieved 15 August 2009. 
  35. ^ "Freida Pinto, Winslet in People's best dressed list". Daily News and Analysis (DNA). 17 September 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  36. ^ Nelson, Dean (26 March 2009). "Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is Bollywood top earner". The Daily Telegraph (New Delhi). Retrieved 20 October 2009. 
  37. ^ ""Stylish" pinto in Vogue's top 10 list!". Hindustan Times. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  38. ^ "Pinto thinks L'Oreal is worth it". Daily Express. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2009. 
  39. ^ "Freida Pinto's 'lighter' skin tone was not altered, says L'Oreal". The Financial Express. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  40. ^ "Why She's No.50". Askmen.com. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  41. ^ Karen J. Quan (20 April 2012). "2012 Most Beautiful at Every Age – Freida Pinto". People. Retrieved 25 April 2012. 
  42. ^ "Freida Pinto named hottest Indian chick". The Times of India. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  43. ^ Susan Wloszczyna (29 March 2011). "Freida Pinto, Dev Patel: Like something out of a movie". USA Today. Retrieved 26 February 2012. 
  44. ^ Marcus Barnes (5 November 2011). "Dev Patel and Freida Pinto move their belongings in to a swish 1.5 million Santa Monica home". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 February 2012. 
  45. ^ "Freida Pinto won't act with Dev Patel again". Evening Standard. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2013. 
  46. ^ "I can find my place in Bollywood now: Freida Pinto". The Indian Express. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  47. ^ Nigam, Aarushi (17 March 2013). "I don't feel like an Indian in Hollywood: Freida Pinto". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 April 2013. 
  48. ^ Ganguly, Prithwish (30 September 2010). "Freida the ace in Agassi-Steffi game". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  49. ^ Karmali, Sarah (16 April 2013). "Blake Lively and Halle Berry Join Gucci’s Chime For Change". Vogue. Retrieved 22 April 2013. 
  50. ^ "Freida Pinto, Anne Hathaway join Girl Rising documentary". The Indian Express. 17 April 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2013. 

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Freida Pinto
Authority control
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freida_Pinto&oldid=559011282"