Maxim gives you a sneak peek at Freida Pinto

After a dream debut performance in the much-felicitated, much-hyped Slumdog Millionaire, the small-town Latika has been rubbing famous shoulders the world over. Maxim gives you a sneak peek at Freida Pinto, the girl who launched a thousand award nights.

When did you realise acting was the thing you wanted to do?

I think it’s natural to want to become an actress after living in the city of stars and watching films all your life. After graduating from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, I modeled for two years. After six months of giving auditions for films, I got a call to audition for Slumdog Millionaire. I thought this would be just another audition. But to my surprise, I was short-listed and finally selected.

Do you think you might have some Latin blood in your veins?

Maybe from ages and ages ago. I think so because I think the Hispanic look is quite prominent in India as such. A lot of Indians are confused as Hispanics even when they travel abroad. So I think there is some kind of connection between Hispanics and Indians in terms of the way that they look or the mannerisms. There’s some kind of connection. I am not totally sure, but I think that Italians and Hispanics and Indians, I think they all have in common this habit of using their hands when they are expressing themselves. It can be quite graceful when you look at it.

You have a line in the movie: ’we are all survivors.’ Do you think that mentality will help you outside India?

Absolutely. I think the reason I am so happy that I was born and raised in India is because it’s made me that fighter, not just a survivor. It kind of equips you with things. You don’t necessarily need to come from a poor background. You can even come from a middle class background, but the point is that you will travel with people along your life’s journey and you will hear their stories and that will enrich your life.

Bombay is a place only for tough people. People who can’t stand the fast pace of that city won’t survive in it. Just like the American dream, there’s a very prominent and a very strong Bombay dream . That dream is to rise out of all the adversity and to make it on your own, to have something that you can call your own.

To get even the smallest space in India that you can call your home is so difficult and people strive and work hard, they literally work day in and day out just to make enough money to buy a home. If you’re born with that kind of a fighting nature, that you will buy a home in Bombay because you want to live there, it’ll equip you for all kinds of hardships.

You might not have a car or a motorbike in Bombay and you’ll be forced to travel in crowded trains. People are literally on top of the trains on the outside. That kind of situation is only meant for people who will not complain and who aren’t weak. They will get on the train and then when they know their stop has come, they’ll push everyone out so that they can get out of the train.

That’s exactly how I used to travel to college. At 9:30 in the morning I had to jump onto the train because if I didn’t, I would never reach college, and so somehow or another, there’s that little inch of space for everyone as long as you’re willing to fight for it.

How has your life changed after this film?

Completely. I think I can finally do what I have always wanted to do, and that is to be an actor, and it’s a dram come true. So it has definitely changed my life in every way possible.

What is it about the film that meant the most to you?

I have to tell you this. When I was in the US, this lady came up to me and she said, ’My friend is really depressed, I am taking her to watch Slumdog Millionaire because I am sure it will uplift her soul.’ And I had tears in my eyes, and no one has really said something like that. So I guess that would be the one compliment.

What is the most surreal thing that has happened so far in this journey?

Meeting all these A-list actors and actresses, because these are people you idolize all your life. I met Thandi Newton by the way, I went up to her and told her what an inspiration she has been.

Give us three directors who you’d kill to work with.

One of them is actually not even alive. I have already worked with Danny Boyle, so I can’t pick his name. There are so many. Alegandro Inaritu, I love his style of filming, so he’d definitely be one. I loved Bank Job and so I think Roger
Donaldson. I loved the film. I loved the way it was shot as well. Someday with Steven Spielberg too, for the simple reason that I think his name is inescapable in Hollywood. He’s an ambitious director and has done so much, so extensively, whether it’s the Jurassic Park films or Munich. He’s done almost every genre and I’d love to work with him.

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