FILM COLUMN: FREIDA PINTO
'Slumdog Millionaire' Star Can't Open Bollywood Doors, Pursues Hollywood Opps Instead
She may have wowed American and British audiences in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, but the Oscar-winning film that also starred Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor has not really paid off for Freida Pinto when it comes to opportunities in Bollywood. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Freida spoke out about her struggles in Bollywood despite landing offers for roles in several Hollywood productions such as Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Julian Schnabel’s Miral, Tarsem Singh’s Immortal, and Rupert Wyatt’s The Rise of Apes while also gaining critical acclaim at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards for her role in Slumdog Millionaire.
During her candid chat with The New York Times, Freida said her biggest obstacle is earning a level of professional respect and appeal. It also hurts her case that none of the films she has starred in are Bollywood productions.
“I have done no film in India, so it is very hard for people to accept me as an actress. They don’t really know who I am or they probably don’t take me too seriously,” the model-turned-actress informed The New York Times earlier this week. “I haven’t been directly approached to do a Bollywood film. After Slumdog Millionaire, I was given scripts to read but was not directly approached. I don’t think I fit the bill.”
Quite the candid self-assessment, Freida seems to have no problem garnering significant interest in Hollywood, what with her next starring role coming in the form of Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger prior to appearing opposite Spider-Man supporting actor James Franco in the sci-fi flick Rise of the Apes.
The stark contrast between her acceptance in Hollywood and near non-existence in Bollywood is quite mind-boggling to Freida.
“They definitely have accepted me much more willingly than in India. I am not famous in India. I don’t get chased around,” she candidly told The New York Times.
Ironically enough, Hollywood was not even on Freida’s radar at the onset of her career. In an interview with Buzzine, she confessed her ambitious dream to pursue a career as a Bollywood actress.
“Since I was five, I’ve always wanted to act. After college, I decided that I wanted to get into Indian films, but it was very difficult because the Indian film industry is really tight,” she humbly told Buzzine. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a profession out of it, but I definitely wanted to be involved [in acting]. I got into modeling hoping I would get the right amount of visibility, but it didn’t work. If you want to get into it, you’ve got to have a family member – brother, sister – someone who is going to push you in the right direction.”
Apparently no one in India is stepping up to the plate to point Freida in the right direction when it comes to Hindi cinema. Yet no one should cry for her just yet, as she is still making waves in the United States. Gossip columns are still gushing over the actress, who is still romantically linked to her Slumdog Millionaire co-star, Dev Patel.
Further, it was announced this week that Freida will grace the cover of The New York Times Style Magazine. In addition, unconfirmed reports have linked her to two other Hollywood film productions, including Dawn of War and American Empire.
Be sure to “Like” Buzzine Bollywood on our Facebook Fan Page.
