Nominated for 10 Oscars, Slumdog Millionaire is this year’s breakout hit. The film’s star, Freida Pinto, talks about the life-changing movie.
How did you land the lead in this film?
I got a call from the film’s casting director last year. My manager told me that Danny Boyle was coming to India to shoot a film. I was a big fan of Train spotting and at first thought it was a joke, because I was like, ‘Why would Danny come to India to shoot a film?’ When I auditioned, I thought, ‘Okay, there are so many people going in for this, I’m going to be dismissed because I have absolutely no acting experience’. The good thing was that Danny was not looking for someone with experience. Little did I know that Danny was going to put me through a six- month audition process which was like going to the Danny Boyle acting school. Every month he would return to Bombay and I would go in once, sometimes twice a month. After six grueling months, I got the part.
So what is your background?
After graduating from St. David’s College in Bombay, I knew I wanted to get into acting. It’s been a dream of mine since I was five but it’s difficult to get into the Bollywood film industry because it’s really closed and very tight. It wasn’t working out so I decided to try modeling. I joined Elite Model Management in India and I was with them 
for two-and-a-half years.
How was it working with your costar, Dev Patel?
If it wasn’t for Dev, a lot of scenes would have been really difficult for me. There were moments where we’d get stuck, but we understood each other brilliantly because this was the first film for both us so we were in the same situation. I couldn't have asked for a better lead actor for my first film.
How has your life changed since making this movie?
I think I’m a lot more confident now. [Director Danny Boyle] gives you a confidence to go out there and explore. The fact is he didn’t come to India looking for established actors. He could have said, ‘I want an established actor so I don’t have to go through the entire process of training someone absolutely new and fresh’. Instead, he had that faith in me, and it makes me believe that he saw something in me. Now I want to go out and prove it. He’s changed my life by giving me a lot of confidence.
Why did you always want to act?
Actually, I didn’t know what I wanted. When I was five, I’d watch Hindi films, then take my mum’s bed sheet and put it over my head and stand in front of the mirror, hold a comb, pretend it was my mike, and perform scenes that I had seen on television. My mum thought I was nuts and kind of knew back then that I was going to be an entertainer and
here I am.
Danny Boyle is a foreigner making a film about Indian kids. Do you think he was able to capture the culture?
Absolutely! A lot of people in India make films about Bombay but don’t really capture the way it is. What Danny has produced is what is really true to Bombay. People may be poor, but they don’t pity themselves or hate it when other people pity them. They’re survivors, they’re fighters, and they’re just like all of us.
Can you share how you were brought up?
I come from a middle-class family in Bombay, living in the suburbs, very humble actually. I went to a Catholic school and my mum’s the principal of another school. Dad’s a banker, so it was really a very normal upbringing. I have an older sister and she’s been like my rock. Even during the auditions for this film, she would help me read lines. She’s always been really supportive.
Do you want to continue acting?
Yeah, I do have dreams and I want to make it big. I don’t want to do things for the sake of doing them. At the end of the day, if I can go home with a smile on my face and be happy, then I’ll know my dream has come true. I definitely see myself acting for as long as possible.
The 81st Annual Academy Awards airs ‘live’ on Star Movies on Monday, February 23 at 6.30 am with a primetime encore at 8.30 pm.
