TORONTO - Freida Pinto was thrilled Friday to be back in the city where her acclaimed movie "Slumdog Millionaire" first took flight, noting audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival were among the first to praise the rags-to-riches saga.
"I'm very excited to be here," the Mumbai-raised model-turned-actress, who made her film debut as the love interest in the drama that's been nominated for 10 Oscars, said at a gala for the South Asian lifestyles magazine Anokhi.
"In a strange way it's like my little gift back to the city because this is where it all started. This is where we had a first fan following, where we had the first standing ovation given to us by the press," said Pinto, 24, referring to the People's Choice Award the film won at the Toronto festival last September.
"I think in a strange way if this city hadn't started it all for us, it could have been a bit more difficult."
"Slumdog Millionaire," directed by Danny Boyle, centres on an uneducated teen (Dev Patel) from the slums of Mumbai who scores big on India's version of the TV game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Since it screened in Toronto, the low-budget drama has gone on to become the darling of awards season, dominating at the Golden Globes and Producers Guild of America events, and being named best ensemble cast from the Screen Actors Guild.
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Last Sunday, Boyle also took the top honour from the Directors Guild of America for the film, making him a favourite for a directing trophy at the Oscars on Feb. 22.
And this Sunday, "Slumdog" is up for 11 trophies at Britain's version of the Academy Awards (BAFTAs).
Pinto, who has relatives in Mississauga, Ont., said she's been keeping tokens of memorabilia from each awards ceremony and given them to her mother, who is making a scrapbook for her.
"I have the silliest things," Pinto, wearing a dusty rose-coloured dress, said in an interview.
"Like, on tables at the Golden Globes, it had, 'Reserved for Freida Pinto,' things like that; the silliest things like that people just leave on the table and walk away - I have collected all of that."
Pinto has worked hard for her success and hasn't changed a bit since the "Slumdog" whirlwind began, said Janet D'Souza, one of her aunts who lives in Mississauga.
"To us, she is just our niece, nothing different," D'Souza said at the gala. "We keep her pretty well grounded. We treat her as we treated her before so we yell at her sometimes, we have arguments."
"Slumdog Millionaire" has met some criticism recently.
Recent reports in British newspapers have suggested the child actors in the film weren't adequately compensated for their work; slum-dwellers in India have said the use of the word "dog" in the title is demeaning; and some critics in India say it's not an accurate portrayal of Mumbai.
The backlash has helped the cast become more mature as they promote the film, said Pinto, adding the criticism "was bound to happen."
"Being a nation that supports democracy, they do have freedom of speech and expression," she said in reference to India.
"I'm no one to correct them but my opinion is that this film is a genuine depiction of Mumbai. I am from Mumbai and I can relate to everything that has been done and said in this film."
Pinto was to fly out to London for the BAFTAs Friday night, and planned to jetset from there to Los Angeles for the Oscars.
"It's almost really sad that Feb. 22, at that peak of the Academy Awards, is going to mark the end of all of this," she said, noting once it's all over she'll look ahead to her next film role.
"This film has given me that kind of licence to go out there and say: 'This is OK, this won't work for me."'
http://chitika.com/publishers.php?refid=almosthuman99
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