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Freida Pinto on her Breakup,Bollywood and Exotic Appeal "I hate Freida Pinto,[ /b] were the first words of a journalist friend when I told her I'll be meeting the actress. [b] She is a very bad actor, and got everything too easy. This seems to be popular opinion in India. .Freida shot to fame after appearing in Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire. A film with Woody Allen followed, and then a starring role in blockbuster like Rise of the Apes . Her next is Knight of Cups with Christian Bale and an Indie flick called Desert Dancer . We may think of her as a non-actor, even wooden, but what makes her click with international filmmakers? [ /b] . The first thing you notice about her is the practiced ease with which she conducts herself. The conversation is a series of witty repartees, a lot of smiling and political correctness. Her Hollywood stint seems to have smoothened out the rough edges, and theres an air of confidence that seems to come with being groomed by the best in the business.[b] I want to balance out the big budget Hollywood blockbusters with some smart independent films, she declares. Ask her if she always had her sights set on Hollywood and she says, I just wanted to become an actor. As an actor, you dont have to limit yourself to a particular culture or ethnicity. I want to spread my tentacles everywhere and am ready for a film offer from any part of the world.she says like shes reading off cue cards.The Malad girl spends most of her time between Los Angeles and New York, acting and auditioning. I tell her if she did films in India, she wouldnt have to care about auditioning. But dont Bollywood actors audition? Even James (Franco) had to audition for 127 Hours . After a pause, she says, Im sure Shah Rukh doesnt have to audition, and breaks into laughter. Freida says she reads scripts, but doesnt see herself fitting in a film like, say, Jab We Met . Some people know their strengths; I know what I can do justice to, she says, adding Thats why you have the amazing Kareena handling something like that. Well played. Freida disagrees that her Indian connection, and the exotic appeal she brings to her roles, are the reasons for her being cast in these films. Except the Woody Allen film, which was about people with diverse ethnic backgrounds, other directors dont take me on because they feel theres an exotic value attached to me being Indian, but because I fit the role. Its not been a smooth sailing. Some years ago, Indian tabloids reported about Freida being engaged to a Rohan Antao. The story went that she was set to marry Antao, when Hollywood came calling, and she ditched him. I ask her what she had to say about being made out to be this b***c. I felt I hit ground zero. But I had my friends and family to look after me. I accepted that I would have to make my peace with tabloid journalism.She was also supported, she says, by boyfriend Dev Patel.He had been an actor since the age of 16 and was used to dealing with the press. He consoled me when I was down. Freida says that though Dev is the younger one, hes the more protective one.And he better be, she smiles.
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