Panaji: Actress Freida Pinto, who plays the lead in British director Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna, a modern adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’, says she considers it her second Indian film after Slumdog Millionaire.
The 27-year-old actress became an overnight star with her role of Latika in Danny Boyle’s India-based story and Trishna is set in India, just like ‘Slumdog’ and has Indian characters despite being directed by a British filmmaker.
Pinto, however, is yet to star in a film in her native country.
“For me this is my second Indian film. It doesn’t matter who makes the film, it is Indian in its essence. 50 per cent of the dialogues are in Marwari and Hindi. Even a film like Gandhi was made in English but is very much Indian,” Pinto said at the 42nd Indian International Film Festival here.
Interestingly, after she claimed that Trishna is her second Indian film, Pinto, who is yet to star in an Indian production, she was asked what her first Indian film was. Slumdog Millionaire’ was her answer.
Trishna has been shot in Rajasthan and Mumbai, starring Pinto as an Indian village girl who falls in love with a rich man.
“We shot in a real setting in a remote village in Ossian in Rajasthan. We lived with a real family and the shots of everyday life are very real.
There is a scene in the film where Pinto’s character is eve-teased on the roads of Jaipur.
“People came out to help me because they thought I was actually being harassed,” said Pinto.
The film also has a number of intimate scenes and Pinto says she is fine with them as long as they are justified.
“I do not take up anything which will embarrass me. The bold scenes in this film were justified and I had no problem with them.”
The actress, who has also starred in films like ‘Miral’ and ‘Immortals’, was all praises for director Winterbottom.
“He has taken me ten steps further as an actress with this film. He made me realise how far I could push myself. He is a very flexible director in terms of scenes and dialogues.”
Trishna was screened to a packed house at the ongoing film fest here. It has also premiered at the Toronto film festival in September. (PTI)