The news is out. Freida Pinto, who somebody said went from obscurity to worldwide superstardom in the blink of a well-curled eyelash with Slumdog Millionaire, has bagged the biggest and perhaps best role of her young career as an actress.

It is in Tarsem Singh’s $100 million Greek mythological epic War of The Gods which will release in the summer of 2011. An excited Hollywood press is supposed to have cranked up the buzz blaster and Tarsem himself described his film “as a larger-than-life adventure with the look and feel of an Italian renaissance painting — a setting well-suited to Freida’s timeless beauty”.

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The actress who has become an international celebrity is working with Woody Allen on his next untitled film and has a few other projects in her pocket. When the international press spoke to Freida, she said that she would only come to Bollywood if it meant acting in a Bhandarkar flick.

Madhur Bhandarkar, who could be called the man behind the original Slumdog, Traffic Signal was more that flattered and said in a recent interview:

“I’d love to work with Freida, Today I’m at a stage where an actress of Freida’s international popularity singles me out. I guess I must’ve done something right in these ten years as a director. Can you imagine the kind of potboilers I’d be making if my first film Trishakti had clicked?”

The director who is known for his female centric films, read: Chandini Bar, Page 3, Fashion feels this could be the reason behind Freida’s decision. Pinto could be Bhandarkar’s ticket to the Oscars if he did churn out a film for her, you listening Madhur?

Freida Pinto has said that director Danny Boyle deserves to receive Indian citizenship because of his true understanding of Mumbaikar – the people who live in Mumbai. The actress told Metro that people who work in call centres in India connected with Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.

Pinto said: “My entire crew make fun of me but I think Danny Boyle should get Indian citizenship because he really got under the skin of a Mumbaikar better than anyone else.

“He has not been naïve about the fact when you come to Mumbai you see slums. It is just the way it is.”

She added: “When you are starting off with no acting skills, acting with him is a blessing. He is enigmatic.”

Boyle’s Jai Ho trust recently purchased a new home for child cast member Azharuddin Ismail, whose house was demolished.

Freida Pinto, the Indian actress who starred in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, has revealed that sex scenes in Bollywood are usually shot just for the sake of randy directors, but are eventually edited from films. In an interview to Complex magazine, Freida admitted that she almost fell victim to one lusty filmmaker, who attempted to convince her that a sex scene was a pivotal part of his movie.

However, she didn’t succumb as she was aware of how such things work in Indian cinema.

“It’’s kind of taboo. It usually gets cut off at the censorship board level, so what’’s the point of having shot it?” Contactmusic quoted her as saying. She added: “Three or four years back I was auditioning for a film and I met this man who was like, ”We can be good friends,” with a twinkle in his eye. I knew where that was coming from and it didn”t feel right.”

However, Pinto has stressed that such incidents doesn’t mean that she is averse to do sex scenes for Hollywood directors, when needed. “It all depends on the director, what kind of work he’’s done in the past,” she said.

Her career till now has been made up of stuff that few would even dare to dream of. Her looks are something that any average model in Mumbai can boast of. And her lineage is something that does not automatically catapult one to stardom. Yet Freida Pinto is a star today. And a big international one, having walked the red carpet at almost all the big film festivals that matter, thanks to her first film Slumdog Millionaire.

“I come from a completely non-filmy background, being born to Mangalorean parents in Mumbai. The only connection I had with the entertainment industry was my sister, who works as a producer in NDTV,” says Freida while talking about her background. “But I did have dreams of making a career in acting which is why I used to participate in all dramatics events in my college (St Xavier’s in Mumbai) In fact, I even started walking the ramp and modeling for different brands after graduating I wanted a toehold in the entertainment industry,” says Freida while walking down the memory lane.

Freida took up modeling quite seriously and before she could bat an eyelid, she landed up with prestigious assignments for big brands like Wrigleys, Skoda, India Today, De Beers, Hutch, Airtel and Visa. “Though I was getting lot of good modeling assignments and doing quite well, I was not completely satisfied since I wanted to make a mark in acting,” says the mode-turned actress who started doing rounds of production houses and participating in various auditions in search of a break.

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Walking down the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Freida Pinto’s glam doll image is a far cry from a few years ago when she was pulling on a rubber red nose and slapping on the face paint to clown around at a children’s party.

The things people do for a quick buck, and it seems Hollywood’s current ‘It’ girl is no exception.

After wowing critics as the star-crossed lover in Slumdog Millionaire, landing a spot on the much-coveted Tonight Show with Jay Leno and even catching the eye of ladies’ man, Gerard Butler, Pinto can be excused for letting fame go to her head. But the 24-year-old is full of surprises.

“I was a very independent child and always wanted to make my own money,” Pinto tells Emirates Business. “By the time I was 13, I had promoted Act II popcorn in supermarkets, and done voiceovers in stadiums during matches. It earned me Rs125 (Dh12).

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She looks every bit a Hollywood star as she poses confidently in her little black dress and matching stilettos.

Freida Pinto, female lead in the much acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire, is enjoying every minute of her new found stardom. “It’s been a great homecoming,” she says with a tired but contented smile. The Indian premiere last night has kept the jet-lagged actress on her toes ever since she came back from the Golden Globes.

“I need to treasure these moments for the rest of my life. For someone who’s never acted before, this break was a blessing. Working for Danny Boyle was like attending the best acting school. When we started working, he told me, ‘Life isn’t always the same. Brace yourself for the world!’ The attention does get overwhelming at times and I’m still getting used to it. I’m a shy, reserved girl. Even when today someone compliments me, I get very embarrassed,” she says with laugh.

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