I have done no film in India: Freida Pinto

Despite doing interesting films, Freida Pinto and Rushita Singh have still not had their big Bollywood break. Why does Bollywood ignore Indian exports to Hollywood?

International directors have come to India and worked with Indian artistes in their critically acclaimed projects. Some of these actors have even gone on to do quite a few big Hollywood and European movies later on. But why is it that barring a few, Bollywood has largely ignored these actors while casting them in Hindi movies?

Irrfan, of course, remains an exception who has been welcomed with open arms in Bollywood even while his international career is going great guns. But look at Freida Pinto's Bollywood career. The actor has returned to India again after "Slumdog Millionaire" catapulted her to fame in the West. This time around, she has been shooting for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna" in India. But, Freida, who has already worked with the likes of Woody Allen in "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" and Julian Schnabel in "Miral", is yet to sign on an Indian movie. In fact, in an interview in The New York Times, Freida has said, "I have done no film in India, so it's very hard for people to accept me as an actor there. They don't really know who I am or they probably don't take me that seriously".

Rushita Singh, who played Tulsi alongside Julia Roberts in " Eat Pray Love" is yet to sign on any new Bollywood film. She says, "Be it for an ad, a film or a stage performance, actors give their best shot. Also Freida and my international debuts were offered to us because we best suited the roles. Similarly, when there will be something that suits us best here, we will surely be seen in a Bollywood movie. Sometimes, dates don't work out. There are a lot of things responsible for doing or not doing a movie." So, does a Hollywood debut still force an actor to start from scratch while Bollywood is concerned? "There are people who get the best start possible. Their debut films are blockbuster hits. But, that's about it all. It's not about Hollywood or Bollywood," Rushita adds.

Priyanka Bose, who acted in Italo Spinelli's "Gangor" and even walked the red carpet at the Rome International Film Festival, did a cameo in "Guzaarish". But the big Bollywood break has still not come her way. "Perhaps, offers haven't come my way since I am supposedly not conventionally pretty for film-makers. I know the audience is also ready to experience actors who don't cater to a certain stereotype. Perhaps, independent film-makers in India will be more keen on casting actors who have made international debuts than hardcore Bollywood directors," she says.

Anand Tiwari, who had Naomi Watts as his co-star in Doug Liman's "Fair Game", says, "Casting for films for Hollywood and Bollywood happens differently. Casting directors in Hollywood have a big role to play in getting particular actors for parts in films. In India, in most cases, the director and producer approach you personally. So, in the end, getting cast in Hollywood or Bollywood is about who you know or what work of yours has been seen by whom." Ask him if his role in "FG" has made any difference to anyone in Bollywood and he says, "It has made no difference to me as an actor to get work in Bollywood. "Udaan" and "Aisha" have generated more work."

Perhaps, Bollywood is a lot more insular a space. Whether an Indian actor courts Ang Lee or Michael Winterbottom, seems like Bollywood will only abide by rules set by itself and for itself.

Freida Pinto bares it all for a Hollywood film | Video News

Freida Pinto bares it all

Slumdog Millionaire actress Frieda Pinto is all set to enact a love making scene which requires her to bare it all! The teaser of the film, Immortals, has already fired up everyone's imagination.

The teaser is quite sensous in nature and promises skinshow on the part of the actress. In fact in one scene, Freida goes backless.

Immortals is a film by Tarsem Singh and also stars henry cavill and Mickey Rourke. It is said to be adapted from the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy. Frieda Pinto stars as Phaedra, an oracle priestess who goes on the quest with Theseus. henry Cavill plays Theseus.

Tarsem's directorial debut was with The Cell that starred Jennifer Lopez. He is acclaimed for the 2005 Pepsi commercial that saw the combination of gladiators with the song "We will rock you". Enrique, Britney Spears and Beyonce were part of that popular commercial.

Freida Pinto shoots in Mumbai

Director Anurag Kashyap, in a corner of something called the 'control room', is playing Scrabble on his I-Pad.

It is the last day of shoot on the sets of Trishna, a film he is co-producing with Sunil Bohra and Guneet Monga, both welcoming souls and clearly ecstatic about collaborating with international superstars like director Michael Winterbottom and Freida Pinto, who has beaten Aishwarya Rai hollow in the 'see you at Cannes' game.

The control room is basically a rectangular box atop a set of stairs in Manoranjan Studio at Chakala, Andheri East.

The control room has a large glass window from which you can survey the action on the floor below: a dance troupe is doing a Bollywood dance number in all its garish glory. It is the sort of scene that the West likes to imagine about cinema in Bombay.

It isn't that far from the truth, come to think of it. This has been happening for a week but the producers have managed to keep everything under wraps.

In a corner near the video monitor, Freida Pinto, in a blue blouse and black pants, is observing the action. Your correspondents wait for her turn to come on stage and do the shimmy. But this is not the case.

During a tea break, when the dance troupe and spot boys and assistants get down to the serious business of eating, your correspondents too try to munch on samosas and sandwiches. But we realise that we are being shot too! This is not for the making of the film bit, which film crews do all the time. This is actually a part of the film.

We approach Freida twice in between this break, as an omnipresent camera unit hovers in all directions, like Paul the Octopus. She says, "No, you see even the break is part of the scene. So I can't talk in between breaks. I have to focus on either my work, or the interview. Not both." We understand.

Winterbottom though is easier to convince into talking. "Trishna is basically an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Riz Ahmed and Freida play the protagonists". Riz Ahmed is a British Muslim rapper. Anurag adds, "He will be performing at a pub called Red Ant later in the evening.

Freida and the rest of the crew will be really chilled out then. Why don't you guys try and get her then?" It's not a bad suggestion, but just then a PR person gives us an in.

We follow Freida into what she insists on calling "the trailer". Closer home, it is called the make-up van. On entering, one of us says, "Congratulations," though why exactly we are congratulating her is not known to any of the parties involved, including Freida. "Oh, thank you so much," says Freida, who looks quite regular.

But then again, this must be method acting Hollywood-style. Anurag tells us, "In the film Freida is a simple girl from Rajasthan who has come to Mumbai. Here she comes to see a shoot with a friend. At this shoot she sees Ganesh Acharya choreographing a song with Uma Qureshi and Vicky." Uma Qureshi is the girl Kashyap is launching in The Gangs of Wasseypur, his next feature.

Vicky is the son of ace action director Sham Kaushal, who worked on Slumdog Millionaire.

The air-conditioned make-up van has an odd décor that alternates between metal walls and cobalt blue cushioning. When the photographer tries to grab a picture she is firm, "Look, the trailer is nowhere in the film, so I don't know if I can allow myself to be photographed in the trailer." The photographer steps out.

Just as we are about to begin, a girl from the crew, opens the door to the trailer and says, "Michael wants you out right now."

"Oh my god, this is so embarrassing. Look can't you give me five minutes?" pleads Freida.

"Michael wants you out right now! He's calling for you!" From behind the crackle of static on her walkie-talkie, Michael Winterbottom begins to reveal the killer inside him. "Where is she! We're beginning to shoot out on the street!"

The interview is over.

On the way to the street outside the studio, the crew girl goes, "It's not about us, ya. With us we'll give you five minutes, ya, No problem. But you know how they function, no?