Freida Pinto

Model turned actress Freida Pintowas born on October 18, 1984 in Mumbai to Sylvia Pinto, principal of St. John’s Universal High School (Goregaon), and Frederick Pinto, a senior branch manager at the Bank of Baroda. Freida Pinto's family hails from the Mangalorean Catholic community. Freida Pinto studied at Carmel of St. Joseph School in Malad and completed her Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English Literature from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

Freida Pinto is best known for her performance as Latika in her debut film Slumdog Millionaire, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2009. Before starring in Slumdog Millionaire, Freida anchored the international travel show, Full Circle on Zee International Asia Pacific. Freida Pinto modeled for two years and appeared in runway shows and magazine covers. She has modeled for Wrigley's Chewing Gum, Skoda, Hutch, Airtel, and DeBeers.She learned acting from The Barry John's Acting Studio in Andheri. She is also trained in different forms of Indian classical dance as well as Salsa. The striking young woman had no trouble attracting attention in the industry, and within a few years she caught the eye of filmmaker Danny Boyle, who cast her in his 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire. She was just another face in the modeling circuit until she bagged the role of a lifetime in Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Now, Frieda Pinto is a known name worldwide.

Freida Pinto has been cast in Woody Allen's next film set in London. Other cast members include Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, and Naomi Watts. Shooting for the film starts in July 2009. She currently resides in Malad, a suburb of Mumbai.



Awards and honours:

Won:
• 2009: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Slumdog Millionaire

Nominated:
• 2008: Black Reel Awards of 2008 - Best Ensemble for Slumdog Millionaire
• 2009: 62nd BAFTA Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Slumdog Millionaire