“Freida Pinto – Mangalore Based New Star “, is now one of the headlines in the Oscar Awrad movie “Slumdog Millionaire”’. The 24-year-old model turned actress, though born and bred in the metro, traces her roots to Mangalore. The movie, by British director Danny Boyle, has won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival.
The second daughter of Frederick Pinto (Neerude), senior branch manager, Bank of Baroda, and Sylvia Pinto (Derebail), principal, St John’s High School, Goregaon, Freida has set film circles abuzz with her spectacular debut. Her sole sibling Sharon Pinto is an associate producer with NDTV.
Before being selected for Slumdog Millionaire, Freida anchored the international travel show, ‘Full Circle’ on Zee International Asia Pacific in English. Besides this, she also featured in several television and print commercials for products such as Wrigleys Chewing Gum, Skoda, Hutch, Airtel, and De Beers. Ramp shows and magazine covers are also part of her resume. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of how Jamal, a contestant on reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ uses this medium to contact his childhood love, Latika. Dev Patel plays the male lead. The movies also stars Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Mahesh Manjrekar.
Freida’s ancestral home lies in little-known Marlottu village a few kilometers away from Neerude on the way to Bajpe.
It’s a joy and honor for Mangalorean that Freida Pinto, is an actor in the movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ which bagged the Oscar Award. Freida’s ancestral home lies in little-known Marlottu village a few kilometers away from Neerude on the way to Bajpe Mangalore. Freida’s father Fredrick Pinto was born and brought up here, and did his graduation at St Aloysius College in the city. He later migrated to Mumbai in search of better opportunities and landed a job with Bank of Baroda in the metro. His wife Sylvia is a high school teacher in Mumbai. Freida was born and brought up in Mumbai and took up modeling after her graduation before turning to acting. She had visited her ancestral house on December 27, 2008, along with her parents and elder sister Sharon who works for NDTV. Freida’s uncle Michael and aunt Mary, their daughter Sylvia and her seven-year-old son Triston live at Pinto Wade.
Freida is proud to be an Indian first and a Mangalorean ‘cause her parents are from Mangalore. Her dad is from Neerude (Near Mangalore) and her mom is from Derabail (In Mangalore). She had been there few times and she love Mangalore.