Pinto in the millionaire stakes, signs up for Woody Allen film

She won many hearts as she sashayed her way down the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder blue gown at the Oscar award ceremony in Los Angeles yesterday. Now Freida Pinto from Mumbai, the heroine of Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight awards yesterday, has won a role in Woody Allen’s next mega movie project in Hollywood.

She will join Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin in the still-to-be-titled movie for which shooting begins this year.

Industry sources say Pinto may be paid $2 million to $3 million (Rs 10 crore to Rs 15 crore). That is a small fee by Hollywood standards, but it will make her the highest-paid Indian actress. Top Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif currently command fees of Rs 6 crore to Rs 8 crore.

Woody Allen wrote and directed Vicky Cristina Barcelona, for which Penelope Cruz won the best supporting actress award at the Oscars yesterday.

Pinto is also believed to be close to announcing another Hollywood project with a well-known director in a few weeks.

The Cinderella from Slumdog signed up with Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency, one of Hollywood’s largest talent search firms to scout for projects for Pinto.

Meanwhile, the news of Pinto hitting the Hollywood circuit is expected to raise her brand endorsement fees even further. “We are talking to an international watch company and an international beauty care company that also has a presence in India,” said Anirban Das Blah, CEO, Globosports, which handles Pinto’s endorsements. 

“We want to project her as the first real Hollywood star from India who has no connection with Bollywood.” Several Bollywood actresses have tried to make a dent in Hollywood but with limited success. Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been the most successful and has recently acted in a Pink Panther series film opposite Steve Martin.