‘The things that are perfect are boring’

I’m more interested in the things that are not perfect. The things that are perfect are boring and are not relatable

 — Freida Pinto

Actor Freida Pinto reflects on changing portrayals of women in Indian cinema

Actress Freida Pinto said that India has changed in many beautiful ways since she made her debut with Oscar-winning British film Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 and now there is more representation of women who are not “just duty-bound or puritanical”.

Pinto is one of the nine prominent Indian women who have been featured in the 2027 Pirelli Calendar, along with actor Aditi Rao Hydari, musician Anoushka Shankar, poet Rupi Kaur, model Lakshmi Menon and television host Padma Lakshmi. The calendar, which was launched on Friday, features works by photographers Raghu Rai, Avani Rai, and Solve Sundsbo and puts India at the centre of the project for the first time in its history.

Pinto said that the representation of women in film and television has changed in the last nearly 20 years. “It has changed in many beautiful ways and there are some changes that are very, very welcome, which is, as far as I’m concerned, is the representation of women in film and television. Being able to see all kinds, not just the duty-bound or the puritanical women, but also the ones with their complexities and not perfect,” she told PTI. “I’m more interested in the things that are not perfect. The things that are perfect are boring and are not relatable,” she added. Pinto will be next seen in Unaccustomed Earth, an eight-episode series inspired by Jhumpa Lahiri’s 2008 short-story collection.