Bombay Sapphire: Freida Pinto

“Slumdog Millionaire.” Two of the best things to come out of this film are Freida Pinto and Dev Patel ( I loved him in Skins). They are destined for great things.

Freida was featured in the latest issue of Arena Magazine. You will be surprised to learn that this was her first ever acting job.

“I was so lucky. As it’s an all-Indian cast, Danny Boyle wanted people who had no acting experience or training. He wanted to see anyone and everyone. So I auditioned for one scene where Latika meets Dev’s character, Jamal, again for the first time in years and makes him go away-what a bitch-and I just thought, well, I’ve given it my best shot. For 6 months I continued to audition. So rigorous. It was like going to acting school, and I was never sure what was happening. And then I got the call that said, “You are Latika, so get ready!” “The best moment ever.”

Freida was already a fan of director Danny Boyle. It’s amazing that she was able to work alongside one of her heroes.

“I used to adore Danny Boyle films, truly. I did a film course at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. We studied Trainspotting-yes, I did understand the accents, thank you! I loved The Beach, and also watched Sunshine and Millions. He can do anything: a horror flick, a children’s film, a Sci-Fi flick, anything.”

“Honestly, if Slumdog Millionaire was to be described in Danny Boyle terms, it would be a bit of Trainspotting, the romance from A life less Ordinary and the tension of 28 days later, all bundled together into this beautifully written, dynamic movie.”

Seven films in running for makeup Oscar

'Dark Knight,' 'Benjamin Button' on shortlist

Three effects-heavy movies, three intimate dramas and one satirical comedy are among the seven films in the running for consideration in the best makeup category at the 81st annual Academy Awards.

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight" and "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" all made the makeup shortlist, announced Tuesday, the same day on which they were shortlisted in the visual effects category.

They will compete against the dramas "The Reader," "Synecdoche, New York" and "The Wrestler" as well as the comedy "Tropic Thunder," in which Robert Downey Jr. appeared as an Australian method actor playing a black soldier.

On Jan. 17, the members of the academy's makeup branch will view 10-minute excerpts from the shortlisted films and then will vote to nominate three films for final Oscar consideration.

Nominations will be announced Jan. 22, and the Oscars will take place Feb. 22.

Makeup Artist Judy Chin: the Wrestler

Makeup artist Judy Chin came to "The Wrestler" fully prepped.

"Much of my research was done when I was 12, as I was the biggest wrestling fan ever," Chin says. Plus, during the film's prep period, "there were wrestling events nearly every weekend that the crew was invited to.

"We were invited backstage where we were able to talk to the wrestlers and ask them questions, look at their scars and see real blood running down their faces. They were all very sweet, very obliging, very beaten up and very curious about our movie."

From those visits backstage and from Chin's own expertise as a wrestling fan, certain ways of doings things developed.

"We used a combination of techniques," says Chin. "First we made the skin pink and angry everywhere to give the feeling of trauma and having been through physical duress. Next we added nicks, cuts and scrapes everywhere. Then we added smears of blood."

Then Chin -- after some discussions with helmer Darren Aronofsky and star Mickey Rourke -- took it one step further to make it real for the audience.

"We used a number of prosthetics to show the aftermath of the tacks, staples barbed wire and glass -- all of which pierced their bodies in the film," Chin says. "Put that all together with a custom mix of My Blood -- a brand of blood I particularly like -- and an ample supply of sweat, and you have a wrestler beaten within an inch of his life."

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