'Moments of self-doubt taught me a lot'

Freida Pinto says she never wanted to surrender to the Indian stereotype in Hollywood, which resulted in her saying no to a lot of big projects.

The 33-year-old Indian actor, who started her Hollywood journey with Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, says even though she knew it was the right decision, she went through a phase of "self doubt and anxiety".

"I made it very clear after Slumdog... that I would have to carve my own path and also determine the path for the next generation of Indian actors. It was very important for me to not surrender to the Indian stereotype."

"But there was a fear of missing out. There was a no formula, which I could follow. There was a phase in my career for two-and-half years where there was a lot anxiety and fear," Freida said.

The actor, however, says those "moments of self-doubt" taught her a lot. "I am exactly in a place where I wanted to be. This is exactly the space where I wanted to work. I always wanted to be a part of the content where focus is not on glamour and beauty but on real people."

"After having a huge start and then going through a phase of anxiety, I can truly say I am happy and content now. It was a great learning experience."

Freida's latest film to hit the theatres is Love Sonia. The actor says she is proud of the film directed by Tabrez Noorani. "I was probably one of the first actors to come on board. Tabrez (Noorani) is my good friend and he shared the script with me 10 years ago when I was shooting for Slumdog Millionaire. I told him 'I want to be a part of this film'. He asked me to read for other parts. I loved Rashmi's character the most.