Crying Pinki smiles again

 

New Delhi: Pinki Sonkar, the child protagonist of the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinki, had been crying all day of her film winning the award. Perched on her father’s arms, Pinki ducked shyly as photographers urged her to smile for them. But the smile was in evidence after Pinki met first lady Gursharan Kaur.

Accompanying Pinki to 7 Race Course Road were the team of Smile Pinki, her father Rajender, her doctor Subodh Kumar, and Satish Kalra, South Asia director for the charity Smile Train that funded Pinki’s surgery and visit to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards ceremony.

 

“We were to meet the Prime Minister but unfortunately he is down with viral flu and has been advised not to meet outsiders. But we met Gurusharan Kaurji, who gave Pinki gifts and her blessings,” said Kalra.

 

After the meeting Pinki was elated with the presents she had received. The prime minister’s wife gave Pinki a wrist-watch, a bag full of goodies and another gift wrapped present “along with blessings”, the doctor said.

 

The nine-year-old village girl from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh sported her watch and said she was pleased.

 

“We had not gone there with any such agenda,” said Kalra when asked whether the prime minister had promised any monetary assistance to the girl.

 

The small wonder is being hailed as a hero by her villagers for striking gold young. Pinki was given a rousing reception at the airport on arriving from Los Angeles on Thursday. She shyly answered just two questions posed by reporters. Asked what she had got, she replied “Oscar”. And from where? She said “America”.

 

Smile Pinki, which bagged the best short documentary Oscar, is a 39-minute film by American filmmaker Megan Mylan on the problems Pinki faced till she underwent cleft lip surgery.