An Indian schoolgirl who rose to fame after starring in an Oscar-winning documentary has told how her ‘Cinderella fairy tale’ ended ‘in no time’ and she plunged back into a life ‘full of pain, trauma and poverty’.
At the age of five, Pinki Sonkar captured the hearts of the world when she starred in Smile Pinki, which told the story of the cruel abuse and teasing she suffered for having a cleft lip before receiving life-changing surgery.
She continued to walk the red carpet alongside Hollywood celebrities at the 81st Academy Awards when the acclaimed film won an Oscar in 2009, a moment she describes as “the best moments of my life.”
Her newfound stardom invited her to toss a coin in the Wimbledon men’s singles final in 2013, kicking off what would become Andy Murray’s historic victory over Novak Djokovic.
But that brief taste of happiness was taken from her shortly afterwards, Pinki has now revealed, and she has returned to live in the town of her childhood, where her circumstances remain difficult.
He says that “nothing has changed” and laments that “his life is a story full of false promises, poverty, hardship and fleeting fame.”
Pinki Sonkar (pictured as a child) has returned to live in her childhood village, which is located in one of the poorest areas of India.
Smile Pinki told the story of the cruel abuse and teasing the little girl suffered for having a cleft lip, before receiving surgery that would change her life.
Pinki rose to fame after starring in the Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinki (pictured at a press conference for the 2009 Oscars with the doctor who performed her surgery and her father)
Pinki’s newfound stardom saw her perform a coin toss at the Wimbledon men’s singles final in 2013.
Pinki (left), along with 30 other residents living in her village, were told to leave their homes and were served with demolition notices last year.
While she returned with her prized golden statuette, Pinki says there wasn’t much of the Hollywood glitz left in her life when she returned to India.
Pinki, now 21 years old and in her last year of high school, spends most of her time studying or doing domestic work, helping to support her family.
They live in the district of Mirzapur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest areas of India.
Pinki has three sisters and two brothers, and the family continues to struggle with financial problems despite her celebrity.
The family’s house has only two rooms and has no running water, bathroom or front door, The Telegraph reports and is periodically affected by power outages.
“Villagers have to walk almost half a kilometer to the well to fetch water for our daily use,” he said.
The tough young woman previously worked in the fields, but says her brothers and father now do that work while she does household chores “like many other Indian girls.”
She still watches the Oscars every year, she says, in an effort to recapture the fleeting joy she felt attending the star-studded event and spending time in Los Angeles.
She described her experience as “like a real-life fairy tale,” recounting how she took flights, wore expensive clothes, stayed in luxury hotels, mingled with celebrities and enjoyed food that she and her father “didn’t even could imagine.”
Pinki Sonkar shows her famous smile to Dr Subodh Kumar Singh (right), who operated on her cleft palate, while her father Rajendera Sonker looks on (left)
“It was like the Cinderella story, the children’s bedtime story,” Pinki said. News18.
‘I make sure to watch the Oscars every year as it is the only way to relive the moments I once experienced.
“But, before long, the fairy tale ended and I returned to my real life, which is full of pain, trauma and poverty.”
The struggles for Pinki began at birth, as she was born with a cleft palate, a condition that left her “socially excluded.”
‘I remember my schoolmates treating me like an outcast. My relatives didn’t want me around and used to consider me “unfavorable,” she said.
Pinki Sonkar (pictured) with Andy Murray at the start of the Wimbledon final in 2013
Pinki Sonkar was just five years old when she starred in the 2008 American documentary ‘Smile Pinki’ (pictured here at Wimbledon in 2013)
Pinki’s life changed when, by chance, she was discovered by the NGO Smile Train India.
She was taken to a plastic surgeon in Varanasi, who performed her surgery for free, and the student still credits the charity for “freeing” her from the trauma she experienced as a child.
Cleft palate occurs when babies’ lips or palate do not join together, which can make feeding difficult, and the birth defect affects tens of thousands of children in India.
Pinki’s journey was documented by American filmmaker Megan Mylan, who met the girl and her father after discovering the magnitude of the problem, with thousands of children treated in a single hospital.
Pinki Sonkar carried by her father during a photograph with the wife of the then Indian Prime Minister, Gurcharan Singh Kaur.
Smile Train regional director Mamta Carroll remembers Pinki being a “shy, insecure, skinny girl” when she first met her, before her life was transformed by surgery and the charity’s support.
Carroll, whom Pinki credits with helping her stay in education, said the young woman “is full of beans today, a bright, confident young woman.”
The young woman had incredible opportunities after Smile Pinki catapulted her to world fame, traveling to the United States as a special guest of Mylan’s at the Oscars.
However, although she returned with her prized golden statuette, Pinki says there wasn’t much of the Hollywood glitz left in her life when she returned to India.
Pinki’s journey was documented by American filmmaker Megan Mylan, who met the little girl before she received treatment for her cleft lip.
‘After returning from America, life was the same again. “I started selling seasonal fruits again to cover my family’s expenses,” she said.
But while she was able to continue her studies, financial constraints mean she has little hope of being able to pursue her dream of higher education.
“I’m studying commerce, but as for my future plans, I don’t have any,” he told The Telegraph. “With two brothers and three sisters, life is very busy.”
Adding to the family’s financial worries, they were threatened with eviction last year as officials investigated whether the land their home sat on belonged to them.
Pinki, along with 30 other people living in her village, received demolition notices.
Pinki walked the red carpet alongside Hollywood celebrities at the 81st Academy Awards when the acclaimed film won an Oscar in 2009, a moment she describes as “the best moments of my life.”
The tenacious twenty-something spoke up and asked, “Why did the local administration give me this house years ago when I returned from the United States?” and asking for “relief and justice” for herself and the other villagers.
Despite the difficulties she still faces, Pinki is determined to improve the lives of those around her, whom she describes as “unfortunate like (me).”
She is currently setting up a library in her home with donated books and is committed to lifting herself and her people out of poverty.
After all she has been through, Pinki remains confident that a better future awaits her and, smiling, told reporters: “The day will come when I will conquer poverty and emerge victorious.”