Star of Oscar winning documentary lives in an impoverished condition

Rampur (UP), July 8 (ANI): Despite all claims and promises made to improve her life, Pinki Sonkar, protagonist of the short documentary 'Smile Pinki', which won an Oscar, continues to live in stark poverty in her village, Rampur.

Unlike stars of Slumdog millionaire, Azharrudin Ismail and Rubina Ali, who received all the media attention and recently houses in Mumbai, Pinki is living a miserable life.

Pinki is still deprived of basic amenities including education.

"Earlier, there were lot of talk that she will get lot of money as she has come after winning. We didn't get a penny. We are still living in the same conditions. We didn't get any benefits. People said that Rajendra's fortune will change but nothing has changed," said Rajendra Sonkar, father of Pinki.

Local leaders and filmakers, who once thronged her village and promised financial support, are not to be found anywhere.

Pinki's family wants that someone should come forward to support them.

"We want that there should be a change in our condition and we should get some facilities. But our condition is like earlier. What's the use of bringing so much of fame for the village (Rampur) when there is no change in our condition?," said Shimla Devi, Pinki's mother.

Pinki is the star of the short documentary "Smile Pinki", which won an Academy Award.

The 39-minute poignant film, by U.S.-based filmmaker Megan Mylan, recounts how the girl, born into a poor family and with a cleft lip, is taken by a social worker to a hospital that provides free surgery to fix the deformity for thousands of children each year.

Pinki was once an outcast in her village, where deformities are not understood, but she was accepted into the community after the surgery. (ANI)