Entertainment
Simply WORDS: Peter Simpson IMAGES: William Relton, Ian Watson; Slumdog Millionaire image courtesy of Pathe Distribution Ltd
De Vigne iMPULSE talks to Edinburgh actress Janet De Vigne about appearing in one of the year’s biggest films, Slumdog Millionaire
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iMPULSE Summer 2009
Entertainment it’s going to be good’. I mean, who’d turn down the chance to work with him?” As for India, Janet describes her time there as “a real culture shock”. The cast was constantly hassled by the real slumdogs and the grinding poverty was obvious, even at the Taj Mahal. “There was great poverty, and a lot of people with extreme disabilities, but none of them seemed sad or downcast. They almost seemed too busy to be depressed.” The film has come in for criticism for its portrayal of India. While the rags-to-riches story has captured the world's imagination, the young cast still live in and around Mumbai's slums. In April the father of Rubiana Ali , who played the young Latika, allegedly tried to sell her for £200,000. De Vigne's time on set led her to work with Scottish Love in Action on charity screenings of Slumdog, and when she approached Boyle for his thoughts, she was pleasantly surprised. “He hadn’t been back in the UK because awards season had kicked off, but he sent me a postcard saying how proud all of us, and the people of India, should be," she adds. "He really displays all the qualities of a truly great person, both personally and professionally.”
While the film’s success has helped De Vigne's career, her experiences of India have stayed with her. “When you’re standing there, in front of the Taj Mahal, and it looks like it’s just floating, and you’re surrounded by the best and the worst of humanity, it’s hard to put into words. It was a life-changing experience.”
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It was a life-changing experience
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hen Edinburgh opera singer and actor Janet De Vigne was contacted by a casting agent in December 2007, she could never have imagined that it would lead to her being in Slumdog Millionaire, which scooped eight Academy Awards. Yet the simple tale of a Mumbai street urchin who sets out to find the love of his life through the Indian version of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ turned into a worldwide smash hit. Her audition for the part of Ada was far from normal. “I got a call from the producers, asking if I could come to an audition," said De Vigne. "I don’t think they realised that I was in Edinburgh, but when I told them they said I should do the audition on screen and send it down.” One borrowed computer later and it was done. “The weird thing about doing it on the Mac was that I could see myself auditioning as I was doing it, which was a bit off-putting”. Within days De Vigne was whisked away to the Taj Mahal, to play a German tourist taken on a comical tour by a group of street kids on the make. De Vigne is a regular singer with Edinburgh Grand Opera and has acted on stage in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Pitlochry. The chance to work with the esteemed Boyle was too good to miss. “I really knew nothing about the film when we started, but when I saw Danny’s name on the script I thought ‘If he’s involved iMPULSE09.wordpress.com
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