Freida Pinto: Photo Shoot in Malibu!

Freida Pinto flashes a smile while leaving a photo shoot on Monday (July 18) in Malibu, Calif.

The 26-year-old Indian actress, wearing a strapless white maxi dress with an orange scarf, reportedly was working on a spread for a fashion magazine.

Director Julian Schnabel, who worked with Freida on the drama Miral, recently revealed why he cast her in the flick where she played a Palestinian woman.

“I think it was a no-brainer. I actually had people question that at a certain moment, why did I pick someone who was Indian?” he told MovieWeb.

“[Slumdog Millionaire director] Danny Boyle put Freida on tape, where he played her father. They did the scene when he was sick, and I found it heartbreaking. I was crying while looking at the monitor. I thought this girl has a lot of love for her father and has a lot of soul. I thought she’s be great, and she was. I loved working with her,” he added.