{{Short description|2008 American documentary film}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Smile Pinki | image = Smile Pinki.jpg | alt = | caption = | director = Megan Mylan | producer = Megan Mylan | writer = | screenplay = | story = | based_on = | narrator = | starring = | music = R. Prasanna | cinematography = Nick Doob<br />Jon Shenk | editing = Purcell Carson | studio = Principe Productions | distributor = Smile Train<br />HBO (TV) | released = {{Film date|2008}} | runtime = 39 minutes | country = United States | language = Bhojpuri/Hindi | budget = | gross = }}
'''''Smile Pinki''''' is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Megan Mylan<ref>[http://www.documentary.org/content/meet-filmmakers-megan-mylan-smile-pinki Megan Mylan--'Smile Pinki'] ''documentary.org''</ref><ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203658504574191661680777376 Wall Street Journal] ''Good News From the Real World.''</ref> which won the 81st Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). The film depicts the story of Pinki and Ghutaru, two children in rural India who receive corrective surgery for cleft lips.
==Overview== [[File:Cleftlip2.svg|thumb|left|90px|Pinki had a unilateral complete cleft lip.]] Pinki Sonkar is a five-year-old girl who is living with a severe cleft lip in one of the poorest areas of India. Not allowed to attend school at her native Rampur Dhabahi village in Mirzapur, near Varanasi,<ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Varanasi-Pinki-leaves-for-Oscars/articleshow/4139860.cms Pinki leaves for Oscar ceremony] ''The Times of India'', 17 February 2009.</ref> and ostracised because of her deformity, Pinki lives a life of quiet desperation. By chance, Pinki's parents meet Pankaj, a social worker who is traveling village to village, gathering patients for a hospital that provides free cleft lip surgery to thousands of poor children each year through The Smile Train program.
The successful surgery was performed at G.S. Memorial Hospital, by plastic surgeon Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, who along with Pinki attended the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.<ref>[https://archive.nytimes.com/carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/the-bagger-in-la-pinki-ring/?smid=pl-share New York Times] ''Carpetbagger in LA Pinki''.</ref><ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7905228.stm Smile Pinki wins best short Oscar] ''BBC News''.</ref><ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/feb/23smile-pinki-wins-an-oscar.htm An Oscar completes Pinki's smile] ''Rediff.com''.</ref> In India the film generated national attention with a theatrical, media and community screening campaign to build public health awareness and support for clefts. The film was broadcast on HBO,<ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/oscar-winning-short-smile_b_209700 Huffington Post] "Smile Pinki on HBO</ref> Sundance Channel and Doordarshan and 8 million free DVDs were distributed. Pinki was invited to toss the coin for the men's singles final at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, London.<ref>{{cite news |title= Proud moment for Pinki Sonkar |url= http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/proud-moment-for-pinki-sonkar/article4893149.ece |work= The Hindu |date= 2013-07-08 |access-date= 2013-07-10}}</ref> {{clear left}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|id=1360065|title=Smile Pinki}} * {{YouTube|m6yge_MqLF0}}, posted by Smile Train
{{AcademyAwardBestDocumentaryShort 2001–2020}}
Category:2008 films Category:Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award winners Category:2008 short documentary films Category:American short documentary films Category:Documentary films about India Category:Documentary films about children with disabilities Category:Documentary films about health care Category:Dentistry in India Category:2008 American films Category:2000s Bhojpuri-language films Category:2008 Hindi-language films