(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Freida Pinto has admitted feeling under great pressure playing the directors girlfriend in her new film.

The movie, called Miral, is about an orphaned Palestinian girl who is drawn into the first Arab-Israeli war as she is growing up.

Freida, 26, plays Miral and the film is told through three generations of women and includes scenes of torture.

The story is based on a semi-autobiographical book by Rula Jebreal and the director of Miral, Julian Schnabel, began a romantic relationship with Rula when the two met.

Freida has admitted she felt more of a responsibility to perform well in front of the cameras while filming the movie, to please both the director and the author.

Because I felt I had extra pressure he obviously loves her to bits, she told British newspaper The Telegraph. He wouldnt want someone to come on screen and mess up what he loves so much. I did feel very nervous at times. But I realised Julian likes everything that is earthy and natural and the best thing I could do was be myself and not pretend to be Rula.

The Indian-born actress, who shot to fame in Slumdog Millionaire, also confessed that she felt awkward filming torture scenes in front of Rula, who had experienced it first-hand.

However, the beautiful star came to the conclusion that the experience was both therapeutic and mutually beneficial to both actress and author.

I was a bit uncomfortable having Rula there then, Freida said. I just thought they are replaying everything that happened to her, Im doing it in front of her, and that didnt feel right. It felt inhuman, almost, making someone watch something so traumatic that theyve been through. But at the same time I feel having her there after the scene really helped her as well as me. I got an insight into her where I just sensed her bravery in going through what she went through. (C) Cover Media