Smile Pinki: Pinki Sonkar’s Journey 17 Years After Cleft Surgery and Oscar Fame
From a small village in India to Oscar fame, Pinki Sonkar’s Smile Pinki story shows how free cleft surgery from Smile Train changed her life forever.
Early Life in Rural India
In 2009, a quiet village in Uttar Pradesh crowded around a flickering television set. On the screen was a little girl they all knew: Pinki Sonkar. No one in the village could say for sure how old she was — maybe five, maybe six. That night, the short film Smile Pinki won an Academy Award®.
Pinki’s childhood, though, had been anything but glamorous. She was born with a cleft to parents who worked the fields and never had the chance to learn to read or write. Her father, Rajendra, took whatever day labor he could find; her mother, Shimla Devi, stayed home with six children to care for. When neighbors saw Pinki’s cleft, they whispered that she was cursed. For her parents, hope felt like something reserved for other families.
Growing Up with a Cleft
In many parts of India, a cleft is seen as a mark of shame. Mothers are often blamed. Children who survive the feeding struggles grow up facing bullying that can be relentless. Many drop out of school.
Pinki did her best to stay invisible. She went to school but kept her distance, walking home alone while her classmates played. Life began to change only when a social worker arrived in her village and told her family about free cleft treatment through Smile Train.
From Stigma to Global Stage
Pinki’s surgery was filmed as part of Smile Pinki, a documentary that captured both the isolation of children with clefts and the life-changing impact of cleft surgery. The film won the 2009 Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject.
That year, Pinki and her father boarded a plane for the first time in their lives and flew to Los Angeles. In a single evening, she went from a child hidden away in her village to standing on stage at the Oscars. Later, she even found herself on-court at Wimbledon tossing the coin to begin the men’s singles final. Her smile became known far beyond her village — it became a global symbol of possibility.
Life After Hollywood
When the cameras faded, Pinki went home. She stayed in her village, surrounded by the same dusty fields and familiar faces. But her life wasn’t the same anymore.
She enrolled in a private school and became the first person in her family to read and write. She excelled in sports too, winning local tournaments in badminton and even a championship in kabaddi, a contact sport popular in India.
Beyond Surgery: A Lifelong Partnership
For most children, one cleft surgery is only the beginning. Braces, follow-up operations, and speech therapy are often part of the journey.
Since her first cleft surgery, Pinki has had two more, plus years of customized orthodontics. Because Smile Train empowers local doctors to provide care in their communities year-round, Pinki was able to return for this critical follow-up care.
As for speech therapy… “She doesn’t need it!” laughs Mamta Carroll, Smile Train’s Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Asia, who has known Pinki for more than a decade. “Her speech is almost too good!”
Breaking Barriers Through Education
Being the only literate person in her household made school harder. She had no one to guide her through homework or exams, no one to share the new world of books she was discovering. Still, she pushed forward.
Today, Pinki is studying commerce at a public university — the first in her family to ever reach college. Each day she travels over rough rural roads to attend classes. In a region where many girls are still pulled out of school early, Pinki’s determination is striking. She dreams of becoming a teacher so she can pass on the opportunities she fought to claim for herself.
A Story Shared by Millions
Pinki’s story is singular, but it also reflects the lives of millions of children with clefts. In 25 years, Smile Train has supported more than two million cleft surgeries worldwide — more than three-quarters of a million in India alone. Research shows that these surgeries don’t just change lives: Smile Train’s surgical program has also added billions of dollars to the global economy by giving children the chance to learn, work, and thrive.
Pinki’s Next Chapter
From an isolated village to the Oscars stage, from silence to speaking with confidence, Pinki Sonkar has shown the world that a cleft does not define a future. Her story is proof that with the right care and support, hardship can give way to hope.
“I am so grateful to Smile Train and to Dr. Subodh Singh, my surgeon, for changing my life. I am determined to use the unique opportunities I have been given to take up a career that will make my family and community proud and help to support them financially,”
- Pinki