Yuden at her house in Gangtok. Picture by Pema Leyda Shangderpa

Gangtok, March 13: Six-year-old Yuden Zongtenpa, a student of the Tashi Namgyal Academy here, has bagged the prized slot of a child artist in Amol Palekar’s latest venture, Aavartan, that is being shot in West Sikkim.

Yuden will play her role alongside Rituparna Sengupta and Antara Mali in the movie that is based on relationships. While Palekar is keeping his project a closely guarded secret, it is understood that the script of the film has been penned in English by his wife Sandhya and is touted to be highlighting Sikkim and its beautiful countryside. Rajat Kapur is also in the state for the shooting. Shankar Mahadevan is the music director.

Yuden had auditioned along with other children when Palekar and Sandhya were in the state last month to look for a girl suitable for the role. Daughter of Rebina Rai and Tashi Namgyal Zongtenpa, Yuden had been living in the United States till last year, when her mother decided to return to Sikkim.

Having signed a contract that debars Yuden and her immediate family members from talking to reporters, it was virtually impossible to get any reaction from them.

“Yuden is very talented and the rest of the cast took an immediate liking to her,” a relative of Yuden told The Telegraph. Her achievement was recently announced by school principal Anil Chandra Rai.

“We are very happy for her and she is a very smart student. We have already granted her leave so that she can take part in the shooting. She might become the next big child artist after Darsheel of Taare Zameen Par,” the principal said.