Kitu Gidwani
| Kitu Gidwani | |
|---|---|
 Kitu Gidwani at Casino Royale Race | |
| Born |
Kaushalya Gidwani 22 October 1967 Mumbai, India |
| Occupation | Actor, model |
Kitu Gidwani (born 22 October 1967) is an Indian actress and model. She has starred in some movies as well as serials in Indian television. She became popular after a TV series, Air Hostess aired on Doordarshan in 1986, and received critical acclaim for her roles in Dance of the Wind (1997), Deepa Mehta's Earth (1998), Govind Nihalani's Rukhmavati Ki Haveli (1991), Kamal Haasan's Abhay and Deham (2001).[1]
Personal life and background
Gidwani was born in Mumbai. Her Sindhi parents migrated from Pakistan after the partition. They lived in a refugee camp in Worli.[2] She has a brother.
She studied in Fort Convent School, Mumbai. Her post graduation days saw her interested in French and she started acting in French plays. Soon she was acting in English plays directed by Janak Toprani. She acted in some television serials and subsequently acted in a French film Black (1987),[3] playing a Brazilian girl in it.[4]
She has never been married and has vowed never to settle down at the risk of her pursuit of what she calls "duende," a search for harmony with the many magical aspects of living and nature.[5]
Acting career
Gidwani made her television debut in 1984 on the TV soap Trishna, and during the 1980s and '90s, gave some memorable performances in TV serials like Swabhimaan, Air Hostess and Junoon.[6] She caught a lot of attention after her kissing scene in bed with actor Raj Zutshi in Junoon. In 1997, she was doing four serials at one time, besides Swabhimaan and Junoon, she was also acting in Saahil, Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum.[7] She recently appeared in multi-starrer Hindi serials Kaashish and Kulvadhu. She also played the role of a news-reporter named 'Gita Biswas' in popular Doordarshan serial for children 'Shaktiman' in its first eight episodes.
In 1997, she played the role of a Hindustani classical singer, Pallavi, who struggles to get her voice back after losing her mentor/mother, in Dance of the Wind. The role won her Best Actress Award at Three Continents Festival, Nantes.[8] In Pankaj Butalia's Shadows in the Dark she played Lajma, a middle-aged woman living in present-day Pakistan.[9] In the 2010s she played small roles in Fashion, Dhobi Ghat and Student of the Year.[10]
In 2001, in conjunction with by Wills Lifestyle, an apparel chain owned by ITC Limited, to promote Wills Sport Lifestyle brand of clothing.[11] In 2006, she also acted in a play, Your Place or Mine by Darshan Jariwala.[12]
She also did a play, Sock ’em With Honey, where she played a traditional Parsi woman from Pakistan, whose daughter falls in love with a Jew, prompting her first trip abroad.[13]
Awards
In 1998, Kitu won the Best Actress Award at the Three Continents Festival, Nantes, France. The award recognized her outstanding achievement for the role of Pallavi in Dance of the Wind (directed by Rajan Khosa).
Filmography
| Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trishna (1984) | Roohi | TV series |
| Holi (1984) | ||
| Wisdom Tree (1985) | Short film | |
| Janam (1985) | TV movie | |
| Air Hostess (1986) | TV series | |
| Black[14] (1987) | French film | |
| The Khajuraho (1991) | Short film | |
| Rukmavati Ki Haveli (1991) | Kittu Gidwani | |
| Tehkikaat (1994) | Kavita | Appeared as the killer in Episode 1 of the TV series. |
| Junoon (1994)[15] | TV series | |
| Swabhimaan (1995-97) | Svetlana Banerjee | TV series |
| Saahil (1995-96) | Prerna | TV series |
| Dance of the Wind (1997) | Pallavi Sehgal | Three Continents Festival Award for Best Actress |
| Karvaan (Shadows in the Dark) (1997) | Lajma [16] | |
| Earth (1998) | Bunty Sethna | |
| Aalavandhan (2001) | Tamil film | |
| Abhay (2001) | ||
| Deham (2001) | Jaya | |
| Nazarana (2002) | Ishita's mother | TV movie |
| Kesar (2004) | Pam Mallya | TV series |
| Happily Ever After (2001) | Mme Gibson | French film |
| Kasshish (2005) | Ratna | TV series |
| Dil Diya Hai (2006) | Michelle | |
| Kulvaddhu (2006-07) | Antra Singh Rathod | TV series |
| Strangers (2007) | ||
| Fashion (2008) | Anisha Roy | |
| Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008) | Sheela | |
| Phir Kabhi (2009) | Divya Singh | |
| Hello Zindagi (2010) | Dr. Sadhana | |
| Monica (2011) | Pamela Garewal | |
| Dhobi Ghat (2011) | Vatsala | |
| Student of the Year (2012) | Manini Banerjee | |
| Ek Bura Aadmi (2013) | Rukmi Devi | |
| Traffic (2016) | ||
| Wedding Pullav (2015) | ||
References
- ↑ For Kitu Gidwani, it's mind over body! Ronjita Kulkarni, Rediff.com, Movies, 3 May 2002.
- ↑ Singh, Sanghita (1 April 2002). "It's back to the basics for Kitu Gidwani". The Times Of India.
- ↑ Famous Sindhis - Kidu Gidwani
- ↑ http://m.rediff.com/us/2000/jun/10us.htm
- ↑ http://www.itcportal.com/newsroom/press_reports_june21_4.htm
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Budhaditya (24 July 2013). "She has seen it all...". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
- ↑ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tv-actors-never-had-it-so-good-recognition-astronomical-rates-and-roles-for-the-asking/1/276073.html
- ↑ "I'm happy, I'm free". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 23 October 2011.
- ↑ http://m.rediff.com/us/2000/jun/10us.htm
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Budhaditya (24 July 2013). "She has seen it all...". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
- ↑ "Read(il)y made lifestyle". The Hindu. 2001-07-08. Retrieved 2006-07-13.
- ↑ Play on man-woman relationship The Tribune, 7 July 2006.
- ↑ http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=62400
- ↑ Black - Acting Credits New York Times.
- ↑ https://in.news.yahoo.com/tv-going-downhill-decade-kitu-gidwani-033821838.html
- ↑ Filmography New York Times