Nandita Das
| Nandita Das . | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Nandita at the screening of Gattu in 2012 | |
| Born |
1969 (age 46–47) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress, Director |
| Years active | 1989, 1996–present |
| Religion | Atheism[1] |
| Spouse(s) |
Soumya Sen (2002–07) Subodh Maskara (2010–present) |
| Children | 1 |
Nandita Das is an Indian film actress and director. She has acted in over 30 feature films in ten different languages. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire (1996), Earth (1998), Bawandar (2000), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Azhagi and Before The Rains (2007). Firaaq, her directorial debut feature film, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2008, and has traveled to over 50 festivals, winning over 20 awards. She has been on the jury of Cannes Film Festival twice—2005 and 2013—among others. She has been awarded the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France for her contribution towards arts.[2] Nandita Das was the first Indian to be inducted into the International Women's Forum's hall of fame for her contributions to the arts.[3]
Early life and education
Das was born in 1969 to Jatin Das, a popular artist, and Varsha, a writer.[4] Das is of Odia descent on her father's side and Gujarati on her mother’s side. She has a younger brother who works as a creative designer. Despite being born in Mumbai, she was largely brought up in Delhi,[5] where she was schooled at the Sardar Patel Vidyalaya.[6] Later, she received her bachelor's degree in Geography from Miranda House and a Master of Social Work degree from the Delhi School of Social Work, both affiliated to the University of Delhi.[7]
Nandita Das was a Yale World Fellow 2014. She was among the 16 emerging global leaders who were chosen from close to 4000 applicants. The mission of the fellowship is to cultivate and empower a network of globally engaged leaders committed to positive change through dialogue and action.
Career
Acting
Nandita Das started her acting career with the theatre group Jana Natya Manch. She taught at the Rishi Valley School.
She has acted in over 40 feature films in ten different languages with many eminent directors like Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta, Mani Ratnam and others.
She is best known for her performances in Deepa Mehta films Fire, Earth alongside Aamir Khan, Bawander (directed by Jagmohan Mundhra) and Naalu Pennungal (directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan ). Das has acted in films in ten different languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Marathi, Oriya and Kannada. The movie star Sukanya provided Das' speaking voice in the Tamil classic Kannathil Muthamittal.
Nandita Das revisited her theatre roots with a play called Between the Lines co-written and directed by her. She has also acted in Khamosh! Adalat jaari hai, a Cineplay production written by Vijay Tendulkar's
Directing
In 2008, she completed filming her directorial debut, Firaaq.[8] Firaaq is a work of fiction, based on a thousand true stories and is set a month after the Gujarat riots in 2002. It is an ensemble film that interweaves multiple stories over a 24-hour period, as the characters from different strata of society, grapple with the lingering effects of violence. The film traces the emotional journeys of ordinary people – some who were victims, some perpetrators and some who chose to watch silently. The film's stellar cast includes Naseeruddin Shah, Raghubir Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval, Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Shahana Goswami and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Firaaq, her directorial debut feature film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, and has travelled to over 50 festivals, winning much appreciation from critics and audiences and has won over 10 international awards and 10 within the country.
The film won top honours at the Asian Festival of First Films 2008 in Singapore, where it won the awards for "Best Film", "Screenplay / Script", and "Foreign Correspondents Assn. Purple Orchid Award for Best Film".[9][10] The film has also won awards at other international film festivals, including the Special Prize Award at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece, the Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, and the Best Editor award for the film's editor Sreekar Prasad at the Dubai International Film Festival.[11] It was released in India on 20 March 2009.[12] The film also won an award at the Kara Film Festival. Das said that the film "gave a voice to so much that remains silent".[13]
Voice narration
Das narrated the children's audiobook series Under the Banyan, and Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography by Charkha Audiobooks The Story of My Experiments with Truth. She has also lent her voice to the children's television series, Wonder Pets as the Bengal Tiger.
Personal life
In 2002, Das married Saumya Sen.[14] The couple began Leapfrog, a media organisation geared towards making socially conscious ad films.[15] The couple divorced in 2007.[16] After dating Subodh Maskara, an industrialist based out of Mumbai for a couple of months, she married him on 2 January 2010 and moved to Mumbai.[17][18] Das and Maskara had a baby boy named Vihaan.[19] Das has remained an atheist throughout her life.[1]
Activism
Das has done her Masters in Social Work from the University of Delhi and continues to advocate issues of social justice and human rights. She is a passionate volunteer and served as a Guest of honour in the prestigious iVolunteer Awards 2012, held in Mumbai.[20]
Among other topics, she speaks to campaign for child survival, against AIDS, and violence against women.[21] She was appointed as the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India in 2009.[22]
She was also one of the petitioners who sought mercy for Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab involved in Mumbai 26/11 terror attack.[23] Das also donated INR 1 lac for setting up online magazine Tehelka founded by Tarun Tejpal.[24]
She was a member of the main jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, among other reputed international film festivals. She has served as the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society, India.
She has spoken out against the dark skin colour bias in India. "Even in the [Indian film] industry when a makeup man or a cinematographer would come and say can you lighten your skin a little, especially when you are playing the middle class educated character," she said in an interview in September 2014.[25]
Speaking engagements
Nandita Das is a featured speaker who has spoken at various platforms, both in India and around the world. She spoke at MIT on 12 April 2007 after a screening of Fire.
In 2013, she gave her support to the Dark is Beautiful campaign to draw attention to the unjust effects of skin colour bias in India and celebrate the beauty and diversity of all skin tones.[26] She is exhorting women to 'Stay Unfair, Stay Beautiful' [27] She spoke at Tufts University on 30 October 2014 on gender in society and cinema.
Awards and honours
The French government has bestowed on Nandita Das the award of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, a very prestigious Civil Award. In 2011, she was the first Indian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Women's Forum, Washington DC. On 10.03.2009 France released a self-adhesive stamp as part of the project "Women of the world" for Nandita Das.[28]
- 2000 45th Filmfare Awards
- Won – Best Debut – 1947 Earth
- Won – Best Actress – Bawander
- Won – Best Actress – Amaar Bhuvan
- Won – Special Prize – Kannathil Muthamittal
- May 2005 – Das served as a Member of the Jury at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
- 2006 Nandi Awards
- Won – Best Actress – Kamli
- Won – Best Film – Firaaq
- Won – Best Screenplay – Firaaq
- Won – Foreign Correspondents Association Purple Orchid Award for Best Film – Firaaq
- 2008 Government of France
- 2009 Kara Film Festival
- Won – Best Film
- Won – Special Jury Award – Firaaq
- Won – Special Prize (Everyday Life: Transcendence or Reconciliation Award) – Firaaq
- Nominated – Golden Alexander – Firaaq
- 2010 Filmfare Awards
- Won – Special Award – Firaaq
- Nominated—Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Neerparavai
Filmography
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Language(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Parinati | Hindi | ||
| 1995 | Ek Thi Goonja | Goonja | Hindi | |
| 1996 | Fire | Sita | English | |
| 1998 | 1947 Earth | Shanta, the Ayah | Hindi | Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut |
| Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa | Nandini Mitra | Hindi | ||
| Janmadinam | Sarasu | Malayalam | ||
| Biswaprakash | Anjali | Oriya | ||
| 1999 | Deveeri | Deveeri (Akka) | Kannada | |
| Rockford | Lily Vegas | English | ||
| Punaradhivasam | Shalini | Malayalam | ||
| 2000 | Hari-Bhari | Afsana | Hindi | |
| Saanjh | Hindi | Short film | ||
| Bawandar | Sanwari | Hindi, Rajasthani, English | Best Actress at Santa Monica Film Festival | |
| 2001 | Aks | Supriya Verma | Hindi | |
| Daughters of the Century | Charu | Hindi | ||
| 2002 | Aamaar Bhuvan | Sakina | Bengali | Best Actress at Cairo Film Festival Zee Cine Award for Best Actor – Female |
| Kannaki | Kannaki | Malayalam | ||
| Pitaah | Paro | Hindi | ||
| Azhagi | Dhanalakshmi | Tamil | ||
| Kannathil Muthamittal | Shyama | Tamil | Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize | |
| Lal Salaam | Rupi(alias Chandrakka) | Hindi | ||
| 2003 | Ek Alag Mausam | Aparna Verma | Hindi | |
| Bas Yun Hi | Veda | Hindi | ||
| Supari | Mamta Sikri | Urdu | ||
| Shubho Mahurat | Mallika Sen | Bengali | ||
| Kagaar: Life on the Edge | Aditi | Hindi | ||
| Ek Din 24 Ghante | Sameera Dutta | Hindi | ||
| 2004 | Vishwa Thulasi | Sita | Tamil | |
| 2005 | Fleeting Beauty | Indian woman | English | |
| 2006 | Maati Maay | Chandi | Marathi | |
| Podokkhep | Megha | Bengali | ||
| Kamli | Kamli | Telugu | Nandi Award for Best Actress | |
| 2007 | Before the Rains | Sajani | English, Malayalam | |
| Provoked | Radha Dalal | English | ||
| Naalu Pennungal | Kamakshi | Malayalam | ||
| Paani: A Drop of Life | Mira Ben | Hindi | Short film | |
| 2008 | Ramchand Pakistani | Champa | Urdu | Pakistani film |
| 2011 | I Am | Afia | Hindi | |
| 2012 | Neerparavai | Esther | Tamil | Nominated—SIIMA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Tamil Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Tamil |
| 2014 | Rastres de Sàndal | Mina | English, Catalan | |
| 2016 | Untitled Kutty Revathi Film | TBA | Tamil |
Director
| Year | Title | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Firaaq | Hindi Urdu & Gujarati | Best Film and Best Screenplay at Asian Festival of First Films Purple Orchid Award for Best Film at Asian Festival of First Films Special Jury Award at International Film Festival of Kerala Special Prize at International Thessaloniki Film Festival Filmfare Special Award Nominated—Golden Alexander at International Thessaloniki Film Festival |
| 2017 | Manto | Hindi Urdu | Pre-production |
References
- 1 2 "Atheism is the religion for these filmi folk". The Times of India. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ↑ "My work has been less visible in India – India Buzz-Entertainment". The Times of India. 23 April 2008.
- ↑ "Game for Fame -Nandita Das is first Indian to be inducted into the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame". India Today. 5 November 2011.
- ↑ "The Painter's Daughter". Outlook India. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ "I am still searching for a place to call home". OPEN (magazine). Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ↑ Khushwant, Singh (21 September 2009). "The Painter's Daughter". Outlook India. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ↑ Mendis, Isidore Domnick (23 June 2003). "Independent stardom". Business Line. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ Saltz, Rachel (4 June 2009). "The Variety of Life, Real and Imagined, in Movie-Mad India". New York Times. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ Patrick Frater (10 December 2008). "'Firaaq' scoops Asian fest honors: Indian film picks up multiple awards". Variety. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
- ↑ Firaaq wins best film award at Asian Festival of 1st Films. Indiantelevision. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
- ↑ "PPC's FIRAAQ wins five International Awards". Bollywood Trade News Network. 22 January 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ↑ Toonsters. "Firaaq :: A Nandita Das Film:: Official Website ::". Firaaqthefilm.com. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- ↑ Nandita Das talks about her directorial debut Firaaq. Radio Sargam. 26 January 2009.
- ↑ "Nandita, Saumya remain friends". OneIndia. 2 August 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ "Her own person". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 19 December 2004. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ Anand, Utkarsh (24 May 2009). "Actor Nandita Das files for divorce". Yahoo! India News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ "Nandita Das is dating again". Movies.indiatimes.com. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
- ↑ Jha, Subhash K (6 January 2010). "Nandita Das marries, moves to Mumbai by SUBHASH K JHA". The Times of India.
- ↑ Lalwani, Vickey (12 August 2010). "It's a baby boy for Nandita!". Times of India. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
- ↑ "iVolunteer Awards Celebrates Volunteering by Recognizing Volunteers". www.indiacsr.in. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ↑ Gautam, Savitha (27 September 2004). "Ms. Sense". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ↑ "Profile of Chairperson". CFSI website. Archived from the original on 7 December 2010.
- ↑ http://www.oneindia.com/2012/11/21/over-200-indians-had-urged-president-not-to-hang-kasab-1102141.html
- ↑ http://www.firstpost.com/india/tehelka-business-murky-deals-profits-for-tejpal-family-shoma-1254789.html
- ↑ Even within independent cinema there is a kind of populist independent cinema: Nandita Das – "The American Bazaar". 30 September 2014.
- ↑ India's unfair obsession with fair skin – "The Guardian". 14 August 2013.
- ↑ Why Nandita Das doesn't like being called 'dusky' – "Times of India". 30 July 2013.
- ↑ http://www.indianphilately.net/nanditadas.html
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