Nandita Das
New Delhi, India Occupation :Film actor, director Years active :1990 - present Spouse(s) :Soumya Sen 2002 - 06
Personal life and education
Nandita Das was born in New Delhi. Her father was the celebrated Indian painter, Jatin Das, originally from Orissa, and her mother was a writer, Varsha Das.
She went to Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in New Delhi. She has her bachelor's degree in Geography and Post Graduation from the Delhi School of Social Work.[1] Das married to Soumya Sen from 2002-2006.
Career
Acting
Nandita started her acting career with a theatre group called Jannatya Manch. She taught at the Rishi Valley School.[2]
Nandita Das is best known for her performances in Deepa Mehta Films Fire, Earth alongside Aamir Khan, Bawander (directed by Jagmohan Mundhra) and Amaar Bhuvan (directed by Mrinal Sen).
Das has played storyteller/narrator in the audiobook series for kids "Under the Banyan" by Karadi Tales. She has also been the narrator in the audiobook of Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography by Charkha Audiobooks "The Story of My Experiments with Truth". She has also lent her voice for the children's series, The Wonder Pets as the Bengal Tiger.
Directing
She has recently completed filming her directorial debut, In Such Times (Firaaq). [3][4] It is an ensemble film, set during the 2002 Gujarat riots, that deals with the impact of sectarian violence on human psyche and relationships. 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".[5][6] The film has also won awards at other international film festivals, including the Special Prize award at the International Thessaloniki 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.[7]
"I'm so glad 'Firaaq' has been applauded by audiences around the world, from Toronto, London, Pusan to Kolkata and Trivandrum. After all, human emotions are universal and after the kind of feedback I have got in different parts of the world, I understand that more. Audiences have been able to empathize with the journeys of the characters everywhere. It's more so in India, where it's set and hence people can identify with it more. It's been said that the film gave a voice to so much that remains silent and that it should be seen at least once. Though it's always great to win awards at every competitive festival we entered the film in, but it's actually the audience reaction that really matters," Nandita Das told Radio Sargam.[8]
Philanthropy
Das gives talks around the world about the impact of her films and the need for powerful social movements in India. She spoke at MIT on April 12, 2007 after a screening of Fire.
She also speaks to campaign against AIDs and violence against women.[9]
Awards and honours
- 2001 Santa Monica Film Festival
- Won - Best Actress - Bawander
- 2002 Cairo Film Festival
- Won - Best Actress - Amaar Bhuvan
- 2002 Zee Cine Awards
- Won - Best Actress - Amaar Bhuvan
- 2005 Cannes Film Festival
- May 2005 - Das served as a Member of the Jury at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
- 2006 Nandi Awards
- Won - Best Actress - Kamli
- 2008 Asian Festival of First Films
- Won - Best Film - Firaaq
- Won - Best Screenplay - Firaaq
- Won - Foreign Correspondents Association Purple Orchid Award for Best Film - Firaaq
- 2009 International Film Festival of Kerala
- Won - Special Jury Award - Firaaq
- 2009 International Thessaloniki Film Festival
- Won - Special Prize (Everyday Life: Transcendence or Reconciliation Award) - Firaaq
- Nominated - Golden Alexander - Firaaq
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Parinati | Oriya | ||
| 1996 | Fire | Sita | English | |
| 1998 | Earth | Shanta, the Ayah | Hindi | |
| Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa | Nandini Mitra | Hindi | ||
| Janmadinam | Sarasu | Malayalam | ||
| Biswa Prakash | Anjali | Oriya | ||
| 1999 | Deveeri | Deveeri (Akka) | Kannada | |
| Rockford | Lily Vegas | English | ||
| Punaradhivasam | - | Malayalam | ||
| 2000 | Hari-Bhari | Afsana | Hindi | |
| Saanjh | Urdu | |||
| Bawandar | Sanwari | Hindi | Won, Best Actress at Santa Monica Film Festival. | |
| 2001 | Aks | Supriya Verma | Hindi | |
| Daughters of the Century | Charu | Hindi | ||
| 2002 | Aamaar Bhuvan | Sakina | Bengali | Won, Best Actress at Cairo Film Festival. Won, Zee Cine Award for Best Actress |
| Kannaki | Kannaki | Malayalam | ||
| Pitaah | Paro | Hindi | ||
| Azhagi | Dhanalakshmi | Tamil | ||
| Kannathil Muthamittal | Shyama | Tamil | ||
| Lal Salaam | Rupi | Malayalam | ||
| 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 | Provoked | Radha Dalal | English | |
| Maati Maay | Chandi | Marathi | Marathi Film by Chitra Palekar with Atul Kulkarni | |
| Podokkhep | Megha | Bengali | ||
| Kamli | Kamli | Telugu | Won, Nandi Award for Best Actress (Telugu) | |
| 2007 | Before the Rains | Sajani | English | |
| Naalu Pennungal | Kamakshi | Malayalam | ||
| Paani: A Drop of Life | Mira Ben | Hindi | ||
| 2008 | Ramchand Pakistani | Champa | Urdu | |
| Firaaq | Directorial debut | Hindi / Urdu / Gujarati | Won, Best Film and Best Screenplay at Asian Festival of First Films. Won, Purple Orchid Award for Best Film at Asian Festival of First Films. Won, Special Jury Award at International Film Festival of Kerala. Won, Special Prize at International Thessaloniki Film Festival. Nominated, Golden Alexander at International Thessaloniki Film Festival. | |
| 2010 | Midnight's Children[10] |
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