Nandita Das

Actor, director and an activist all rolled into one

Nandita Das is multi faceted personality. An actor, director and an activist all rolled into one, Nandita Das is as well known for her award-winning performances on the screen, as for her campaigns for social justice, gender equality and human rights. She blazed into Bollywood in 1996 with Deepa Mehta’s film ‘Fire’ with the legendary Shabana Azm as a co actor. Along with path-breaking films like Earth, Fire and Bawander, she had a brief stint in mainstream in Aks with Amitabh Bachchan. Nandita is one of the actresses who has left a different mark in her acting. She has worked not only in Hindi but in 10 different languages. Apart from acting, Nandita is also a big name in the field of direction and writes her own scripts. Both Firaaq and the more recent Manto have done excellently abroad. Both films have won awards and has had prestigious screenings. She has carved a niche for herself amongst the emerging women filmmakers. A committed activist, was a part of street theatre in Delhi, an outspoken critic of colourism much before the recent hoopla surrounding fairness creams. A subject which is so relevant in our country where colour bias is widely prevalent. Born to artistically inclined parents Nandita stands apart with her immense talent and her voice of support to several burning issues that plague us today. She is a role model for the younger generation of girls.