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Nandita Das (born November 7, 1969 in Delhi, India) is
an Indian actress. Das is known to world audiences for
her critically acclaimed performances in films like
Fire (1996) and Earth (1998), Bawander and recently
for Nallu Pennugal.
Nandita Das has performed in over 30 feature films, in
ten different languages, most of which have been
showcased in numerous international film festivals and
have won her accolades. Nandita Das has had the honour
of being a member of the main jury at the prestigious
Cannes Film Festival in 2005 and at the Karlovy Vary
International Film Festival in 2007.
Known to never shy away from a controversial issue or
an unconventional role, Nandita Das has attracted the
attention of artists, critics and film lovers across
the globe. Nandita Das has believed in the role of
cinema as a powerful instrument for social change and
her choices bear witness to that. She has chosen to be
part of stories that are “not commonly told but are
needed to be heard.”
Nandita has a fiery passion to make a difference, a
driving force that underlies the roles she chooses.
She believes in using the medium of cinema as a tool
for social change, and the commitment with which she
campaigns for various causes have won her many
admirers across the world.
Nandita Das has been a featured speaker at various
universities and social forums both in India and
abroad. As part of her many ways of communicating, she
has also directed four public service short films for
civil society organizations that were appreciated and
awarded at various short film festivals.
Nandita Das's future releases are Mehreen Jabbar's
Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani, that premiered at
the Tribeca Festival 2008 in New York and Santosh
Sivan's Before the Rains, that premiered at the
Toronto Festival and was recently released in the US.
Nandita Das is currently working on her directorial
debut, Firaaq. It is an ensemble film that deals with
the impact of sectarian violence on human psyche and
relationships.
Nandita Das is known for her critically acclaimed
performances in Deepa Mehta Films Fire, Earth
alongside Aamir Khan, Bawander (directed by Jagmohan
Mundhra) and Amar Bhuvan (directed by Mrinal Sen). She
has performed in over 25 feature films and has won the
Best Actress award for her performance in the film
Bawander at the Santa Monica Film Festival (2001).
Nandita Das also won the Best Actress award for
performance in Amar Bhuvan at the Cairo Film Festival
(2002). In May 2005, she served as a Member of the
Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.
Nandita 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".
Nandita Das also gives talks around the world about
the impact of her films and the need for powerful
social movements in India. She most recently spoke at
MIT on April 12, 2007 after a screening of Fire.