Daughter of the famous painter of Orissa, Jatin Das, Nandita Das has contributed greatly to the Indian film Industry. Having been casted in Indian theaters and films of regional languages, the actress has become a role model for the Gen-X actors. An actress with a social consciousness is a blend that is rarely found and Nandita Das is the repository of that blend. She considers acting to be a journey and an experience of on-screen realism. According to her, cinema and films are the best tool for instilling awareness among the people and acquainting them with all that is happening around them.

An actress with a mission, Nandita Das chooses her role carefully, which usually relate to social and psychological conditions of the society or an individual. Unlike the main-stream cinema, she prefers working in parallel films that send a message to its viewers. Although, she has done numerous romantic films, she is popular nationally and internationally for her powerful roles in Lal Salaam, released in the year 2002 and Maati Maay, released in 2006. Sometimes a revolutionary communist and sometimes the caretaker of a children's graveyard, Nandita Das's role have ranged from everything social to political.

Her role as a lesbian partner in the film 'Fire'(1996) and that of a rape victim in the partition story of 'Earth'(1998) have hugely been criticized for their unwavering depiction of the Indian society and history. Known for directing films with intense messages, Deepa Mehta was the director of these films too. Plans for directing 'water; had to be abandoned in the middle because of the huge critical uproar against both the previous films.

Films of Nandita Das

Some of the important films of Nandita Das are:

Fire (1996)
Earth (1998)
Rockford (1999)
Deveeri (1999)
Bawandar (2000)
Saanjh (2000)
Aks (2001)
Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
Amar Bhuvan (2002)
Pitaah (2002)
Lal Salaam (2002)
Ek Alag Mausam (2003)
Kagaar: Life on the Edge (2003)
Vishwa Thulasi (2004)
Provoked (2006)
Maati May (2006)
Kamli (2006)

Nandita Das is an actress who has brought a new dimension in Bollywood films with her unperturbed and chiseled acting. She has created her own dictations not only in films but also the world outside Bollywood. Having participated in social movements and welfare programs, she has succeeded in creating an indelible mark both as an actress and a social activist. Nandita Das as a director of public service shots has also made a mark as the defender of social harmony and equality of women and children.

Last Updated on 04 July 2011

Delhi People