Sangeet Natak Akademi for Seema Biswas

Lata Khubchandani

Seema Biswas has won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contribution to acting in 1999-2000.

The actress has won almost every single award this country offers for acting.

This one, though, comes as a surprise to herself because Seema has been rueing the fact that no good film offers have been coming her way.

It was because her film career had very little to offer her that Seema said 'yes' to performing in the famous Mobile Theatre of Assam for ten months.

As though in vindication of her talent, that stint fetched her the Assam State best actress award and, now, the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Seema says, "It is a pleasant surprise because it was unexpected in the sense that there has been no hype, no nominations -- nothing.

"The phone rang and I was told amidst comgratulations that I'd been named for this award. The value of something that is unexpected gets doubled, doesn't it?

Of course, I've still not given up hope that I will get good roles, where I can perform. I'm still waiting."

Among the awards she has already won are: National Award for best actress (Bandit Queen); the Filmfare Award for best debut (Bandit Queen); the Screen Videocon Award for best supporting actress (Khamoshi); the Balraj Sahni Award for contribution to theatre; and the Zimbabwe Award for best actress.

Films Seema Biswas has acted in:
Bandit Queen
Khamoshi
Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa
Ladies Only
Samar
Kal Ka Aadmi
Ghaav
Scribbles On Akka
Lajja (Bengali)

In theatre:
Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi (Bombay)
Performed with the Assam mobile theatre, did 300 shows