Nandita Das straddles the worlds of film, theatre and social work with ease. Many would aspire to be in her shoes. As an actor and activist, she has featured in over 30 films in different languages, has done quite a bit of theatre (starting with the late Safdar Hashmi's Jan Natya Manch), voiced concern over a number of social and environmental issues, directed short films, lectured on topics at various fora in India and abroad, and even been on the jury at Cannes in 2005.
Her bio data is impressive -- a BA in geography and Masters in social work -- while her artistic talent is inherited (father Jatin Das is an eminent painter and mother Varsha Das is a writer). Her eclectic upbringing has helped her wear a umber of hats.
Exceptionally articulate, Nandita has the ability to intellectualise many a debate and discussion. In Hyderabad recently to shoot for her first Telugu film Kamli (dealing with the issue of the sale of girls from the lambada community), Radhika Rajamani managed to pin Nandita down for a few minutes to talk about cinema and a couple of other subjects.
Nandita is very much part of the film firmament. This year, she has five films up for release, and most will tour the festival circuit. Kamli is to be shown at the Busan Film Festival and Asian Film Festival, Mumbai, while Maati Maay was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. Life has been hectic for Nandita this year. "I have been travelling non-stop,' she says. "It's like a whirlwind. Different languages, different milieu, different food and, the best part is, I get to meet so many people."
Excerpts from a conversation:
Also Read: Kamli, A film dedicated to the girl child
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