DECODING BOLLYWOOD: STORIES OF 15 FILM DIRECTORS by SONIA GOLANI

Author:SONIA GOLANI [GOLANI, SONIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mobilism
Publisher: Westland
Published: 2014-07-14T18:30:00+00:00

‘Unhappiness is a great motivator. Most of us take leaps of faith when we are really unhappy and have nothing to lose.’

A Humanitarian First

Nandita

das

Nandita’s association with cinema began way back in the year 1995. She has since acted in over thirty feature films in ten different languages and has won accolades for her bold and sensitive performances in films like Fire, Earth, Bawander, Before the Rains, etc. She also turned director with Firaaq in 2008 which won her several national and international awards. Yet another important milestone in her career was her stint as the Chairperson of Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI), from 2009-2012.

As soon as I return from my annual visit to the UK, coinciding with my son’s new session at the university, I meet Nandita at her beautiful 7th floor residence at Worli. The main door of her home leads to the hall that has the dining set up at one end and a sit out at the other which lends a stunning view of the Arabian Sea stretched out for miles. A glass door opposite the sit out separates the living room and the office space. Beautiful paintings, plants and books largely make up the earthy and lively décor of Nandita and her husband, Subodh Maskara’s residence-cum-office.

It’s an early morning meeting. The house is abuzz with a battery of helpers attending to various chores and making sure that tea and breakfast is laid out for the couple and their guests. While Nandita and I begin our conversation in the living room, Subodh goes about his day’s work with his associates.

Born to the renowned painter and sculptor, Jatin Das and eminent Gujarati writer, Dr Varsha Das, once Director of the National Book Trust and National Gandhi Museum, Nandita grew up in a liberal family in Delhi with her younger brother, Siddhartha. ‘My brother and I were fortunate to have parents who let us do what we enjoyed doing. They never exerted pressure on us. I don’t remember them ever using words like career, success, money, ambition. These words were not part of our vocabulary,’ she shares.

Recalling her childhood, she narrates, ‘I didn’t enjoy Maths very much and if I was anxious before any exam, my father would ask me to relax, water the plants and talk to them and that seemed to really work in calming me down and getting my concentration back. He encouraged me to continue with my Odissi dance classes even during my board exams!’ she exclaims. Her diligence and the supportive environment at home yielded wonderful results and she topped her school, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya in Delhi.

Unlike Maths, Nandita loved Geography in school and chose to pursue it later in college at Miranda House, Delhi. During her first year in college, while Delhi University faced a major shut down due to a teachers strike, Nandita got an offer through her parents’ contacts for a small but pivotal role in Parinati directed by Prakash Jha. At the time, the role happened to be a

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