Nandita Das

Nandita Das has acted in more than 40 films in 10 different languages. She has written and directed three feature films, Firaaq (premiered at TIFF in 2008), Manto (premiered at the Cannes Film festival in 2018) and Zwigato (premiered at TIFF in 2023), winning much appreciation and accolades from audiences and critics. The last two films were also produced by ‘Nandita Das Initiatives’, a creative platform founded by her in 2016. Under NDI, she has also directed and produced shorts such as India’s Got Colour and Listen to Her that shed light on pertinent social issues. She wrote the book, Manto & I, chronicling her six-year long journey of making the film. She has served twice on the jury of Cannes Film Festival, among others. She was conferred the ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ by the French Government in 2011. She was the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society from 2009-2012. She co-wrote, directed and acted in the play, Between the Lines. She has an MA in Social Work and advocates issues of human rights and social justice.