Nandita’s passion to make a difference is evident in the choices she has made in her life and work. A widely acclaimed actor and filmmaker, she is known to never shy away from unconventional roles and stories that she feels need to be told.
She has been a prominent speaker at many reputed universities, social forums, conferences and fundraisers, both in India and abroad. She passionately advocates issues of social justice, especially for women, children and marginalised communities.
Nandita completed her Masters in Social Work from the University of Delhi and worked with various NGOs before she made forays into films. She has acted in over 40 films in 10 languages. Firaaq, her directorial debut was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2008 and has been shown at over 50 festivals, winning over 20 awards and critical acclaim. Her second film, Manto, on the life and works of the writer, Saadat Hasan Manto, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She then wrote a book, Manto & I, chronicling her journey of making the film. Her third film, Zwigato, explores the struggles of a gig worker and his family, premiered at TIFF in 2022.
She has served as a juror at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival twice (2005 and 2013), received the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) from the French Government and was the first Indian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Women’s Forum in Washington DC.
