Kapil Sharma has made a stunning comeback after being away from the movie, with Nandita Das’ Zwigato. The movie sheds light on the daily life tribulations of the food delivery partners. Nandita Das’ film has already earned screenings in several international film festivals, a usual phenomenon for Nandita Das.
Here are a few little-known facts about the actor-director:
Iconic directorial debut
Official poster – Firaaq
After working as an actress in several language films, Das finally made her debut as a filmmaker with ‘Firaaq’, which was released in 2008. The film was a work of fiction set in the backdrop of the Gujarat riots of 2002. The movie had multiple storylines which unfolded within 24 hours. The movie was celebrated on the international stage as it was screened at some iconic film festivals, such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival.
Signed a mercy petition for Ajmal Kasab
Credits – The Indian Express
After the horrific 26/11 attacks in the city of Mumbai, Ajmal Kasab was one of the terrorists who was caught alive by the Mumbai police. He was kept in jail for a span of a few months and was ordered to capital punishment in the form of the death penalty. However, a section of Indian liberals did not support the idea and filed a mercy petition for Ajmal Kasab. Besides Nandita Das, the likes of Shivam Vij, Abbas Kazmi, and Aruna Roy also signed the petition.
Served as a jury at the Cannes Film Festival
Credits – The Indian Express
Even before entering the world of directing, Nandita Das got an opportunity to serve on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival on two occasions. In 2005, she served on the main competition jury alongside Toni Morrison, John Woo, Javier Bardem, Salma Hayek, etc.
France released a stamp featuring Das
The Stamp
In 2009, France released a stamp featuring Das, from artist Titouan Lamazou’s project “Women of the World.” Das was the first Indian inducted into the International Hall of Fame of the International Women’s Forum in Washington, DC.
Nandita Das as an actor
Credit – A still from the movie Fire.
Das started her career as an actress. She has acted in over 40 feature films in ten different languages. In the late 1990s and the early 2000s, Das has been a part of several iconic films such as Fire, Earth, Kamli, Before the Rains, etc. Throughout her career, she has acted in films with several maverick directors such as Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta, and Mani Ratnam.
