She has acted in over 40 feature films in ten different languages and won accolades for numerous performances, including in ‘Fire’ (1996), ‘Earth’ (1998) and ‘Bawandar’ (2000) among several others. Her directorial debut ‘Firaaq’ (2008) premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and travelled to more than 50 festivals, winning more than 20 awards. In September 2019, she produced a two-minute public service announcement music video ‘India’s Got Colour’. The music video is about the issue of colourism and urges the audience to celebrate India’s diversity of skin colour.
She is none other than Nandita Das.
Recently, she was invited as chief guest at the Kallola Awards 2019 in the city where short-films, themed on nutrition, were screened and feted.
In an exclusive conversation with Orissa POST, Nandita talked about the theme of the day ‘nutrition’, her movie plans and much more.
Excerpts:
Orissa POST: As it’s the theme for the day, what are your views on nutrition?
Nandita Das: I am not claiming to be a champion of this cause but it’s an issue that overwhelms me. However, we need to create more awareness regarding this. It’s wonderful to see Aaina along with Unicef is making great movies where young jury members are there. Change can’t be hastened, it needs time and everyone must cross their threshold and make change. Children are the lowest in the pyramid. All over India malnutrition is a big problem. Everybody must live responsibly and help people who are in hunger.
Orissa POST: What do you have to say about mid-day meals controversy across the state?
Nandita Das: It’s a moral breakdown and we all are responsible. Are we responsible enough to change ourselves? Let’s create support groups and raise a voice against it. People who are giving these mid-day meals should be responsible morally and must remember that they are feeding the future of a state or country. Corruption has truly wasted a lot of great efforts, but we must carry on to support Odisha where poverty is a reality. A basic good-meal is the birthright of every child.
Orissa POST: Odisha is witnessing a new wave of short movies. What’s your say on that?
Nandita Das: For a long time we all have been focusing on feature films. However, short films definitely make an impact, whether its 90 seconds or 20 minutes, it’s how you tell or treat a subject and what you want to convey to the audience. I am proud that Odisha is becoming prominent in the cinema world with such amazing short-film makers.
Orissa POST: Do you have any plans to make a movie in Odisha?
Nandita Das: There are so many good stories in Odisha and we have a great literature. There are many great books to follow. However, I must understand the landscape of movies over here and definitely I have already started thinking about making a movie very soon. I would be proud to represent Odisha in movies and finally presenting it on a global platform. The cleaner air and the serene beauty of this state make me think twice why I am living in Mumbai?
Orissa POST: What do you have to say on your fun music video ‘India’s Got Colour’?
Nandita Das: It’s really disturbing that even in today’s time we all are judged by skin colours, outer appearances. Whenever we watch any advertisement we all feel sad because nobody is perfect. I have always campaigned against this colour issue of our skin. The two-and-a-half-minute long song has been made in collaboration with filmmaker Mahesh Mathai and composer Ankur Tewari. Actors like Ratna Pathak Shah, Gul Panag, Swara Bhaskar, Radhika Apte and Ali Fazal, to name a few, have really made the campaign more powerful. All I can say is that it’s time to change our perspectives about skin colour which is causing so much racism all around.