A brilliant actress, a theatre artist, a woman who doesn’t believe in walking the beaten path — with Nandita Das, what you see is what you get

We think Nandita is a Femina Platinum Woman because :

Because she has no fixed notions about life. “I take up projects that excite me and that stir my mind in some way. It can be a fun film, a thriller, comedy; anything that generates interest.”

Because she believes in speaking up about things she doesn’t agree with. “I am a reasonably vocal person, in the sense, if I feel something, I’ll probably say it. But at the same time I also realise that the director is the captain of the ship. See, you can protest, you can discuss, even at the end, one might not agree, but after a point of time, someone has to call the shots or else there would be complete chaos. I feel that any confident and good director understands that film-making is a collective effort.”

Because she is not afraid of taking risks and playing different characters. “It’s a gamble. Till the end, you won’t know how the whole thing will shape up. Like in ‘Hari Bhari’, my role had a few negative shades. At first, I was like, hey that’s not me; maybe because I hadn’t started to really see myself as an actress yet. But then Shyam Benegal said I should start taking on parts that may not be entirely me, and I guess what the film is trying to say is far greater. So, finally it’s your instincts that lead you; you just go the way you feel is right.”

Because she values team work. “In film-making loads of factors come into play and all of them are important right up to the cameraman and the technicians. The actor is only one ingredient. I would say the director, the script and the role are the most important.”

Because she takes her work seriously. “I really haven’t done a role where I have needed to or have felt motivated enough to prepare, although I have always wanted to. Human emotions are mostly universal, so it comes naturally. Primarily, if you have travelled a bit and are basically a keen observer, somewhere subconsciously, you stack these things in your mind. But yes, if it is a serious role, outside a certain human emotion you are not familiar with, or a real life character like Bawandar, or a period film like ‘Water’, then you have to work at it.”

Because she uses her popularity for a cause. “Being half-Gujarati, I was ashamed of the violence in Gujarat; specially because it was violence without repentance. I talked to people, went to colleges and spoke to students and participated in rallies. When I was abroad, I spoke to Indians there about what is it to be Indian. I was questioning myself as much as others.”

Because she knows her environment and sees it for what it is. “The film world is quite superficial. It has its own baggage. I used to think of it like any other job, where I could come, do my work and leave, but gradually, I realised that there are a whole lot of other things that you are expected to do and not all that you would want to do. There are various perceptions of ‘she is so arty, she is a feminist’. I recognise now, the need of people to put others into some kind of an ism, a slot, so that you don’t have to think any further.”

Because she believes that simplicity is a knockout.

Because she believes in living life to the fullest. “I am very restless. It is important not to fall into the trap of doing just one thing. I don’t plan my life. I take things as they come. There is so much variety around us; movies, different people — there is so much to experience.”

Because she doesn’t take herself too seriously. “When you are a public figure, freedom does get curbed to an extent. The interviews and photo shoots do sometimes get tiresome but you learn to live with it. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, life is ok.”

Jewellery courtesy Platinum Guild International