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Mita Vashisht

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Mita Vasisht
Vashisht at the screening of Criminal Justice in 2019
Born (1967-11-02) 2 November 1967 (age 57)[1]
Pune, Maharashtra, India
Other namesMeeta Vasisht
Occupation(s)Actress occasional film and theatre director
Years active1987–present
Known forbeing a powerful ecelectic unusual actress in film, television, theatre
AwardsScreen Awards, BFWA

Mita Vashisht (born 2 November 1967)[1] is an Indian actress. Known for her work on screen, stage and television, Vashisht has played a wide range of roles. Her most prominent appearances includes; sci-fi television series Space City Sigma (1989-1991), Pachpan Khambe Laal Deewarein, Swabhimaan, Alaan (Kirdaar) to Trishna in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Jethi Maa in Kaala Teeka to film roles with a wide spectrum of directors with different cinema styles.[2]

Early life

Mita Vashisht was born on 2 November 1967 in Pune, Maharashtra, India to Captain Rajeshwar Dutt Vashisht, who retired as a colonel from the Indian Army and Meenakshi Mehta (née) Vashisht, a teacher and a singer (Indian Classical).

A post-graduate in literature from Punjab University, Chandigarh and a graduate from the National School of Drama[3] (Delhi) in 1987, Vashisht was for several years (1990–2010) also visiting faculty to some of the premier design, film and theatre institutes of India – the NIFT (Delhi), FTII (Pune), NSD (Delhi) and the NID (Ahmedabad). She has also conducted theatre workshops in the UK (London, Birmingham, Leicester) and in Damascus. She teaches students of fashion design, film direction and acting, using theatre techniques.[4] She is married to filmmaker Anup Singh.

Career

Vashisht has played the lead roles in the avant-garde cinemas (notably Kumar Shahani and Mani Kaul films), the middle of the road cinemas (Notably Govind Nihalani's films) as well as in successful big budget Bollywood films. She has worked in theatre as actress and director too. She researches and writes her scripts as well. Since 2004, she has performed her solo play in English and Hindi, titled, Lal Ded, based on life of medieval Kashmiri mystic Lal Ded, all over India.[5]

Vashisht has written and produced three short films, as well as a serial for television. She was the executive producer of the film The Name of a River, a BFI (London) - NFDC (India) - Bangladesh film co-production.

In June 2001, Vashisht established Mandala, space for arts collaborations research and education. Its aim was to spearhead a new movement in the arts, to centre stage and individuate the performing arts in society (she considers that imperative, in the face of an electronic media onslaught) and to aid artistic collaborations.

Her first project under Mandala however took an unusual twist. A chance theatre workshop that she conducted with trafficked minors in a remand home in Mumbai led to four years of her full-time involvement with the cause of self- empowerment and rehabilitation of trafficked minors. (trafficked minors i.e. minor girls rescued from prostitution from the city brothels).

As artistic director of Mandala she created Mandala TAM (theatre arts module), a methodology and a training process based on the performing arts that proved to be highly successful in helping the trafficked minors to heal and transform mentally, physically, emotionally and intellectually. In wanting to mainstream the marginalized she created a theatre troupe of the trafficked young women who performed the comedy play 'the coffin is too big for the grave' to national and international audiences and at international theatre festivals).[6]

Theatre

She has performed in the 75 minute solo theatre performance Lal Ded, based on the life and poetry of the iconic woman mystic and poet of Kashmir Lal Ded.[7] Lal Ded performances have been invited to and featured in the following National/International theatre festivals in India and abroad.

  • 2004: World Human Rights Day for the NGO 'Akshara', Mumbai.
  • 2005: The Hungry Heart Int. Theatre Festival, India Habitat Centre, Delhi.
  • 2006: The Hungry Heart International theatre festival, Delhi.
  • 2006: World theatre day, Pune. (Alliance Francaise)
  • 2007: National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai
  • 2008: Baharangam (the Int. theatre festival, NSD Delhi) commemorating NSD's golden jubilee year.
  • 2008: International Sufi Festival of Performing Arts, Srinagar, Kashmir.
  • 2008: National Theatre Festival, Dehradun
  • 2008: World Performing Arts Festival, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • 2009: North Zone Cultural Centre Festival, Chandigarh.

Film and television

She has also produced and directed television programs and documentaries. In 2012 she She of the Four Names, commissioned by Public Services Broadcasting Trust, India. (PSBT) based on Lal Ded.

In recent years Vashisht played a key role in Ekta Kapoor's Kahani Ghar Ghar ki. The portrayal of Trishna took the serial to new TRP heights, beating the sister rival serial Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi for the first time in six years of its running.She played the role of the principal on the show Suvreen Guggal on Channel V India and Akbar's evil stepmom in the serial, Jodha Akbar on Zee TV.[8] She was highly appreciated by the audience for her negative portrayal of Jethi Maa from TV Series Kaala Teeka.

Selected filmography

Year Film Role Director Notes
1987 Var Var Vari Nayika Kumar Shahani FTII (Diploma for Nandini Bedi, Editing)
1989 Chandni Chandni's friend Yash Chopra
1989 Siddheshwari Siddheshwari Mani Kaul
1989 Jazeere Asta Govind Nihalani
1990 Khayal Gatha Rani Roopmati Kumar Shahani
1990 Drishti Prabha Govind Nihalani
1990 Kasba Tejo Kumar Shahani
1991 Idiot Nastassya Mani Kaul
1994 Tarpan Lachmi K. Bikram Singh
1994 English August Nri Dev Benegal
1994 Drohkaal Sumitra Govind Nihalani Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress
1998 Dil Se.. Terrorist Mani Ratnam
1998 Zindagi Zindabad Botanist Sumitra Bhave
1998 Ghulam Fatima Vikram Bhatt
1999 Taal Prabha Subhash Ghai
2000 Snegithiye SP Prema Narayanan Priyadarshan Tamil film
2001 Maya Maya's Aunt Digvijay Singh
2001 Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi Main villain Rahul Rawail
2002 Pitaah Thakuraien Mahesh Manjrekar
2003 Patalghar Begum Abhijit Chaudhary Bengali film
2004 Oops! Sharon/Sakshi Deepak Tijori
2004 Phir Milenge Advocate Kalyani Revathi
2006 Shevri Maya Gajendra Ahire Marathi film
2007 Raakilipattu SP Prema Narayanan Priyadarshan Malayalam film
2009 Anubhav Dr. Kamla Rajeev Nath
2009 Aladin Karate Instructor Sujoy Ghosh
2009 Antaheen Mrs. Mehra Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury Bengali film
2011 Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge Ma'am Nupur Ashtana
2011 Trishna Trishna's mother Michael Winterbottom
2013 Gangoobai Daksha Priya Krishnaswamy
2014 Youngistaan Suhasini Singh Deo Syed Ahmad Afzal
2014 Rahasya Brinda Chhabria Manish Gupta
2021 Kaagaz Ashrafi Devi Satish Kaushik Released on Zee5

Music videos and Singing

  • 2000: Featured in the main lead in Mann ke Manjeeré.
  • 2007: Sung the vocals with Shubha Mudgal for the theme song Laaga Chunari Mein Daag for Yash Raj Films.

Television

Year Serial Director Notes
1989 Space City Sigma Ashok Talwar, Bizeth Bannerjee
1989 Bharat Ek Khoj Shyam Benegal As Suhasini, Wife of Dhananand [episode 11,12]
1989 Mr Yogi Ketan Mehta
1993 Pachpan Khambe Lal Deewarein P.K. Mohanty
1994 Swabhimaan Mahesh Bhatt As Devika
1994 Kirdaar Gulzar Various Roles
1997 Ghum Anup Singh Rain Movies
1998 Saalgiraah Anup Singh Rain Movies
1999 Vijay Jyoti Gajendra Singh ZEE TV NETWORK
1999 Hip Hip Hurray Nupur Asthana
1999–2000 Star Bestsellers
2001 Kaaun EKta Kapoor Balaji Television
2001 Khauff
2005 Bombay Lawyers
2005–07 Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki Ekta Kapoor Balaji Television
2012–13 Suvreen Guggal – Topper of The Year Ravi Bhushan
2015 Sense8 Sahana Rasal NETFLIX
2015 Kaala Teeka Jethi Maa DJs a Creative Venture
2015 Jodhaa Akbar Mah Chuchak Begum Zee TV Network
2017 Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai Bhairavi Sphere Origins Production House
2019 Criminal Justice Lawyer Mandira Mathur Hotstar
2020 Your Honor Inspector Kiran Sekhon Sony Liv

Film Jury member

  • 2005: OSIAN'S CINEFAN International Film Festival, Delhi. Jury member for Indian Feature Films.
  • 2008: Tenth MAMI International Film Festival, Mumbai. Jury Member for Dimensions India (Documentary films).
  • 2008: Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) Jury member for Short films.

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b Kolwankar, Gayatri (26 April 2016). "TV actors and their birthday bash pictures". The Times of India. p. 15. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Mita Vashisht: My new show Kaala Teeka launches on my birthday 2nd November - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  3. ^ Ferral, Glacxy (25 November 2008). "Mita reveals it all". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  4. ^ "For the love of the stage". The Hindu. 11 November 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  5. ^ C.S. Lakshmi (1 May 2005). "Songs of a mystic". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ Meenakshi Shedde (14 November 2001). "How theatre can empower the meek". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Mita Vashisht to play Akbar's evil stepmom in Jodha Akbar". The Times of India. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
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