An actor par excellence with 40 feature films in 10 different languages to her credit, Nandita Das has been a strong advocate of social justice and human rights, in her reel and real life.

She made her directorial debut with Firaaq, in 2008 that won national and international acclaim and her second directorial venture, Manto, based on the life and works of Saadat Hasan Manto, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, and released in theatres in India on September 21, 2018. She was also on the jury of the Cannes Film Festival twice (2005 and 2013), among others.

Among the select few female actors who have portrayed strong cinematic characters who stand their ground against patriarchy, injustice and sexual violence; Nandita’s passion for equal rights for women resonates in the causes she champions. Her engagement with education and child rights has included encouraging all stakeholders to take cognisance and collective action to address exploitation and abuse. She has been informally involved with organisations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, Oxfam, Akshara and Jagori. She is a strong supporter of the “Dark is Beautiful” campaign, that battles colour bias stemming from the obsession with fair skin. She has encouraged many young girls facing such prejudice to ‘Stay Unfair, Stay Beautiful’, which in turns helps them build their self-esteem.

With firm conviction that every individual can leverage his or her area of influence to create great social impact, Nandita brings to the Influencers her strength and understanding of the arts and their ability to influence mindsets. Her messaging and communication of ideas sheds light on important issues, triggering meaningful conversations and inspiring change.