Mita Vashisht

Mita Vashisht
Mita Vashisht at Vir Das Play
Born	(1967-11-02) 2 November 1967 Pune, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Meeta Vasisht
Years active	1987-present

Mita Vashisht (Marathi: मीता विशष्ठ) is an Indian television, film and theatre actress, who graduated from National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi in 1987, and currently plays the role of the uptight principal on the hit show Suvreen Guggal, which airs on Channel V India.

Early life

Vashisht was born on November 2, 1967 in Pune, Maharashtra, India to Rajeshwar Dutt Vasisht, a retired Colonel in the Indian Army and Meenakshi Mehta Vasisht, a teacher and musician. She is of Kumaoni descent.

A post-graduate in literature from Punjab University, Chandigarh and a graduate from the National School of Drama (Delhi) Vashisht is 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.

Career

Vashisht has worked in off-beat cinema as well as in commercial roles. She has worked in theatre and has written 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.^[1]

Apart from acting, Vashisht is also actively involved in social work. She has worked with children in remand homes and with sex workers (she started a theatre troupe by enlisting 30 sex workers).^[2]

Vashisht has written and produced three short films, as well as a serial for television. She has worked as executive producer on the award winning 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.

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.^[3] Lal Ded performances have been invited to and featured in the following National/International theater 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: Bharangam (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 ad directed television programs and documentaries. She is working on She of the Four Names, commissioned by Public Services Broadcasting Trust, India. (PSBT) based on Lal Ded.

Selected filmography

Others

• Featured in the main lead in Mann Ke Manjeere,
• Sung the vocals with Shubha Mudgal for the theme song Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. Producers; Yash Raj Films. 2007.

Television

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 Internataional Film Festival (MIFF) Jury member for Short films.

Awards

• 1996: Won, Star Screen Award, for Best Supporting Actress Drohkaal
• 1990: Won, BFJA Awards Bengal Film Journalist Award, Best supporting Actress Drishti
• 1992: Nominated, National Film Awards, Best Actress Kasba
• 1999: Nominated, National Film Awards, Best Supporting Actress Ghulam
• 2004: Nominated, National Film Awards, Best Actress Oops!

References

1. ↑ Songs of a mystic The Hindu, 1 May 2005.
2. ↑ http://www.garhwalpost.com/index.php?mod=article&cat=Dehradun&article=3510
3. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/How-theatre-can-empower-the-meek/articleshow/1339322096.cms

External links

• Official website
• Mita Vashisht at the Internet Movie Database
• A non-conforming artiste - The Tribune, 2002