Urmila Mahanta
| Urmila Mahanta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sonapur, Assam, India |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Urmila Mahanta (Assamese: উৰ্মিলা মহন্ত) is an Indian actress. A student of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, Urmila appeared in various plays, short films and television series, before making her feature film debut in the critically acclaimed 2012 Tamil crime thriller Vazhakku Enn 18/9.
Career
Urmila Mahanta was born to Giridhar Mahanta and Ramala Mahanta in Sonapur, Assam; she has three siblings, Jutika Mahanta, Munmi Mahanta and Munindra Mahanta.[1] Urmila did her entire schooling in Sonapur and later graduated from Dimoria College in Khetri, Kamrup.[1] Urmila spent her major part of life in Mumbai, Maharashtra,[2] and then went on to enroll at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.[1]
Urmila had been acting in plays since her childhood and won many awards.[1] Afterwards, she was featured in several television serials such as Murder and Tejimola for Doordarshan (NE).[3] which were followed by appearances in various critically acclaimed short films including Aaliya, that won the Special Critic Award at the 2012 Mumbai International Film Festival, Their Story and Cheng Kurthy.[3] Urmila was also seen in Assamese singer Tarali Sarma's album Henguliya.
While attending the International Film Festival of India at Goa, she was spotted and selected among few others following a lengthy process lasting two years including multiple auditions conducted by director Balaji Sakthivel for his drama-thriller Vazhakku Enn 18/9.[2][4] Urmila has received notable praise for portraying the character of a slum dweller, Jyothi, who works as a housemaid. The Times of India critic M. Suganth wrote: "It is Urmila Mahanta's understated performance as Jothi that is the film's pivot".[5] Similarly, a reviewer from IndiaGlitz.com noted that Urmila was "impressive as a short poetry on screen", further adding that she "bubbles with energy and emotes at ease",[6] while another critic quoted: "Urmila is a treat to watch. She delivers what Balaji Sakthivel wants from her. She is cool and passes the test with ease and elan".[7] The film itself received widespread acclaim, with reviewers calling it "excellent",[8] a "must-watch",[9] and even "the film of the year".[5] Urmila ultimately went on to state that Vazhakku Enn 18/9 was the best decision she had ever made.[10]
Currently she is shooting for an untitled project directed Dilip K. Mukharia, set to mark her Bollywood debut, in which she would be playing the lead role.[1] She has also played a supporting role in Ajita Suchitra Veera's upcoming Ballad of Rustom (Rustom Ki Dastaan) that has fetched Veera the Best Director Award at the 12th Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.[11]
Filmography
- Films
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Vazhakku Enn 18/9 | Jyothi | Tamil | Nominated—SIIMA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated—SIIMA Award for Best Female Debutant |
| 2012 | Ballad of Rustom | English | ||
| 2014 | Chirodini Tumi Je Amar 2 | Jyoti | Bengali | |
| 2014 | Pareshaanpur[12] | Hindi |
- Short features
- Aaliya
- Their Story
- Seng Kurthy
- Television
- Murder
- Tejimola
- Crime Patrol
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "The Sentinel". Sentinelassam.com. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Vazhakku was the best decision I ever made: Urmila Mahanta – Entertainment – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Sentinel". Sentinelassam.com. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Vazhakku Enn 18/9 movie review: Wallpaper, Story, Trailer at Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ "Vazhakku Enn 18 / 9 Tamil Movie Review – cinema preview stills gallery trailer video clips showtimes". IndiaGlitz. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ "Premalo Padithe Movie Review @ 3/5". Aplive.Net. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ "Movie Review:Vazhakku Enn 18/9". Sify.com. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ "Review: Vazhakku En 18/9 is a must-watch – Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ DNA, Daily News Analysis. "Urmila Mahanta".
- ↑ "12th Osian's Cinefan Festival Awards Best of Asian, Arab Cinema". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ↑ Ashish Roy & Barkha Mathur (26 December 2013). "Now, rustic charm of the region draws Hindi filmmakers too". The Times of India (Nagpur). TNN. Retrieved 10 January 2014.