Actor Nandita Das, known to world audiences for her critically-acclaimed performances in films like Fire (1996), Earth (1998), Bhawander and internationally reputed Malayalam director Adoor Gopala Krishnan's recent Nallu Pennugal, is now ready with her directorial debut Firaaq, which is slated for release in October.
The film deals with the trauma of violence on human relationships after the infamous 2002 Gujarat riots. It is a work of fiction, but based on true stories of five people. It deals with fear and prejudice that has entered into people's mind after the riots, she said.
The film stars Nasseruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Dipti Naval, Raghubir Yadav and Sanjay Suri in lead roles. Nandita hopes that her directorial debut will touch a chord with all generations.
Meanwhile, Nandita is all set to appear in a Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani which is based on the accidental crossing of international border by a small Hindu boy during tension on the border. The film will be simultaneously released in theatres across India and Pakistan early next month.
Known to never shy away from a controversial issue or an unconventional role, Nandita has already acted in over 30 feature films in ten different languages, most of which have been showcased in numerous international film festivals. She has had the honour of being a member of the main jury at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2005 and at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2007. She got the National award for Best actress for the Telugu film Kamli in 2006.
