Mita Vasisht | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Vashisht at the screening of Criminal Justice in 2019 | |
| Born | (1967-11-02)2 November 1967 (age 57) |
| Other names | Meeta Vasisht |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Awards | Screen Awards, BFWA |
Mita Vashisht (born 2 November 1967)[1] is an Indian actress. Known for her work on screen, stage and television, she has played a wide range of roles. Her most prominent appearances includes; sci-fi television seriesSpace City Sigma (1989-1991), Pachpan Khambe Laal Deewarein,Swabhimaan, Devyani inKuch Khatti Kuch Meethi,Alaan (Kirdaar) to Trishna inKahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Jethi Maa inKaala Teeka to film roles with a wide spectrum of directors with different cinema styles.[2]
Mita Vashisht was born on 2 November 1967[1] inPune, 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).
She graduated from theNational School of Drama (Delhi) in 1987 and did her post-graduation in literature fromPunjab University, Chandigarh.[3] Vashisht was for several years (1990–2010) also visiting faculty to some of the design, film and theatre institutes of India – theNIFT (Delhi),FTII (Pune),NSD (Delhi) and theNID (Ahmedabad). She has also conducted theatre workshops in the UK (London, Birmingham, Leicester) and inDamascus. She teaches students of fashion design, film direction and acting, using theatre techniques.[4] She is married to filmmaker Anup Singh.
Vashisht has played the lead roles in the avant-garde cinemas (notablyKumar Shahani andMani Kaul films), the middle of the road cinemas (NotablyGovind 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 mysticLal Ded, all over India.[5][6]
Vashisht has written and produced three short films, as well as a serial for television. She was the executive producer of the filmThe Name of a River, a BFI (London) - NFDC (India) - Bangladesh film co-production.
In June 2001, Vashisht established Mandala, which is a 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 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).[citation needed]
As artistic director of Mandala she created Mandala TAM (theatre arts module), which is 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.[citation needed]
In 2023, she was appointed by the state of Haryana as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of Haryana Film and Entertainment.[7][8]
She has performed in the 75 minute solo theatre performanceLal Ded, based on the life and poetry of the iconic woman mystic and poet of KashmirLal Ded.[9]Lal Ded performances have been invited to and featured in the following National/International theatre festivals in India and abroad.
Vashisht has produced and directed television programs and documentaries. In 2012 she directed the documentary filmShe, of the Four Names, commissioned by Public Services Broadcasting Trust, India. (PSBT) based onLal Ded.
In recent years Vashisht played a key role inEkta Kapoor'sKahani Ghar Ghar ki. She played the role of the principal on the showSuvreen Guggal on Channel V India and Akbar's evil stepmother in the serial,Jodha Akbar on Zee TV.[10] She was appreciated by the audience for her negative portrayal of Jethi Maa from TV SeriesKaala Teeka.
Key
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Var Var Vari | Nayika | FTII (Diploma for Nandini Bedi, Editing) |
| 1989 | Chandni | Chandni's friend | |
| Siddheshwari | Siddheshwari | ||
| Jazeere | Asta | ||
| 1990 | Khayal Gatha | Rani Roopmati | |
| Drishti | Prabha | ||
| Kasba | Tejo | ||
| 1991 | Idiot | Nastassya | |
| 1994 | Tarpan | Lachmi | |
| English August | Nri | ||
| Drohkaal | Sumitra | Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| 1998 | Dil Se.. | Terrorist | |
| Zindagi Zindabad | Botanist | ||
| Ghulam | Fatima | ||
| 1999 | Taal | Prabha | |
| 2000 | Snegithiye | SP Prema Narayanan | Tamil film |
| 2001 | Maya | Maya's Aunt | |
| Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi | Main villain | ||
| 2002 | Pitaah | Thakuraien | |
| Bokshu – The Myth | |||
| 2003 | Patalghar | Begum | Bengali film |
| 2004 | Oops! | Sharon/Sakshi | |
| Phir Milenge | Advocate Kalyani | ||
| 2006 | Shevri | Maya | Marathi film |
| 2007 | Raakilipattu | SP Prema Narayanan | Malayalam film |
| 2009 | Anubhav | Dr. Kamla | |
| Aladin | Karate Instructor | ||
| Antaheen | Mrs. Mehra | Bengali film | |
| 2011 | Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge | Ma'am | |
| Trishna | Trishna's mother | ||
| 2013 | Gangoobai | Daksha | |
| 2014 | Youngistaan | Suhasini Singh Deo | |
| Rahasya | Brinda Chhabria | ||
| 2021 | Kaagaz | Ashrafi Devi | Released onZee5 |
| Chhorii | Bhanno Devi | Released onAmazon Prime Video | |
| 2022 | Good Luck Jerry | Sharbati, Jerry's mother | Released onDisney+ Hotstar[11] |
| 2023 | Chhorii 2 | Bhanno Devi |
Music videos and Singing
| Year | Serial | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Space City Sigma | |||
| Bharat Ek Khoj | Suhasini | [episode 11,12] | ||
| Mr Yogi | ||||
| 1993 | Pachpan Khambe Lal Deewarein | |||
| 1994 | Swabhimaan | Devika | ||
| Kirdaar | Various Roles | |||
| 1997 | Ghum | Rain Movies | ||
| 1998 | Saalgiraah | Rain Movies | ||
| 1999 | Vijay Jyoti | ZEE TV NETWORK | ||
| Hip Hip Hurray | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Star Bestsellers | |||
| 2001 | Kaaun | Balaji Television | ||
| Khauff | ||||
| 2005 | Bombay Lawyers | |||
| 2005–08 | Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki | Trishna Agarwal | Balaji Television | |
| 2012–13 | Suvreen Guggal – Topper of The Year | |||
| 2015 | Sense8 | NETFLIX | ||
| Kaala Teeka | DJs a Creative Venture | |||
| Jodhaa Akbar | Mah Chuchak Begum | Zee TV Network | ||
| 2017 | Koi Laut Ke Aaya Hai | Sphere Origins Production House | ||
| 2019 | Criminal Justice | Hotstar | ||
| 2020 | Your Honor | Sony LIV | ||
| 2020 | Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors | Disney+ Hotstar | ||
| 2023 | Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke | Mahira Rizvi | ZEE5 | |
| 2023 | Kaala | Chief Minister Jyoti Sen | Disney+Hotstar |
 | This section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Mita Vashisht" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| This section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Mita Vashisht" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |