World Theatre Day: These women stalwarts found success beyond the stage

The National School of Drama (NSD), India's pioneering theatre institute has produced some of the finest actors in the industry including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan. The trajectory of these actors took them beyond the realm of theatre and today their accomplishments in cinema and across entertainment formats, illuminate the path of many aspiring actors. On World Theatre Day, we celebrate more such actresses with theatrical roots who have enriched cinema and the performing arts in all their diversity.

Mita Vashisht

Whether she is playing 'Durgeshwari' or 'Bai Saab', in Zee Theatre's teleplay Agnipankh, or working in films, this National School of Drama graduate unerringly makes an impact. Her passion for theatre abides till date and her acclaimed performance in the solo play Lal Ded (based on life of medieval Kashmiri poet Lal Ded) bears testimony to that. Her own NSD training helped her shine even in a brief cameo in Yash Chopra's 1987 hit 'Chandni', in Govind Nihalani's 'Drishti' and 'Drohkaal', Mani Kaul's 'Siddheshwari', Kumar Shahni's 'Khayal Gaatha' and countless commercial and independent films. On television, she is remembered for Shyam Benegal's 'Bharat Ek Khoj', Mahesh Bhatt's 'Swabhimaan', 'Star Bestsellers' and many popular daily serials like 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii.' Her recent performance in the OTT film 'Goodluck Jerry' and in the web series, 'Criminal Justice' display her range as an actor.

Himani Shivpuri

This theatre and film veteran has the ability to make every role, regardless of its size, memorable. She remembers her National School of Drama days fondly where she learnt everything from production work, lighting and acting and worked with legends like BV Karanth, M. K.Raina, Surekha Sikri and Uttara Baokar. From realistic plays to stylized musicals, she was a part of a charmed creative universe. One of her most cherished experiences was to perform the role of Desdemona in 'Othello', in a small village before a rural audience that responded to the story with intuitive intelligence. In the 80s, cameos in Shyam Bengal's Doordarshan serial 'Yatra' and in Lekh Tandon's 'Phir Wohi Talaash' led to a full-blown film career but she still makes time to work in Zee theatre's teleplays like 'Hamidabai Ki Kothi' and 'Rishton Ka Live Telecast.'

Tannishtha Chatterjee

Tannishtha's love for theatre co-exists with her passion for cinema. Her roles in the Zee Theatre teleplays, 'Guy In The Sky' and 'Mera Kuch Saaman' or in ZEE5 web series, 'Parchhayee' establish her as a versatile actor. She announced her arrival as a talent to watch out for in Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's film Shadows of Time (2004) and the British film Brick Lane (2007). She has acted in acclaimed films like 'Gour Hari Dastaan', 'Angry Indian Goddesses', 'Parched', 'Chauranga', 'Gulaab Gang','Dekh Indian Circus', 'Jal' and 'Road, Movie'. As a director too, has made her mark with 'Roam Rome Mein' her debut feature which premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival in 2019.

Seema Pahwa

Much before India's first soap opera 'Hum Log' made her a household name in 1984, Seema Bhargava was an active part of the theatre group Sambhav and her relationship with theatre continues till date. In 2015 for instance, this former student of National School of Drama, organised Bhishmotsav to mark the centenary of her favourite author Bhisham Sahani and staged a collection of his short stories. After marrying her 'Hum Log' co-star Manoj Pahwa and to focus on motherhood, she did take a short break but soon appeared on the small screen in daily soaps like 'Kasamh Se' and graced the stage in experimental theatre performances like Bhisham Sahni's 'Saag Meat'. She has also worked with Naseeruddin Shah's theatre group Motley and her film career spans films like 'Sardari Begum,' 'Godmother', 'Ankhon Dekhi', 'Bareilly Ki Barfi', 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan' and more recently 'Gangubai Kathiawadi.'

After making her directorial debut with 'Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi' in 2019, she directed six stories by Manto, Premchand and Harishankar Parsai for Zee Theatre's literary anthology of dramatic readings, 'Koi Baat Chale.'