For Nandita Das, there isn’t a clear distinction between the two things she loves most: social activism and films.
Long before the internationally acclaimed Indian actress portrayed the courageous Sita in the Indian-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta's Fire (1996), she was putting her master's degree in social work to use in India and raising awareness about the country's social problems through street theatre.
Last year, the philanthropist, who also recently concluded a four-month Yale fellowship in women's studies, made her directorial debut on stage with Between the Lines, a play about gender inequality that will be staged at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, Mall of the Emirates, this weekend. The production is about a husband and wife, both lawyers, who go head-to-head in a criminal case for the first time.
“It’s strange,” says Das. “The film world considers me an activist and the activist world consider me an actor and director.”
She talked to The National about acting opposite her real-life husband, Subodh Maskara, for the first time, and the causes she continues to champion.
You’ve returned to theatre after eight years. What brought you back?
People think I started out with theatre, but I did my master's in social work and was actually working with NGOs. I did some street theatre that supported the kind of issues I feel strongly about. I enjoyed the medium but had no desire to be an actor. I think Between the Lines happened at a time when I was juggling motherhood, writing a column for a magazine and was the chairperson of the Children's Film Society. It ended up as quite a cathartic experience. I thought, why do women have to juggle so much? They have to play their traditional and modern roles, and then society has all these expectations. We don't often discuss these inequalities in the educated affluent classes, always reserving that for the poor sections of society. Bigger issues, whether domestic violence or sexual abuse, exist in every social class. So that became my starting point.
How much is drawn from your own life?
Some conversations and arguments between Subodh and me made it into the play. We often say 50 per cent [of the play] is taken from our lives – you figure out what 50 per cent that is. It is an amalgamation of most people’s experiences – that’s why it has resonated across generations.
How was it working with your husband for the first time?
Great – but it was also a challenge. The play is about a couple who are fighting each other professionally and how that starts affecting their relationship – those lines get blurred. Because of that, their relationship becomes more honest as they start addressing issues they haven’t dealt with before. This happened with us personally, as well.
You've supported the Dark Is Beautiful campaign to fight against the traditional view in India that those with lighter skin are more desirable. How can inclusion be fostered?
We all have biases, but we have to be more aware of those that can be harmful, and need to do something about it. To create a sympathetic society, we have to limit making generalisations. The development and growth of a country depends on it.
What beliefs need immediate attention in India?
There are many, be it about women when they are blamed when an act of sexual violence is committed against them, or giving birth to a girl, when daughters are still considered a burden. Thankfully, social media has helped democratise the whole space – at least you get to hear people voicing sane opinions.
You’ve recently been on the receiving end of criticism on social media for your views on terrorism. How do you respond to that?
I object to the generalisation that follows such acts of terrorism. How can you blame an entire society for the act of a few extremists? When I tweet on the topic, I’m often subjected to horrible, vitriolic messages. So I can only imagine what a person belonging to that religion goes through.
Are you working on any new projects?
I’m writing a film about the life of the Pakistani short-story writer Saadat Hasan Manto, who I think is very relevant today. He wrote extensively on women’s issues, freedom of expression and identity. He was a courageous and outspoken man, and he led quite an interesting life.
Between the Lines will be staged at Ductac on Friday and Saturday from 8pm. Tickets are priced from Dh100 and are available on www.ductac.org
aahmed@thenational.ae
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Summer special
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3,00rpm
Transmission: 5-speed sequential auto
Price: From Dh139,995
On sale: now
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
The%20specs
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Company%20Profile
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Company%20Profile
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THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
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