Melinda Leanna Shankar (born February 18, 1992) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for starring as Alli Bhandari in the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2008–2015) and as Indira "Indie" Mehta in the YTV series How To Be Indie (2009–2011), for which she won several awards, including a Canadian Screen Award in 2013. Her last screen credit was the female lead role of Sarah in the 2025 Air Canada and Ottawa Tourism's YouTube channel Christmas show, Magic On Set.
Early life Melinda Shankar was born on February 18, 1992, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Canadian parents of Hindu Indo-Guyanese descent who immigrated to Canada. She has two older sisters and a brother, who is also an actor. She was raised in Orleans, Ontario, a suburban section of Ottawa.
Her father owned a karate school in Ottawa, with her beginning to study the practice at three. She began to study ballet at the same age. Shankar currently has a black belt in karate. She attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School in Ottawa until grade 11 before moving to Toronto when she was sixteen, following her casting in Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2008.
Career Acting Shankar began her career as a child model and appeared in numerous print advertisements, including a Procter & Gamble billboard in Los Angeles. Shankar's mother was an actress and her paternal grandfather was a director in Guyana. Shankar's father would often drive up to five hours from Ottawa to Toronto for her auditions.
In 2008, she debuted as an actress in the popular CTV television series Degrassi, joining the cast as an incoming 9th grade student. Shankar appeared in a total of seven seasons, until its finale in 2015.In 2009, she starred in a television series on YTV called How To Be Indie. She played the lead role of Indira "Indie" Metha for two seasons. The series aired its final episode on October 24, 2011. For her role, Shankar won a Gemini Award in 2011 and a Canadian Screen Award in 2013.
She co-starred alongside Jennifer Stone and Vanessa Morgan in the 2010 children's television film Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.
Shankar was cast in her first feature film, Festival of Lights in 2010. The movie was filmed on location in New York City and Georgetown, Guyana. Her father served as production manager for the film due to his familiarity with the locations in Guyana.
She has appeared in all three of the Christmas with a Prince television film franchise as Bella since 2018.
Other work In 2013, Shankar and a longtime childhood friend began working on an image consulting business. On February 22, 2014, they launched Miss Conception, a professional styling and image agency based in Toronto. By no later than October 2017, the Miss Conception website had been shut down.
Personal life , Shankar resided in Toronto's Willowdale neighbourhood.
Shankar is a supporter of the Breaking Boards, Breaking Chains campaign, an event to raise funds for young survivors of sexual assault in Bolivia.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRole Notes2010TriggerRocker Chick #1Festival of LightsReshma2017Filth CityMonica2018BlindsidedMikaBlinkCarrie Short film2020Survival SmartsMindyShort film 2021Red String of FateDanika Mondal
Television Year Title Role Notes 2008–2015 Degrassi: The Next GenerationAllia "Alli" Bhandari Main cast2009Degrassi Goes Hollywood Allia "Alli" BhandariTV movie 2009–2011 How To Be Indie Indira "Indie" Mehta Title role 2010Degrassi in IndiaSelfTV special 2010Degrassi Takes ManhattanAllia "Alli" BhandariTV movie 2010 Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars Janie Gibbs TV movie2011Degrassi in HaitiSelfTV special 2013 Alive Kaitlyn TV movie 2017 Darker Than Night Mika 2017MooomKylie 2017Filth CityMonica 9 episodes 2017 Slasher: Guilty Party Talvinder "Tal" Gill Main cast 2017 Christmas Wedding Planner Jealous Bridesmaid TV movie2018Christmas with a Prince Bella TV movie2019 Christmas with a Prince: Becoming a Royal Bella TV movie 2019True Dating StoriesDetective BanksEpisode: "Steph" 2020 The Wedding PlannersIzzyEpisode: "Wedding of Champions" 2020DM 4 RevengeDana MohanEpisode: "Demo"Also creator & executive producer2021Romance in the WildsAmaraTV movie2021Christmas in the WildsAmaraTV Movie2021Christmas with a Prince: The Royal BabyBellaTV movie
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2011Gemini AwardsBest Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or SeriesHow to Be Indie2013Canadian Screen AwardsBest Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series2018First Glance Film FestivalBest Actress (Web Series)Filth CityBest Ensemble Cast (Web Series)2020Indie Series AwardsBest Guest Actress - ComedyTrue Dating Stories
References
External links