Deepti Naval (born 3 February 1952) is an Indian-American actress, director, and writer, predominantly active in Hindi cinema. One of the leading actresses of parallel Indian cinema, Naval is known for her portrayals of emotionally sensitive women in a range of films.
Her major contribution has been in the area of art cinema, winning critical acclaim for her sensitive and 'close to life' characters that emphasized the changing roles of women in India. She is the first Indian-American actress to make her debut in the Hindi film industry.
Early life Naval was born on 3 February 1952 in Amritsar, Punjab, India, but she later moved to New York City when her father got a teaching job at City University of New York in 1971. She studied fine arts at Hunter College.
Acting career
Naval made her debut in 1978 with Shyam Benegal's film Junoon. Two years later, she played a lead role in Ek Baar Phir. Alongside Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, she became an actress in 1980s Parallel cinema, playing roles in films like Kamla (1984) or Ankahee (1985).
Starting with Chashme Buddoor in 1981, she was often cast with Farooq Sheikh and they became an iconic on-screen couple of the early 1980s, with films such as Chashme Buddoor, Saath Saath, , Katha, Rang Birangi and Faasle. Three decades later, they reunited in Tell Me O Kkhuda (2011). Their last film together was Listen... Amaya which was released in 2013, the year Shaikh died.
While she was very prolific in the 1980s, her career slowed down in the 1990s and she explored other art forms. She came back in the 2000s with social dramas like Bawandar and Firaaq, and won Best Actress awards in several international film festivals for her roles in Leela (2002), Memories in March (2010) and Listen... Amaya (2013). She was also recognized as the 2007 Tribute Honoree of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.
Mostly present in Hindi cinema, Naval also acted in other Indian languages, as with Marhi Da Deeva and Mane, which respectively won the award for Best Feature Film in Punjabi and Best Feature Film in Kannada at the 1990 National Film Awards ceremony. She was to make her debut in a Bengali movie under director Sanjoy Nag but the film - Memories in March - was eventually shot in English. She has also acted in Odia movie "Ei Sangharsh"(1990).
Naval has been active on TV with a few telefilms and serials such as Sauda (1992), Tanaav (1994) or Muqammal (2003). She came back in 2011 with the daily soap opera Mukti Bandhan on Colors TV. She made her theater debut in 2015 with the poetic stage show Ek Mulaqaat in which she played the celebrated Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam.
In 2019, Naval appeared in an episode of Made in Heaven, a web series on Amazon Prime directed by Zoya Akhtar.
Other work Naval made her directorial debut with Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish starring Manisha Koirala and Rajit Kapur. The film won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2009 New York Indian Film Festival which released on Netflix in 2019. She also wrote and directed Thoda Sa Aasmaan, a TV serial centred around strong female characters, and produced a travel show, The Path Less Travelled.
Her first selection of poems in Hindi, Lamha Lamha was published in 1983. In 2004, MapinLit published a new collection called Black Wind and Other Poems. Naval is also the author of a collection of short stories, The Mad Tibetan, published in 2011.
Naval is also a painter and photographer with several exhibitions to her credit. Her works as a painter include the controversial Pregnant Nun. She also runs the Vinod Pandit Charitable Trust, set up in memory of her late companion, for the education of the girl child.
Personal life Naval was married to the filmmaker Prakash Jha and the two have an adopted daughter. Naval was later in a relationship with the late Vinod Pandit, the nephew of Pandit Jasraj. , she is an American citizen.
Awards 1988, Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, Best Supporting Actress, Mirch Masala 2003, Best Supporting Actress Award at the Karachi Film Festival 2012, Best Actress Award at the Imagine India Film Festival (Spain) 2013, Best Actress Award at the New York Indian Film Festival
Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes 1978 Junoon Rashid's wife 1979 Jallian Wala Bagh 1980 Hum Paanch Lajiya Ek Baar Phir Kalpana Kumar 1981 Chashme Buddoor Neha Rajan Chirutha Chirutha 1982 Angoor Tanu Saath Saath Geetanjali Gupta 'Geeta' Shriman Shrimati Veena 1983 Rang Birangi Anita Sood Ek Baar Chale Aao Gulab D. Dayal Katha Sandhya Sabnis Kissi Se Na Kehna Dr. Ramola Sharma 1984 Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! Asha Joshi Kanoon Kya Karega Mrs. Anju Gautam Mehra Kamla Kamla Hip Hip Hurray Teacher Anuradha Roy Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan Sahira Wanted: Dead or Alive Angela Andhi Gali 1985 Damul Mahatmain Faasle Sheetal Telephone Rajni Cricketer Sheela Holi Professor Sehgal Ankahee Indu Agnihotri Aurat Pair Ki Juti Nahin Hai 1986 Aashiana Begaana Asha Nasihat Sunita 1987 Meraa Suhaag Special appearanceAccording to the film's opening credits. Mirch Masala Saraswati, Mukhiya's wife 1988 Abhishapt Shoorveer Nanda (Shankar's Wife) Main Zinda Hoon Bina Tiwari 1989 Didi Didi Directed by Tapan Sinha Marhi Da Deeva Bhan Kaur/Bhani Punjabi film Jism Ka Rishta 1990 Ei Sangharsh Odia Film Ghar Ho To Aisa Sharda V. Kumar 1991 Mane Geeta Kannada film Ek Ghar Geeta Hindi version of Mane Saudagar Aarti 1992 Current Sita Yalgaar Sunita (Deepak's wife) 1994 Mr. Azaad Rajlaxmi (Azaad's mother) 1995 Dushmani: A Violent Love Story Rama Oberoi Jai Vikraanta Harnam's Wife Guddu Kavita Bahadur 1996 Sautela Bhai SaraswatiDelayed release 1999 Kabhi Pass Kabhi Fail 2000 Bawandar Shobha Devi 2002 Leela Chaitali Winner – Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2003 Karachi Film Festival Shakti: The Power Shekhar's mother 2003 Freaky Chakra Ms. Thomas English film 2004 Anahat Mahattarika Marathi film 2006 Yatra Smita D. Joglekar/Sharda 2008 Firaaq Arati 2011 Tell Me O Kkhuda Mrs. R. Kapoor 2010 Memories in March Arati S. Mishra Winner – Best Actress Award at the 2012 ImagineIndia Film Festival (Spain) 2011 Trapped in Tradition: Rivaaz Paro Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Rahila Qureshi Bhindi Baazaar Inc. Bano 2013 Mahabharat Kunti voice role B.A. Pass Mrs. Suhasini Special appearance Aurangzeb Mrs. Ravikant Phogat Inkaar Mrs. Kamdhar Nominated – Apsara Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Listen... Amaya Leela Winner – Best Actress Award at the 2013 New York Indian Film Festival2014 Yaariyan Girls hostel warden 19th January Naseema Bang Bang! Jai and Viren's mother (Shikka Nanda) 2015 NH10 Ammaji Heartless Mother of the protagonist Tevar Pintoo's mother 2016 Lion Saroj Sood 2023 Mother Teresa & Me Mother Superior Goldfish Sadhana Tripathi 2025 Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Geeta Vohra aka Guru Ma
Television YearShowRoleNotes 1985 Apna Jahan Shanti A. Sahani Television film 1991–1992Kahkashan 1992Sauda1994TanaavMrs Malik1995Thoda sa Aasman2003–2004MuqammalSumeesha2011Mukti BandhanParimeeta2016Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan HaiKalyani Gaikwad2017The Boy with the TopknotSathnam's MotherTelevision film2019Made in HeavenGayatri MathurGuest 2020Pawan & PoojaPooja KalraCriminal Justice: Behind Closed DoorsVijaya 'Vijji' Chandra
References
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