Deepa Sahi
Encyclopedia
Early life
Deepa Sahi was born in India in DehradunDehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
. Her family later shifted to Canada but she continued to stay in India.
Early career
An alumnus of National School of DramaNational School of Drama
National School of Drama is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India, established . It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, and became an independent school in 1975...
, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Sahi started off with a theater career, with strong Leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
leanings and social activism a core value of the productions she was involved with.
In her early film career she collaborated with noted auteur Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani
Govind Nihalani is an Indian director, cinematographer, and also a screenwriter and film producer. He has been directing Hindi films since the late seventies, and worked in the television medium.- Biography :...
and made her debut with the 1984 film Party
Party (1984 film)
Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi...
. This was well-received and she subsequently acted in Aghaat (1985). Her thespian achievement, however, will always remain her role as the independent-minded and empowered lower-caste Punjabi woman she played in the highly acclaimed television film Tamas (1986).
Commercial cinema
After marrying film director Ketan MehtaKetan Mehta
Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials.-Early life and education:Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta did his schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi and later graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of...
— also was a rising light of alternate Hindi cinema — she acted in several of his films including Hero Hiralal
Hero Hiralal
Hero Hiralal is a 1988 film directed by Ketan Mehta. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress.The movie had some good performances by the lead actors and by Saeed Jaffrey and Satish Shah in their supporting roles....
(1988), Maya Memsaab
Maya Memsaab
Maya Memsaab , also known as Maya and Maya: The Enchanting Illusion in English) is a 1993 Hindi film directed by Ketan Mehta. The film is based on Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary.-Synopsis:...
(1992) and Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India
Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India
Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India! is an 1995 Indian musical spoof film directed by Ketan Mehta, and starring Shahrukh Khan, Deepa Sahi, Jaaved Jaffrey and Amrish Puri...
(1995). She wrote the screenplay for Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India.
Her other notable films include Hum (1991) and Ek Doctor Ki Maut
Ek Doctor Ki Maut
Ek Doctor Ki Maut is a 1990 award winning film by noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence, reprimand and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition...
(1991).
Her last film appearance was in Aar Ya Paar
Aar Ya Paar
Aar Ya Paar is a 1997 Bollywood film produced and directed by Ketan Mehta. The film stars Jackie Shroff, Deepa Sahi , Ritu Shivpuri, Paresh Rawal and Kamal Sidhu. The music is by Viju Shah-Story:...
(1998) and she has not appeared in any films since.
In 2005 she co-produced her husband's film Mangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising or The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier who is known for his role in the Indian Mutiny of 1857. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy...
which was a moderate success at the box office.
She got a Filmfare best supporting actress nominee for Hum and National Award(Jury) for Maya Memsaab.
Production career
She became a producer in 1993. She has produced seven films to date:- Maya Memsaab
- O darling yeh hai India
- Aar ya Paar
- Rules pyaar ka super hit formula
- Mangal Panday (co-producer)
- Rang Rasiya
- Phir Zindagi (under production)
Besides this, she has produced 12 TV series and is promoter of Maya Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. India's leading animation studio. She was CEO of Maya Entertainment from 2000 to 2002 and was responsible for the long-term strategy of the company; she made many entries into other animation avenues such as MAAC, etc. After her stint as the CEO of Maya Entertainment, she returned to her first love — cinema. She is currently producing four movies: Two to be directed by Ketan Mehta and the other two to be directed by Sudhir Mishra
Sudhir Mishra
Sudhir Mishra is an Indian film director and screenwriter most renowned for directing critically acclaimed films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Dharavi and Chameli.-Early life and education:...
. She is about to direct a movie herself starring Hema Malini and Nana Patekar, amongst others.
Personal life
She is married to film director Ketan MehtaKetan Mehta
Ketan Mehta is an Indian film director, who has also directed documentaries and television serials.-Early life and education:Born in Navsari in Gujarat, Ketan Mehta did his schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi and later graduated in film direction from Film and Television Institute of...
who is nephew of freedom fighter Dr. Usha Mehta.
Filmography
- Tere mere Phere (2011) (Director)
- Mangal Pandey: The RisingMangal Pandey: The RisingMangal Pandey: The Rising or The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier who is known for his role in the Indian Mutiny of 1857. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy...
.... (producer) - Daughters of This Century (2001)
- Aar Ya PaarAar Ya PaarAar Ya Paar is a 1997 Bollywood film produced and directed by Ketan Mehta. The film stars Jackie Shroff, Deepa Sahi , Ritu Shivpuri, Paresh Rawal and Kamal Sidhu. The music is by Viju Shah-Story:...
(1997) - Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India! (1995) (writer) (screenplay)
- Bhookamp (1993)
- Maya MemsaabMaya MemsaabMaya Memsaab , also known as Maya and Maya: The Enchanting Illusion in English) is a 1993 Hindi film directed by Ketan Mehta. The film is based on Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary.-Synopsis:...
(1992) - Siyasat (1992)
- HumHum (film)Hum is a 1991 Hindi Language film directed by Mukul S. Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Govinda, Kimi Katkar, Shilpa Shirodkar, Deepa Sahi and Danny Denzongpa. This was the last successful film for Bachchan in the early 90s before he announced his temporary retirement immediately...
(1991) - Ek Doctor Ki MautEk Doctor Ki MautEk Doctor Ki Maut is a 1990 award winning film by noted Bengali director Tapan Sinha, which depicts the ostracism, bureaucratic negligence, reprimand and insult of a doctor and his research, instead of recognition...
(1991) - TrinetraTrinetraTrinetra is a 1991 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra....
(1991) - DushmanDushmanDushman is 1998 Indian film starring Kajol and Sanjay Dutt copied from Hollywood movie Eye for an Eye-Plot:Sonia and Naina Sehgal are twins. The two are completely different from each other, Sonia being the outgoing twin and Naina being the shy twin...
(1990) - Hero HiralalHero HiralalHero Hiralal is a 1988 film directed by Ketan Mehta. It is a movie about an auto rickshaw driver who falls in love with a film actress.The movie had some good performances by the lead actors and by Saeed Jaffrey and Satish Shah in their supporting roles....
(1988) - Tamas (1986)
- Aghaat (1985)
- PartyParty (1984 film)Party is a 1984 Hindi film directed by Govind Nihalani. The film boasted an ensemble cast of leading art cinema actors of Parallel Cinema, including Vijaya Mehta, Manohar Singh, Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, and Rohini Hattangadi...
(1984)