Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval
Naval in 2024
Born (1952-02-03) 3 February 1952
Amritsar, Punjab, India
Other nameDipti Naval
Alma materHunter College
Occupations
  • Actress
  • director
  • writer
Years active1978–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1985; div. 2002)​
Children1

Deepti Naval (born 3 February 1952) is an Indian-American actress, director, and writer, predominantly active in Hindi cinema.[1] 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.[2]

Early life

Naval was born on 3 February 1952[3] 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.[2] She studied fine arts at Hunter College.[4]

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.[4] Alongside Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi, she became an actress in 1980s Parallel cinema, playing roles in films like Kamla (1984) or Ankahee (1985).[5]

Farooq Sheikh, Deepti Naval and Rakesh Bedi at the special screening of Chashme Buddoor (2013)

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, Kissi Se Na Kehna, 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.[6]

While she was very prolific in the 1980s, her career slowed down in the 1990s and she explored other art forms.[5] 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).[7][8][9] She was also recognized as the 2007 Tribute Honoree of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13] She made her theater debut in 2015 with the poetic stage show Ek Mulaqaat in which she played the celebrated Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam.[14]

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[15] which released on Netflix in 2019.[16] 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.[4]

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.[4] Naval is also the author of a collection of short stories, The Mad Tibetan, published in 2011.[17]

Naval is also a painter and photographer with several exhibitions to her credit. Her works as a painter include the controversial Pregnant Nun.[18] She also runs the Vinod Pandit Charitable Trust, set up in memory of her late companion, for the education of the girl child.[19]

Personal life

Naval was married to the filmmaker Prakash Jha and the two have an adopted daughter.[20][18] Naval was later in a relationship with the late Vinod Pandit, the nephew of Pandit Jasraj.[21] As of 2010, she is an American citizen.[22]

Awards

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978JunoonRashid's wife
1979Jallian Wala Bagh
1980Hum PaanchLajiya
Ek Baar PhirKalpana Kumar
1981Chashme BuddoorNeha Rajan
ChiruthaChirutha
1982AngoorTanu
Saath SaathGeetanjali Gupta 'Geeta'
Shriman ShrimatiVeena
1983Rang BirangiAnita Sood
Ek Baar Chale AaoGulab D. Dayal
KathaSandhya Sabnis
Kissi Se Na KehnaDr. Ramola Sharma
1984Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!Asha Joshi
Kanoon Kya KaregaMrs. Anju Gautam Mehra
KamlaKamla
Hip Hip HurrayTeacher Anuradha Roy
Yeh Ishq Nahin AasaanSahira
Wanted: Dead or AliveAngela
Andhi Gali
1985DamulMahatmain
FaasleSheetal
Telephone Rajni
CricketerSheela
HoliProfessor Sehgal
AnkaheeIndu Agnihotri
Aurat Pair Ki Juti Nahin Hai
1986Aashiana
BegaanaAsha
NasihatSunita
1987Meraa SuhaagSpecial appearance[24]
Mirch MasalaSaraswati, Mukhiya's wife
1988Abhishapt
ShoorveerNanda (Shankar's Wife)
Main Zinda HoonBina Tiwari
1989DidiDidiDirected by Tapan Sinha
Marhi Da DeevaBhan Kaur/BhaniPunjabi film
Jism Ka Rishta
1990Ei SangharshOdia Film
Ghar Ho To AisaSharda V. Kumar
1991ManeGeetaKannada film
Ek GharGeetaHindi version of Mane
SaudagarAarti
1992CurrentSita
YalgaarSunita (Deepak's wife)
1994Mr. AzaadRajlaxmi (Azaad's mother)
1995Dushmani: A Violent Love StoryRama Oberoi
Jai VikraantaHarnam's Wife
GudduKavita Bahadur
1996Sautela BhaiSaraswati Delayed release
1999Kabhi Pass Kabhi Fail
2000BawandarShobha Devi
2002LeelaChaitaliWinner – Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2003 Karachi Film Festival[7]
Shakti: The PowerShekhar's mother
2003Freaky ChakraMs. ThomasEnglish film
2004AnahatMahattarikaMarathi film
2006YatraSmita D. Joglekar/Sharda
2008FiraaqArati
2011Tell Me O KkhudaMrs. R. Kapoor
2010Memories in MarchArati S. MishraWinner – Best Actress Award at the 2012 ImagineIndia Film Festival (Spain)[8]
2011Trapped in Tradition: RivaazParo
Zindagi Na Milegi DobaraRahila Qureshi
Bhindi Baazaar Inc.Bano
2013MahabharatKuntivoice role
B.A. PassMrs. SuhasiniSpecial appearance[25]
AurangzebMrs. Ravikant Phogat
InkaarMrs. KamdharNominated – Apsara Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Listen... AmayaLeelaWinner – Best Actress Award at the 2013 New York Indian Film Festival[9]
2014YaariyanGirls hostel warden[26]
19th JanuaryNaseema
Bang Bang!Jai and Viren's mother (Shikka Nanda)
2015NH10Ammaji
HeartlessMother of the protagonist
TevarPintoo's mother
2016LionSaroj Sood [27]
2023Mother Teresa & MeMother Superior
GoldfishSadhana Tripathi
2025Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal MurdersGeeta Vohra aka Guru Ma

Television

Year Show Role Notes
1985 Apna Jahan Shanti A. Sahani Television film
1991–1992 Kahkashan
1992 Sauda
1994 Tanaav Mrs Malik
1995 Thoda sa Aasman
2003–2004 Muqammal Sumeesha
2011 Mukti Bandhan Parimeeta
2016 Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai Kalyani Gaikwad
2017 The Boy with the Topknot Sathnam's Mother Television film
2019 Made in Heaven Gayatri Mathur Guest
2020 Pawan & Pooja Pooja Kalra
Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors Vijaya 'Vijji' Chandra

References

  1. ↑ Mankermi, Shivani. "Exclusive! Deepti Naval: Character actors are now the big stars - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Actor Deepti Naval traces her life beyond the movies in her new memoir". The Khaleej Times. 28 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Happy B'day Deepti Naval; Lesser known facts about the Chashme Buddoor actress". OrissaPOST. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Not just a pretty face". The Telegraph (India). 12 December 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 "The art of being Deepti Naval". 8 February 2001. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Deepti Naval: Farooque Shaikh was not sick at all - Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. 28 December 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 "Letter From Pakistan- December 2003 – January 2004". January 2004. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  8. 1 2 "ImagineIndia 2012 Awards". Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "Winners". Archived from the original on 1 March 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "IFFLA Pays Tribute to Deepti Naval". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "37th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "A journey of discovery". 3 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  13. ↑ "Deepti Naval back on TV". 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "When Sahir visited Amrita on a cold, winter night". 1 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Awards". Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2015. Two Paise for Sunshine, Four Annas for Rain by Deepti Naval
  16. ↑ "Words of Love". 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Amitabh Bachchan launches Deepti Naval's book 'The Mad Tibetan'". 31 October 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. 1 2 "Lesser known facts about Deepti Naval". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ "Deepti Naval reflects on her divorce with director Prakash Jha and how went into depression because of it, reveals taking help for mental health is more difficult for celebrities". The Times of India. 22 August 2025.
  21. ↑ "Movies: 'I was keen to come back'". Rediff.com. 24 August 2002. Archived from the original on 15 August 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  22. ↑ Hafeez, Mateen (30 August 2010). "Working in Bollywood for years, but shy of citizenship?". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  23. ↑ Archives, FP. "Santhosh Sivan's 'Urumi' bags award in Spain".
  24. ↑ According to the film's opening credits.
  25. ↑ "Deepti Naval makes friendly appearance in 'BA Pass'". 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Yaariyan movie review". Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Exclusive: Dev Patel, Priyanka Bose and Deepti Naval Talk 'Lion' At NY Premiere - The Knockturnal". The Knockturnal. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
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