Mita Vashisht


Mita Vashisht is an Indian, film, television and theatre actress. She known for her range of roles that she has played in television from Space City Sigma, Pachpan Khambe Laal Deewarein, Swabhimaan, Alaan to Trishna in Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Jethi Maa in Kaala Teeka to film roles with a wide spectrum of directors with different cinema styles.

Early life

Mita Vashisht was born on 2 November 1967 in Pune, Maharashtra, India to Captain Rajeshwar Dutt Vashisht, who retired as a colonel from the Indian Army and Meenakshi Mehta Vashisht, a teacher and a singer.
A post-graduate in literature from Punjab University, Chandigarh and a graduate from the National School of Drama in 1987, Vashisht was for several years also visiting faculty to some of the premier design, film and theatre institutes of India – the NIFT, FTII, NSD and the NID. She has also conducted theatre workshops in the UK and in Damascus. She teaches students of fashion design, film direction and acting, using theatre techniques. She is married to filmmaker Anup Singh.

Career

Vashisht has played the lead roles in the avant-garde cinemas, the middle of the road cinemas as well as in successful big budget Bollywood films. She has worked in theatre as actress and director too. She researches and writes her scripts as well. Since 2004, she has performed her solo play in English and Hindi, titled, Lal Ded, based on life of medieval Kashmiri mystic Lal Ded, all over India.
Vashisht has written and produced three short films, as well as a serial for television. She was the executive producer of the film The Name of a River, a BFI - NFDC - Bangladesh film co-production.
In June 2001, Vashisht established Mandala, space for arts collaborations research and education. Its aim was to spearhead a new movement in the arts, to centre stage and individuate the performing arts in society and to aid artistic collaborations.
Her first project under Mandala however took an unusual twist. A chance theatre workshop that she conducted with trafficked minors in a remand home in Mumbai led to four years of her full-time involvement with the cause of self- empowerment and rehabilitation of trafficked minors..
As artistic director of Mandala she created Mandala TAM, a methodology and a training process based on the performing arts that proved to be highly successful in helping the trafficked minors to heal and transform mentally, physically, emotionally and intellectually.
In wanting to mainstream the marginalized she created a theatre troupe of the trafficked young women who performed the comedy play 'the coffin is too big for the grave' to national and international audiences and at international theatre festivals).

Theatre

She has performed in the 75 minute solo theatre performance Lal Ded, based on the life and poetry of the iconic woman mystic and poet of Kashmir Lal Ded. Lal Ded performances have been invited to and featured in the following National/International theatre festivals in India and abroad.
She has also produced and directed television programs and documentaries. In 2012 she She of the Four Names, commissioned by Public Services Broadcasting Trust, India. based on Lal Ded.
In recent years Vashisht played a key role in Ekta Kapoor's Kahani Ghar Ghar ki. The portrayal of Trishna took the serial to new TRP heights, beating the sister rival serial Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi for the first time in six years of its running.She played the role of the principal on the show Suvreen Guggal on Channel V India and Akbar's evil stepmom in the serial, Jodha Akbar on Zee TV. She was highly appreciated by the audience for her negative portrayal of Jethi Maa from TV Series Kaala Teeka.

Selected filmography

Music videos and Singing
YearSerialDirectorNotes
1989Space City SigmaAshok Talwar, Bizeth Bannerjee
1989Bharat Ek KhojShyam BenegalAs Suhasini, Wife of Dhananand
1989Mr YogiKetan Mehta
1993Pachpan Khambe Lal DeewareinP.K. Mohanty
1994SwabhimaanMahesh BhattAs Devika
1994KirdaarGulzarVarious Roles
1997GhumAnup SinghRain Movies
1998SaalgiraahAnup SinghRain Movies
1999Vijay JyotiGajendra SinghZEE TV NETWORK
1999Hip Hip HurrayNupur Asthana
1999–2000Star Bestsellers
2001KaaunEKta KapoorBalaji Television
2001Khauff
2005Bombay Lawyers
2005–07Kahani Ghar Ghar KiEkta KapoorBalaji Television
2012–13Suvreen Guggal – Topper of The YearRavi Bhushan
2015Sense8Sahana RasalNETFLIX
2015Kaala TeekaJethi MaaDJs a Creative Venture
2017Koi Laut Ke Aaya HaiBhairaviSphere Origins Production House
2019Criminal JusticeLawyer Mandira MathurHotstar
2020Your HonorInspector Kiran SekhonSony Liv

Film Jury member