Philanthropy
Das gives talks around the world about the impact of her films and the need for powerful social movements in India. She spoke at MIT on 12 April 2007 after a screening of Fire.
She also speaks to campaign for child survival, against AIDS, and violence against women. She was appointed as the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India in 2009.
Nandita Das wears many hats and her fiery passion to make a difference are evident in the choices she has made in her life and work. She has acted in over 30 feature films in ten different languages with many eminent directors like Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta, Mani Ratnam and others. Firaaq, her directorial debut feature film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, and has travelled to over 50 festivals, winning much appreciation from critics and audiences and has won over 10 international awards and 10 within the country. She was a member of the main jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, among other reputed international film festivals. She has done her Masters in Social Work from the University of Delhi and continues to advocate issues of social justice and human rights. Recently the French government bestowed the award of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, a very prestigious civil award on her. In 2011 Nandita Das was the first Indian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Women’s Forum, Washington DC.
She is currently the Chairperson of the Children’s Film Society, India and is committed to its vision of producing and distributing high quality films for children.
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Famous quotes containing the word philanthropy:
“... the hey-day of a woman’s life is on the shady side of fifty, when the vital forces heretofore expended in other ways are garnered in the brain, when their thoughts and sentiments flow out in broader channels, when philanthropy takes the place of family selfishness, and when from the depths of poverty and suffering the wail of humanity grows as pathetic to their ears as once was the cry of their own children.”
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902)
“I shall not be forward to think him mistaken in his method who quickest succeeds to liberate the slave. I speak for the slave when I say that I prefer the philanthropy of Captain Brown to that philanthropy which neither shoots me nor liberates me.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Almost every man we meet requires some civility,—requires to be humored; he has some fame, some talent, some whim of religion or philanthropy in his head that is not to be questioned, and which spoils all conversation with him. But a friend is a sane man who exercises not my ingenuity, but me.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)