Kitu Gidwani
Kaushalya 'Kitu' Gidwani (born 22 October 1967) is an Indian actress and model. She has starred in several movies and serials on Indian television. Kitu played the role of Svetlana in Swabhimaan which brought recognition for her. Then she signed Shaktimaan and played the role of "Geeta Vishwas", a news channel reporter who stand for the truth. She left the show after a few episodes and later became popular after a TV series, Air Hostess aired on Doordarshan in 1996, and received critical acclaim for her roles in Dance of the Wind (1997), Deepa Mehta's Earth (1998), Govind Nihalani's Rukhmavati Ki Haveli (1991), Kamal Haasan's Abhay and Deham (2001).[1]
Kitu Giddwani | |
|---|---|
 Kitu Giddwani at Casino Royale Race | |
| Born | Kaushalya Gidwani 22 October 1967 |
| Occupation | actress, model |
Personal life and background
Gidwani was born in Mumbai. Her Sindhi parents migrated from Pakistan after the partition. They lived in a refugee camp in Worli.[2] She has a brother.
She studied in Fort Convent School, Mumbai. Her post graduation days saw her interest in French and she started acting in French plays. Soon she was acting in English plays directed by Janak Toprani. She acted in some television serials and subsequently acted in a French film Black (1987),[3] playing a Brazilian girl in it.[4]
Acting career
Gidwani made her television debut in 1984 on the TV soap Trishna, and during the 1980s and '90s, gave some memorable performances in TV serials like Swabhimaan, Air Hostess and Junoon.[5] She caught a lot of attention after her kissing scene in bed with actor Tom Alter in Junoon. In 1997, she was doing four serials at one time, besides Swabhimaan and Junoon, she was also acting in Saahil, Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum.[6] She recently appeared in multi-starrer Hindi serials Kaashish and Kulvadhu.
In 1997, she played the role of a Hindustani classical singer, Pallavi, who struggles to get her voice back after losing her mentor/mother, in Dance of the Wind. The role won her Best Actress Award at Three Continents Festival, Nantes.[7] In Pankaj Butalia's Shadows in the Dark she played Lajma, a middle-aged woman living in present-day Pakistan.[4] In the 2010s she played small roles in Fashion, Dhobi Ghat and Student of the Year.[5]
In 2001, in conjunction with Wills Lifestyle, an apparel chain owned by ITC Limited, she promoted Wills Sport Lifestyle brand of clothing.[8] In 2006, she also acted in a play, Your Place or Mine by Darshan Jariwala.[9]
She also did a play, Sock ’em With Honey, where she played a traditional Parsi woman from Pakistan, whose daughter falls in love with a Jew, prompting her first trip abroad.[10]
Awards
In 1998, Kitu won the Best Actress Award at the Three Continents Festival, Nantes, France. The award recognized her outstanding achievement for the role of Pallavi in Dance of the Wind (directed by Rajan Khosa).
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Ghost Stories | Dhruv's mother | |
| 2018 | Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai | Sameer's step paternal Grandmother | TV Series |
| 2017 | Ok Jaanu | Tara's Mother | |
| 2016 | Traffic | Rehan's mother | |
| 2015 | Wedding Pullav | ||
| 2013 | Ek Bura Aadmi | Rukmi Devi | |
| 2012 | Student of the Year | Manini Banerjee | |
| 2011 | Dhobi Ghat | Vatsala | |
| 2011 | Monica | Pamela Garewal | |
| 2010 | Hello Zindagi | Dr. Sadhana | |
| 2009 | Phir Kabhi | Divya Singh | |
| 2008 | Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na | Sheela Pariyar (Meghna's Mother) | |
| 2008 | Fashion | Anisha Roy | |
| 2007 | Strangers | ||
| 2006-07 | Kulvaddhu | Antra Singh Rathod | TV series |
| 2006 | Dil Diya Hai | Michelle | |
| 2005 | Kasshish | Ratna | TV series |
| 2001 | Happily Ever After | Mme Gibson | French film |
| 2004 | Kesar | Pam Mallya | TV series |
| 2002 | Nazarana | Ishita's mother | TV movie |
| 2001 | Deham | Jaya | |
| 2001 | Abhay | Jayanti | |
| 2001 | Aalavandhan | Jayanthi | Tamil film |
| 1998 | Earth | Bunty Sethna | |
| 1998 | Shaktimaan | Geeta Vishwas (Till 8th Episode) | TV Series |
| 1997 | Karvaan (Shadows in the Dark) | Lajma | |
| 1997 | Dance of the Wind | Pallavi Sehgal | Three Continents Festival |
| 1995-96 | Saahil | Prerna | TV series |
| 1995-97 | Swabhimaan | Svetlana Banerjee | TV series |
| 1994 | Junoon[11] | Mini Agrawal | TV series |
| 1994 | Tehkikaat | Kavita Deshpande | Appeared as the killer in Episode 1 |
| 1991 | Rukmavati Ki Haveli | Kittu Gidwani | |
| 1991 | The Khajuraho | Short film | |
| 1987 | Khoj | Kitu Gidwani , Dilip Dhawan | TV series |
| 1987 | Black[12] | French film | |
| 1986 | Air Hostess | TV series | |
| 1985 | Janam | TV movie | |
| 1985 | Wisdom Tree | Short film | |
| 1985 | Trishna | Roohi | TV series |
| 1984 | Holi | ||
References
- For Kitu Gidwani, it's mind over body! Archived 1 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine Ronjita Kulkarni, Rediff.com, Movies, 3 May 2002.
- Singh, Sanghita (1 April 2002). "It's back to the basics for Kitu Gidwani". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
- "Famous Sindhis - Kidu Gidwani". Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
- "rediff.com US edition: You can do whatever you believe of yourself: Kitu Gidwani". m.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- Bhattacharya, Budhaditya (24 July 2013). "She has seen it all..." The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- Bh, Namita; June 16, are; June 16, 1997 ISSUE DATE; May 2, 1997UPDATED; Ist, 2013 11:19. "TV actors never had it so good: recognition, astronomical rates and roles for the asking". India Today. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- "I'm happy, I'm free". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 23 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
- "Read(il)y made lifestyle". The Hindu. 8 July 2001. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2006.
- Play on man-woman relationship Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Tribune, 7 July 2006.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 September 2003. Retrieved 21 December 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Black - Acting Credits Archived 3 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine New York Times.
