Seema Biswas

Seema Biswas, born on 14 January 1965 in Nalbari, Assam, India, is a celebrated Indian actress whose career spans over three decades across Hindi cinema, regional films, and theatre. Coming from a Bengali family, she pursued political science at Nalbari College before honing her craft at the prestigious National School of Drama in New Delhi, where her performances caught the eye of filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. Kapur cast her as the legendary outlaw Phoolan Devi in Bandit Queen (1994), a role that earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress and cemented her reputation for powerful, nuanced portrayals. Following this breakthrough, Biswas demonstrated remarkable versatility, delivering a haunting performance as a deaf‑mute singer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), for which she secured the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress, and later captivating audiences as the resilient Shakuntala in Deepa Mehta’s Water (2005), a role that won her the Genie Award for Best Actress in 2006. Beyond mainstream Bollywood, she has embraced diverse linguistic landscapes, appearing in Marathi, Malayalam, and Tamil productions such as Bindhast and Lalbaug‑Parel, while never abandoning her theatrical roots, remaining an active member of the NSD Repertory Company. Her commitment to the arts has been recognized with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2000 and a life membership of the International Film and Television Club of the Asian Academy of Film & Television. In addition to her film work, Biswas has contributed to television and web series, and served as a juror for the 45th International Film Festival of India in 2014, reflecting her standing as an influential figure in Indian cinema and theatre. Her career, marked by fearless role choices and a dedication to authentic storytelling, continues to inspire new generations of performers.