Celina Jaitly on Sister Nibedita biopic: 'Deeply personal journey'
What's the story
Actor Celina Jaitly will be seen in a full-fledged role as Sister Nibedita (born Margaret Noble in Ireland in 1867) in an upcoming biopic, directed by Ram Kamal Mukherjee. In an interview with HT City, she said this project is "one of the most deeply personal journeys" of her career. "Working with a visionary filmmaker like Ram is unlike any other acting experience for me," she said.
Personal journey
Jaitly's connection with Sister Nibedita predates her acting career
Jaitly revealed that her association with Sister Nibedita started long before she thought of portraying the spiritual disciple of Swami Vivekananda on screen. "My father was posted in Binaguri in West Bengal. My parents and I would often travel to Darjeeling with military convoys, and one of the places where we often stopped was Roy Villa, where Sister Nibedita spent her last days."
Legacy introduction
'I had no idea...I would be the chosen one'
It was Jaitly's mother who first acquainted her with Sister Nibedita's life and work. She said, "I had no idea that one day, far in the future, I would be the chosen one. I now feel perhaps it was Sister Nibedita herself calling this young girl who studied in Kendriya Vidyalaya."
Inspiration
What inspires her most about Sister Nibedita
Jaitly said, "What moves me most about Sister Nibedita is that she was not born in India, yet she chose India in every fiber of her being." "As a woman, I find her courage deeply inspiring... She championed women's education, worked tirelessly during epidemics, championed scientific thought, and believed empowering women was essential to building a powerful nation," she concluded.