Tannishtha Chatterjee () (born 23 November 1980) is an Indian actress and director who is known for her work in several Hindi and English independent films. For her performance in the film Dekh Indian Circus, she won the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film). In 2019 she directed her first feature film Roam Rome Mein which screened at Toronto International Film Festival. Chatterjee's performance in the German film Shadows of Time earned her critical acclaim. It took her to international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.
She is also known in the west for her performance in the British film Brick Lane (2007), the film adaptation of Monica Ali's best selling novel of the same nameTannishtha Chatterjee . imdb.com for which she was nominated best actress at the British Independent Film Awards.Nomination at BIfA . Zimbio.com (2007-11-28). Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Her other notable roles have been in Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's film Shadows of Time, Road, Movie with Abhay Deol, Dekh Indian Circus, and Marathi film Doctor Rakhmabai for which she has won the Best Actress Award at RIFF (Rajasthan International Film Festival) and PIFF (Pune International Film Festival).
Personal life Chatterjee was born on 23 November 1980 in Pune, Maharashtra, to a Bengali Hindu family. Her father was a business executive and her mother was a political science professor. Her family traveled and lived out of the country for some time, then moved to Delhi. She majored in Chemistry at Delhi University before entering the National School of Drama.Career at NSD . Specials.rediff.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14.
Chatterjee is unmarried and has adopted a girl child, to raise her as a single mother.
Career Chatterjee's performance in the German film Shadows of Time earned her critical acclaim. It took her to international film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.Berlin International Film Festival . Berlinale.de (2005-02-11). Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Thereafter she worked on an Indo-French coproduction Hava Aney Dey (Let the Wind Blow) directed by Partho Sen-Gupta which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and won the best film award at the Durban International Film Festival among others. Following these, Chatterjee acted in Strings, Kasturi and the Bengali film Bibar, winning critical acclaim and best actress awards. Her work in the British film Brick Lane directed by Sarah Gavron gave her international exposure and recognition. Chatterjee was nominated for the British independent film awards along with actresses Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway.
Chatterjee played a major role in Bhopal: Prayer for Rain in which she starred with Martin Sheen.Expected to be acting with Sheen. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2008-07-14). Retrieved on 2014-01-14. She was the lead in Road, Movie with Abhay Deol and as earned the moniker Princess of Parallel Cinema in the Indian press.An interview with Tannishtha Chatterjee, main actress of BRICK LANE. cinemawithoutborders.com (2008-06-13.html) Chatterjee was referred by the Indian media as the chief flag bearer at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. She starred in the 2009 film Bombay Summer. She was the lead in Lucy Liu's film Meena based on the book Half the Sky.
A trained Hindustani classical vocalist, she sang in the movies Road, Page 3,Tannishtha Chatterjee. indiafm.com among others. She sang at the Royal Opera House in London with British composer Jocelyn Pook.
Chatterjee was a member of the jury at the 2010 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. She appeared in a T series film I Love New Year opposite Sunny Deol directed by Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru.
Tannishtha's Canadian film Siddharth was in official selection at the 70th Venice Film Festival and the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. She is the only Indian actress whose films have been selected in three of the major international film festivals in the same year.Festival Queen: Tannishtha Chatterjee on a roll : Glossary – India Today . Indiatoday.intoday.in (2013-08-10). Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Her other notable projects are Parched directed by Leena Yadav which opened in Toronto, Australian romantic comedy Unindian with Brett Lee Island City which won the best debut director( Ruchika Oberoi) in Venice and Garth Davies's film LION co-starring Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel. Her film Angry Indian Goddesses received acclaim in Toronto and Rome international film festivals. In March 2016 Tannishtha was given a special award in a ceremony held at the BAFTA for her contribution to Asian Cinema. She won the best actress for the film Parched along with three other actresses in Festival 2 Valenciennes and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2016. She was the president of the jury of the MOOOV film festival in Belgium in 2016.http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Tannishtha-C She won the best actress at the Pune International Film Festival 2017 for her role in Dr. Rakhmabai. In 2019 Tannishtha made her directorial Debut Roam Rome Mein which had its World premier at Busan International Film Festival where she won the Asia Star Award.
In 2025, her second directorial film Full Plate had its World premier at 30th Busan International Film Festival on 18 September 2025 and won Tannishtha the Visionary director award.
Activism Tannishtha speaks quite often on the issue of race/colorism in Indian media. She has walked out during a roast when her skin color was the subject of jokes. She explored racism in Indian film and TV industry on Mithaq Kazimi's talk show series.https://www.facebook.com/WIONews/videos/vb.451369008407073/524063804470926 Personally, she adopted a baby girl and has encouraged others to do the same.
Filmography
Films Year FilmRoleNotes2003 Swaraj2004 Bas Yun Hi Sona Hava Aney DeyMona2005 Shadows of TimeMasha DivorceKamla2006 BibarNitaWon Best Actress Bengal Film Journalists' Association, Osian Film Festival Strings-Bound By Faith 2007 Brick LaneNazneen AhmedNominated-British Independent Film Awards Best Actress2008 White ElephantSita2009Barah AanaRani Bombay SummerGeetha 2010 Road, MovieGypsy woman2012 JalKajri Jalpari: The Desert MermaidShabriAnna KareninaMasha2013 Dekh Indian CircusKajaroWon—National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) Gulaab GangKajriMonsoon ShootoutRani SiddharthSuman SainiBhopal: Prayer for RainLeela2014 SunriseLeela ChaurangaDhaniya2015 I Love New YearRiya Feast of Varanasi Inspector Rajveer Saxena Rough BookSantoshi ParchedRaniWon Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Best Actress Angry Indian GoddessesNargis Nasreen Gour Hari DastaanAnita2016 LionNoor UnindianMeera Doctor RakhmabaiDoctor RakhmabaiWon— Best Actress Pune International Film FestivalWon— Best Actress Rajasthan International Film FestivalNominated— Best Actress Maharashtra State Film AwardsNominated— Best Actress 17th New York Indian Film Festival 2018 Beyond the Clouds Chotu's mom2019 Rani Rani Rani RaniJhalkiPriti VyasRoam Rome MeinReenaAlso director Asia Star Award Busan International Film Festival2020Unpaused—Director2022Dahini: The Witch Kamala2023JoramVaano2025The StorytellerSuzie Fibert2025Full Plate—Director Won- Visionary director award Busan International Film FestivalWon-Peoples choice award, Critics special mention Vesoul International Film Festival
Web series Year Title Role Platform Notes 2019 Parchhayee Lavani ZEE5 2021 Cartel Romilla Alt Balaji 2022 Modern Love MumbaiRayman Amazon Prime Video 1 episode 2023ScoopLeena PradhanNetflix2025Bindiya Ke Bahubali Imali Davan Amazon MX Player2026 Bindiya Ke Bahubali Season 2 Imali Davan Amazon MX Player
Awards Year Function Award Nomination Film Status2006Osian film festival Best ActressBibar2007British Independent Film Awards 2007Brick LaneBengal Film Journalists' AssociationMost Promising Actress Bibar2009Mahindra Indo-American Arts CouncilBest ActressBombay Summer2010Stardust AwardRoad, Movie2012NYIFF Indo-American Arts CouncilDekh Indian CircusNational Film Award (Special Mention)National Film Award2016London Asian Film FestivalContribution to Asian CinemaFestival2valenciennesBest Actress ParchedIndian Film Festival of Los AngelesRajasthan International Film FestivalDoctor Rakhmabai2017Pune International Film FestivalNew York Indian Film FestivalMaharashtra State Film Awards2019Busan International Film Festival Asia Star Award Roam Rome Mein2025Busan International Film Festival Visionary Director awardFull Plate2025Vesoul International Film festivalPeoples choice award,Critics special MentionFull Plate
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