Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval Biography

Deepti Naval has substance and then some as she effortlessly weaves magic into her work as an actress, photographer, artist and writer.

Deepti Naval was born on 22nd August 1957 in Amritsar, India. Her years as a student were spent in New York at the City University and later at the Hunter College in Manhattan, from where she got a degree in Fine Arts.

She married film director Prakash Jha in 1985 but the marriage broke off in 2002. They had adopted a daughter Disha. She was linked with Nana Patekar and was engaged to Vinod Pandit who passed away. She set up the Vinod Pandit Charitable Trust to educate the girl child.

Deepti Naval's contribution to cinema was honoured with Tribute Honoree at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in 2007.

1979 to 1983  Naval was first seen in Shyam Benegal's Junoon (1979) with the likes of Shabana Azmi and Shashi Kapoor. In Ek Baar Phir (1980) she played Kalpana who walks out of a bad marriage to be with her lover.

In 1981 she was seen as a labourer in Chirutha; a courtesan in Humdard; an adaptation of Mahabharata Humpaanch and as Farroukh Sheikh's love in Chasshme Buddoor. She was paired with Farroukh Sheikh in Saath Saath (1982), Mein Aur Meri Tanhai (1982) and Ek Baar Chale Aao (1983).

Angoor (1982) was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. She came together with Rishi Kapoor in Yeh Ishq Nahin Aasaan (1983) as the woman he's forced to marry.

1984 to 1989  Naval played the role of a history teacher in Hip Hip Hurray (1984). Prakash Jha's Damul was a story about bonded labour while Amol Palekar's Ankahi (1985) was about superstition and blind belief. Panchvati (1985) saw her as Sadhavi, an artist from Nepal. She worked in this movie with Suresh Oberoi who was seen opposite her frequently.

Her other movies were Faasle (1985), Himalaya Darshan (1988), Main Zinda Hoon (1988), Saudaghar (1989) and Maane (1989).

1990 to 1999  Naval and Nana Patekar played gypsies in the Marathi movie Suryodaya (1991). She then worked in a television serial called Tanaav (1994 to 1995). She played Shah Rukh Khan's mother in Guddu (1995). Wings of Hope (1997) was a story about the immigrants. In 1999, Bawandar won several awards. The movie was based on a real life incident.

2000 to 2009  Leela (2001) also starred Dimple Kapadia and looked into a complex web of relationships. Freaky Chakra (2003) was about a relationship that develops between an older woman who is widowed and a younger man. In Yatra (2006) she worked with Nana Patekar and Rekha.

In 2009, she will appear in Rang Rasiya inspired by the life of painter Raja Ravi Verma and Nandita Das' Firaaq which explores the aftermath of the communal riots in Gujarat.

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval

Deepti Naval in 'LEELA'

Shabana Azmi Respects Deepti Naval's Work