Nandita Das on what ails our education system & why she agreed to be part of Ziddi Girls; says, “Just filling students with information is of little use”

By Subhash K. Jha -

March 7, 2025 - 11:08 AM IST

What attracted you to Ziddi Girls?
Primarily, friendship! The director Shonali Bose is an old friend, so when she asked me to play a cameo, I was open to exploring it. Many amazing actors have done cameos in my films, and I felt it was my time to pay forward. That is how we support each other. Also reading Ziddi Girls, it made me remember my college days. But times have changed, and I am sure the writers researched well to incorporate issues of today. Every era has its own trials and tribulations. I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t say how much of it ended up in the series. While the fun quotient is high in the series, there is also a serious message on what education today entails.

Nandita Das on what ails our education system & why she agreed to be part of Ziddi Girls; says, “Just filling students with information is of little use”

What according to you ails our education system?
Dogma. Education should primarily teach us to critically look at things around us and form discerning opinions about them. Just filling students with information is of little use in life. But when you are taught to develop a critical eye, to look at things with depth and nuance, then you learn to grow, have a perspective. But our education system is often about rote memorisation, information and not knowledge and there is no focus on instilling empathy. Also it doesn’t nurture every students’ individuality, instead it is a cookie cutter approach.

What was it like working with so many talented co actors Revathi, Simran etc not to mention female producers and directors?
It’s always a delight to work with talented actors, who are also lovely people to work with. Revathi and Simran, whose work I have admired, were also fun to work with. Shonali, like I said, is a dear friend and I have also known the producer Rangita Nandy for a few years. I was really happy to know Neha Sharma, one of the writers and directors of the show. She has a very keen eye for the filmmaking process. And the lovely young girls who completely embodied the character, were a delight to work with.

Is it any different being directed by a female rather than a male, more sensitivity perhaps towards gender politics?
When women helm projects, they ensure that there are enough of us on the set, which is often not the case. When there are more women on set, there is usually more empathy and the hierarchy doesn’t have the gender lens to it. So it’s more egalitarian and relaxed. This show had lots of us at all levels.

How different is it shooting for the OTT as compared with feature films?
I don’t think one acts differently for film and OTT. But I guess there are different kinds of pressures on shooting time in OTT. But I haven’t done enough to make a fair comparison.

What are you working on next?
I’m working on an immersive film about a relationship. That’s all I can reveal as of now!

Also Read: 25 Years of 1947 Earth: Rahul Khanna’s first shot in his debut film involving kissing Nandita Das: “I couldn’t believe that I was getting paid to do this”