Shalini Vatsa

Shalini Vatsa is an Indian film and theater actress. She hailed from Patna, Bihar in India. She took her Plus 2 (Intermediate) at Patna Women’s College and later moved to Delhi to pursue higher education. She took her M Phil at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. While pursuing her studies, Shalini remains associated in several theater groups.

After her studies, she worked with an organization that supports the cause of the most isolated homeless community in urban areas and city like New Delhi. She is also a member of the Aashray Adhikar Abhiyan, a citizen’s campaign, who aims to fight for the equity of the homeless Indian people. Shalini has used her crafts in bringing the issues that women and homeless children are facing. She has given a voice for the homeless children through her first directorial film, Kismet, which was released in New York Film & Video Festival. Shalini also explored how the poor rural kids can get a fair level of opportunities in the developing economy of India, through a documentary film she directed, which was entitled, I Have a Dream.

Shalini started her career in doing theatrical performances. Her first stage appearance in Delhi was in Jhini Jhini Bhini Bhini Mehki Mehki Sili Sili, under Act One’s Productions. She also made performances under the same production house in Wo Ab Bi Pukarta Hai, Khel Khel Mein Khel Khel Mein is a reality sports show aired week >> Read More... , and Gagan Damama Bajao. She also worked with Asmita Arts & Theater Group and performed in Tara, Good Woman of Setzuan, and Death and the Maiden. Shalini also earned praises from the critics for her portrayal as a teenage girl, who transforms into a 60-year old woman, in Mahesh Dattani’s stage drama entitled Final Solutions. Her parents, Sudha Rani Sudha Rani is an Indian actress in Kannada movie i >> Read More... and Bachoo Sinha, are both members of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and are both working as professors at Patna University. This is where she got her passion and interest for theater even at an early age.

During her school days, she used to perform on stage and has joined Sarjana, a local theater group, which was headed by Bharti S Kumar and Santosh Kumar Bio coming soon... >> Read More... of Patna University. Shalini was later associated with the Society for Promotion of Music and Culture among Youth (SPIC MACAY) and became their national general secretary. She polished her acting skills by working with leading theater directors like Arvind Gaur Arvind Gaur is an Indian theatre director who is k >> Read More... , Habib Tanvir Habib Tanvir was an acclaimed poet, actor, theatre >> Read More... , B.V. Karanth, and much more.

Shalini took an acting course at Imago School of Acting along with Barry John Barry John can be considered to be the “Alchemist” >> Read More... . From there, she started writing original scripts, which she performed in Barry John’s Honey Trilogy. Later on, she also joined the Naya Theater by Habib Tanvir, and as part of the troupe, she played the main lead roles in plays like Raj Rakta, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Zehreele Hawa, and Charan Das Chor. She was also trained by Barry John in Theatre and has worked in Sri Ram School for one year. She then started the McArthur Foundation, where she trained the teachers in the rural areas of Rajasthan, with the help of her real-life husband, Himanshu Tyagi Himanshu Tyagi is an Indian director, writer, edit >> Read More... , a renowned theater personality.

In 2010, Shalini debuted as a film actress in the satirical comedy film, Peepli Live, which was co-produced by Aamir Khan Aamir Khan or Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan is Bolly >> Read More... . Over 900 actors auditioned for the film, but only those with theater backgrounds were selected. Though she already acted in a Hindi film, she is still prioritizing working in theater. She also wished to produce small films that tackle social issues and would want to organize workshops someday.