Kitu Gidwani


Kaushalya 'Kitu' Gidwani is an Indian actress and model. She has starred in several movies and serials on Indian television. Kitu played the role of Svetlana in Swabhimaan and became a household name after it. Then she signed Shaktimaan and played the role of "Geeta Vishwas", a news channel reporter who stand for the truth. She left the show after a few episodes and later became popular after a TV series, Air Hostess aired on Doordarshan in 1986, and received critical acclaim for her roles in Dance of the Wind, Deepa Mehta's Earth, Govind Nihalani's Rukhmavati Ki Haveli, Kamal Haasan's Abhay and Deham.great actress..

Personal life and background

Gidwani was born in Mumbai. Her Sindhi parents migrated from Pakistan after the partition. They lived in a refugee camp in Worli. She has a brother.
She studied in Fort Convent School, Mumbai. Her post graduation days saw her interested in French and she started acting in French plays. Soon she was acting in English plays directed by Janak Toprani. She acted in some television serials and subsequently acted in a French film Black, playing a Brazilian girl in it.

Acting career

Gidwani made her television debut in 1984 on the TV soap Trishna, and during the 1980s and '90s, gave some memorable performances in TV serials like Swabhimaan, Air Hostess and Junoon. She caught a lot of attention after her kissing scene in bed with actor Raj Zutshi in Junoon. In 1997, she was doing four serials at one time, besides Swabhimaan and Junoon, she was also acting in Saahil, Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum. She recently appeared in multi-starrer Hindi serials Kaashish and Kulvadhu.
In 1997, she played the role of a Hindustani classical singer, Pallavi, who struggles to get her voice back after losing her mentor/mother, in Dance of the Wind. The role won her Best Actress Award at Three Continents Festival, Nantes. In Pankaj Butalia's Shadows in the Dark she played Lajma, a middle-aged woman living in present-day Pakistan. In the 2010s she played small roles in Fashion, Dhobi Ghat and Student of the Year.
In 2001, in conjunction with Wills Lifestyle, an apparel chain owned by ITC Limited, she promoted Wills Sport Lifestyle brand of clothing. In 2006, she also acted in a play, Your Place or Mine by Darshan Jariwala.
She also did a play, Sock ’em With Honey, where she played a traditional Parsi woman from Pakistan, whose daughter falls in love with a Jew, prompting her first trip abroad.

Awards

In 1998, Kitu won the Best Actress Award at the Three Continents Festival, Nantes, France. The award recognized her outstanding achievement for the role of Pallavi in Dance of the Wind.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020Ghost StoriesDhruv's mother
2018Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat HaiSameer's step paternal GrandmotherTV Series
2017Ok JaanuTara's Mother
2016TrafficRehan's mother
2015Wedding Pullav
2013Ek Bura AadmiRukmi Devi
2012Student of the YearManini Banerjee
2011Dhobi GhatVatsala
2011MonicaPamela Garewal
2010Hello ZindagiDr. Sadhana
2009Phir KabhiDivya Singh
2008Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane NaSheela Pariyar
2008FashionAnisha Roy
2007Strangers
2006-07KulvaddhuAntra Singh RathodTV series
2006Dil Diya HaiMichelle
2005KasshishRatnaTV series
2001Happily Ever AfterMme GibsonFrench film
2004KesarPam MallyaTV series
2002NazaranaIshita's motherTV movie
2001DehamJaya
2001AbhayJayanti
2001AalavandhanJayanthiTamil film
1998EarthBunty Sethna
1998ShaktimaanGeeta Vishwas TV Series
1997Karvaan Lajma
1997Dance of the WindPallavi SehgalThree Continents Festival
1995-96SaahilPrernaTV series
1995-97SwabhimaanSvetlana BanerjeeTV series
1994JunoonMini AgrawalTV series
1994TehkikaatKavita DeshpandeAppeared as the killer in Episode 1
1991Rukmavati Ki HaveliKittu Gidwani
1991The KhajurahoShort film
1987KhojKitu Gidwani, Dilip DhawanTV series
1987BlackFrench film
1986Air HostessTV series
1985JanamTV movie
1985Wisdom TreeShort film
1985TrishnaRoohiTV series
1984Holi