Where did all the talent go?

Monika Panwar

After passing out of the National School of Drama (NSD) in 2017, Monika Panwar has steadily made her way into showbiz. The actor first caught the audience's attention with her performance in Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega in 2020, following it up with Choona (2023) and Mast Mein Rehne Ka (2023). Even as she is living her dream by facing the camera, the NSD alumnus - who credits the institution for honing her as an artiste - laments that few female actors from the institute are in the movies. She says, "I am immensely proud to be associated with such an esteemed institution. NSD has been a nurturing ground for some of the finest talents in the industry, including illustrious female actors like Ratna Pathak Shah and Neena Gupta. But it is also shocking that there are such few women employed in films, who are NSD pass-outs. Where are the pass-outs?"

The NSD is considered a cornerstone of excellence in the film industry, and over the years, has given us powerful female actors, including Rohini Hattangadi, Mita Vashisht and Seema Biswas. Panwar says her years at the institute have been crucial in influencing her love for the craft. "NSD has instilled in me a deep appreciation for the art of acting, and I am grateful for the invaluable lessons and experiences it has provided."