Achievers
Books
Business
Calendar
Community
Controversy
Cuisine
Eateries
Education
Enterprise
Faith
Good Samaritans
Health
Infotech
Media
Memories
Movies
News Archives
Opinion
Specials
The Arts

Ellora Pathnaik: A heady cocktail of talent

Firdaus Ali

She may look like a statuette belonging to an ancient mythological era, but Ellora Pathnaik is a tangy gal of today's times who can ride horses, climb trees, dance and act. She can also mix drinks, an art she mastered at a cuisine school in Toronto.

Her dancing prowess and acting abilities won her a role in Mira Nair's much-acclaimed film My Own Country. Her conventional looks and rather avant-garde attitude had her scoring over several others during the film's audition.

She went on to play the role of Rajni, wife of Dr Abraham Verghese (enacted by Naveen Andrews) in the film. Recently back from shooting in Mumbai, this time for a Hindi feature film called Tapish - The Burning Desire, Ellora is all starry-eyed.

"Don't blame it on me, Mumbai does that to you," laughs the actress, who has a pivotal role in the film. Tara Deshpande of Bombay Boys fame and Pankaj Berry play lead roles in the film along with Ellora.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ellora as a little girl never nurtured any celluloid dreams. "I was never interested in acting or films. A sport lover, I spent my time climbing trees and ropes like a monkey. I also love horses. In fact, I learnt to ride horses even before I learnt to dance," she adds.

As a child, she would watch her mother -- the famous Odissi dancer Chitralekha -- dance and she'd try to imitate the steps.

Today, she is actively involved with Canada's Chitralekha Dance Academy, named after her mother, and organizes dance shows and events.

Ellora's dancing background proved a boon for her role in My Own Country. "If you read the book, Rajni's character is staid, boring and morose. Mira Nair added dimensions to the role by using my dance know-how,'' says Ellora.

So, if Rajni's angry with the Doctor for neglecting her, Ellora's expressive eyes and chilling glare say it all. "The role was etched differently, so that the audiences empathize with Rajni's loneliness and her state of mind,'' says Ellora, who read the book in two days before she auditioned for the role.

She remembers her role with fondness, even though the character remains pregnant in almost half the film. "There was a scene showing me in labor which I feel was the most difficult scene for me in the film. But Mira said 'push' and I did,'' laughs Ellora.

For her acting comes easy. From theatre to dance concerts to smaller roles -- she's done it all. Graduating from New York's American Academy for Dramatic Arts, she was the first East Indian to join their theatre company. After graduation, there were smaller roles in a few films and even one Oriya film Daiba Deodi a few years back.

She performed in the show Standing On My Knees which was produced off Broadway and later went to Iceland. Another East-West commercial for a New York television channel and a few small soaps and serials followed.

"I also did the famous Girish Karnad play, Nagamandala which received a tumultuous response the world over,'' says Ellora.

Daughter of artiste parents, she was taught to do something useful with her time. So, when she was not busy dancing, rehearsing or acting, she was earning her livelihood by mixing drinks in Toronto's bars and restaurants.

"Sadly, unlike the US, acting does not pay much in North America. There are few avenues here which is why I decided to hop to Bombay where the real action is," says Ellora.

On one such visit to Bombay, she bagged the role of Lajji in the soon-to-be-released film Tapish - The Burning Desire. "Since this is my debut Hindi film, I expect a lot from it. It is a sensitive film, which draws parallels between two women. One, who is sensitive and is terribly influenced by society norms and the other is this glamorous doll who lives by her rules," says Ellora.

While, she plays the shy introvert, Tara Deshpande of Bombay Boys fame plays the glam doll.

"The film was a great learning experience for me," says Ellora, who was fascinated by Bombay. "Bombay has so much of energy, it's a booming, vibrating, pulsating little island and I've grown to love it," adds Ellora.

Shuttling between Toronto and Mumbai for work assignments, Ellora's joyride to fame may have only just begun.

Previous: Indian victims of Pittsburgh shooting spree were brimming with life

Next: Designs on you feet

Tell us what you think of this report