Tara Deshpande is an Indian actress,[1] writer, former model and MTV VJ. Tara hosted a show called Kab Kyon Kahaan on Zee TV, along with Parth and then with Vinay Jain in the early 1990s. She appeared in several acclaimed films such as Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Kaizad Gustad's Bombay Boys. Since her marriage to an American citizen and moving to Boston in 2001, she lives in the Boston area. Her husband is a graduate of Harvard Business School and is in finance. Tara published her first book at the age of 23, Fifty and Done (HarperCollins). Before entering the world of movies she was a model and MTV VJ and a regular on the Mumbai stage. She played Begum Sumroo in Alyque Padamsee's play of the same name. Her book, A Sense for Spice: Recipes and Stories from a Konkan Kitchen (Westland Publishers) was published in 2012 and Indian Sense of Salad in 2018.[2] She travels between NYC and Mumbai.
Tara Deshpande | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–2002 |
Filmography
editFeature film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin | Pooja | |
| 1998 | Bada Din | Nandini Shom | |
| 1998 | Bombay Boys | Dolly | |
| 2000 | Tapish | Namrata | |
| 2001 | Style | Nikki Malhotra | |
| 2002 | Encounter: The Killing | Kiran Jaywant | |
| 2002 | Danger | Unnati | |
| 2003 | Encounter: The Killing | Kiran Jaywant | Nominated Best Film 2003 |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Kab Kyon Kahan | Host | 52 Episodes |
| 1996 | Superhit Muqabla | Anchor | Guest Anchor |
| 1996 | MTV Roadshow | Co-Host | Video Jockey |
| 1996 | MTV Get A Voice | Host | MTV Talk Show |
Appearances as herself
editApart from her work in television and films, Tara Deshpande has also appeared in many other shows as herself. She had appeared on the Movers and Shakers show with Shekhar Suman as a Guest star in episode 55. She has even co-hosted many award shows like the Filmfare awards in 1998, 2000[citation needed] and 2001.[citation needed] Tara even appeared in the Bhoomi episodes on the DD Metro channel produced by Siddharth Kak. She was also featured on the WGHB World of Chocolate show produced by PBS and was seen on the Amul hoarding as the Amul girl in her eponymous role as Dolly in Bombay Boys.[3]
Ms Deshpande even appeared on the MasterMind quiz show hosted by Siddharth Basu as well as Zee Tv quiz show with Sonu Nigam and Gul Panag, Naseeruddin Shah hosted by Derek O’Brien.
Theatre
editTara Deshpande began her career on the professional stage at the age of 14. She was formally launched by Alyque Padamsee[4] in the eponymous role of the historical figure Begum Sumroo in 1995. Among her other performances are BBC Council Productions of She Stoops To Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith Toprani productions The Yours, Mine and Ours Show and Peter Schaffer’s Black Comedy. She trained under Marathi theatre legend Atmaram Bhende, Pearl Padamsee and Shiraz Jefferies.
Politics, Charities & social work
editTara Deshpande is actively involved in many charities and is a supporter of various social issues. Some of the charities she is involved in include the Rotary Club of Bombay, ASPCA, PAL, Society for the Education of the Crippled, and Montana Horse Ranch Rescue. The Culinary Culture community had declared Tara Deshpande as a COVID warrior for her free meals program for those who didn’t have access to food during COVID-19.[5]
Writer
editTara Deshpande is the published author of several books. Fifty and Done a collection of short stories (1999 HarperCollins India), A Sense of Spice: Recipes and Stories from a Konkan Kitchen ( Westland) An Indian Sense of Salad (Penguin 2018) and Chillies and Porridge (Harper Collins 2014). Her recipes and articles have appeared in Vogue,[6] NYTimes,[7] Boston Globe, Indian Express, and The Print.
Besides her charity work, Tara Deshpande has been a longtime supporter of LGBTQ rights and has been a jury member for Kashish 2018[8] which is a famous International Queer Film Festival in Mumbai. She is also a registered Democrat and served as co-chair of the South Asian Fundraising committee for Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, during his campaign for Governor in 2001[9] and was briefly part of the South Asian fundraising committee for John Kerry gubernatorial race in Massachusetts.[10]
References
edit- ^ Deshpande, Tara (8 January 2022). "Gerson Da Cunha told me theatre is a great education. I understand it now: Tara Deshpande". ThePrint. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ Tennebaum, Tara Deshpande (29 January 2018). Indian Sense of Salad. EBURY Press. ISBN 978-0-14-344025-3.
- ^ "Boys will be Bombay boys - The Times of India". www.cscsarchive.org. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Begum Sumroo promises to be a play for all seasons". India Today. 4 August 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Culinary heroes of the pandemic". Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "What happens when three food experts are tasked to cook responsibility without wasting". Vogue India. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Vegan Oven Roasted Pumpkin Wedges With Cranberry, Pecan and Chile Pesto Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "MEET THE KASHISH 2018 JURY". KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Robert B. Reich - Page 7". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "John Kerry | Biography & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.