Do you know the actress won the National Film Award for Best Actress for the English-language film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)?

Konkona Sen Sharma, the renowned Indian actress and filmmaker, is the daughter of filmmaker and actress Aparna Sen. Despite coming from a film background, she’s managed to carve a niche for herself and has bagged several awards, including two National Film Awards. Having worked in both independent and mainstream films, the actress gained popularity when she starred in the English-language film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), directed by her mother.

Some of her notable work includes 15 Park Avenue (2005), Dosar (2006), Wake Up Sid (2009), Ek Thi Daayan (2013), Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017), among others, and she made her directorial debut with the drama A Death in the Gunj (2017). However, there have been several of her performances which totally stand out and have managed to leave the audience speechless. Here’s listing 5 of them down:

Ajeeb Daastaans (2021)

Konkana’s performance in a short – Neeraj Ghaywan's Geeli Pucchi – from the anthology Ajeeb Daastaans remains one of her best works. In her role of a queer Dalit factory worker Bharti Mandal, facing issues of caste, class, gender and much more, Konkana delivered a profoundly complex performance. Be it her body language or her voice and expression, she manages to be someone who strives to take her fate in her hands and not become a victim.

Titli (2002)

In Rituparno Ghosh's Titli, Konkona Sen Sharma was seen as the titular Bengali teenager. She is shown to be obsessed with an actor (Mithun). But after he shares a ride with her to the airport, she sort of becomes a fan who is toxic in pursuit of her idol. Nonetheless, she plays her part with finesse, and like no other.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

In the film, Konkona played a mild-mannered 'Tam-brahm' woman. Rahul Bose plays her bus co-passenger Raja Chowdhury, a Bengali Muslim, and the film focuses on their fateful bus journey amidst a raging communal strife in India. Konkana beautifully portrays her shift from a prejudiced Hindu to someone who's grateful. It was written and directed by Aparna Sen.

Luck By Chance (2009)

In Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut, Konkana played a struggling tinseltown starlet Sona Mishra, who faces rejection in her dreams to become a Bollywood-heroine, mainly because of her looks. However, her steady rise over time highlights how the new-age Bollywood now recognises merit and diversity.

Talvar (2015)

In the Vishal Bhardwaj’s Talvar around Noida's infamous double murder case, Konkona perfectly portrayed the grief of the mother. Her character of Nutan Tandon does not sacrifice the pathos of motherhood as she delivers an intelligent and understated performance.