Mahira Kakkar is a New York-based actress known for her many plays performed around the world. Her ancestral home is India.
Wiki/Biography
Mahira Kakkar was born in Kolkata, India. She received her early education in Kolkata, India, and later moved to the United States for further studies. Her grandfather named her “Mahira”, which is derived from the Urdu word Mahir, which means “talented”. She attended school at La Martiniere, a modern girls’ high school. At the age of just 10, she developed an interest in the Bolshoi Theatre and Kirov Ballet in Kolkata, and she hardly ever missed any ballet concert in the city, and her parents always supported her interest. During her childhood, she aspired to become a ballerina, actress, or a rock star. She actively participated in extracurricular activities at school. She learned Bharatanatyam dance and Indian classical music, and also won awards in oratory competitions held at her school. Later, she won a gold medal in English literature at Jadavpur University in Kolkata. According to Mahira, the college helped her gain experience and knowledge beyond books. Soon after, Mahira spoke at the drama department of the Juilliard School in New York City. Although it was not easy for Mahira to get into Juilliard’s drama department, she was confident in her skills. In her speech to the head of the drama department, she said:
You have to take me in. You haven’t seen anyone like me.”
Harold Guksin was Mahira’s mentor when she was studying drama at the Juilliard School. After entering drama school, Mahira gradually got involved in local theater and television.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 5″
Eye color: Black
Hair color: gray and white
Family and caste
Mahira was born into a Hindu family.
Parents and siblings
Mahira is the daughter of Mira Kakkar.
Mahira Kakkar’s mother
Relationships, husbands and children
Mahira Kakkar and her husband John
She is married to John Paul Davis, also a poet, programmer, writer and musician. He is also the author of the book “Crown Prince of Rabbits”. They live in New York.
Profession
Mahira started her career in drama, regional theatre and television. She has acted in several shows in different countries. She has acted in the TV series A Suitable Boy on Netflix, playing the role of Ms. Rupa Mehra.
Mahira Kakkar plays Ms. Rupa Mehra in the TV series A Suitable Boy
Awards
She won the Best Actress Award at the Napa Valley Film Festival (2013) for her role as “Asha” in “Hank and Asha”.
Facts/Trivia
- Mahira is believed to be the first person of Indian descent to study drama at the Juilliard School.
- In the United States, when she was studying at the Juilliard School’s Drama Department, Americans found her name “Mahira” difficult to pronounce and one of the American actresses “Gillian Jacobs” gave her the name “Mah” because people thought it was easier to pronounce than her real name.
- Mahira loves traveling and exploring different places. She feels that walking is the best way to explore a place. According to her, it is the most exciting and relaxing way to get to know the place.
- Her main interests are languages, humor, and young adult fiction. She has learned many languages, including Afghan, German, French, Cockney, Pakistani, and knows Hindi and Bengali.
- Mahira believes that
An actor’s life is filled with insecurities. An actor auditions every day and even gets rejected every day. If one cannot live with this uncertainty, then one must leave. If one can do that, then the sky is the limit. One should keep going, improving one’s skills and setting one’s own standards.”
- She loves reading. Some of her favorite books are The Mathematics of Human Flourishing by Christopher Jachson, Royal Costumes and Textiles of India by Ritu Kumar, The Distant Realms by Madhuri Vijay, etc. She is often seen sharing her curiosity about books on social media platforms.
- Mahira is actively involved in the US non-profit organization DSA (Democratic Socialists of America), which advocates for fundamental human rights, including equal rights for all.
Mahira Kakkar joins DSA
- She is known for playing some strong female roles in many plays, such as Viola in Twelfth Night, Emily Webber in Our Town, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Irene in The Three Sisters.
- Mahira faced racial discrimination while pursuing her acting career in the United States. In an interview, she elaborated on the experience and said:
Sometimes it’s hard to be a brown girl and not be a supermodel brown girl, but no one said life would be easy. If I were dwelling on issues of racial bias, how would I have the energy to do my job?
- She has tattoos on both her arms.
Mahira’s tattoo on her left arm
Mahira Kakkar’s tattoo on her right arm
- According to Mahira, she is proud to be a part of two countries, India and the United States, and she considers both countries as her home.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education