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{{Short description|Indian actress and producer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Deepa Sahi
| image = Deepa Sahi.jpg
| caption = Sahi at the launch of Maya Studio
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 30 November 1962
| birth_place = [[Dehradun]], [[Uttarakhand]], [[India]]
| occupation = actress, Producer, director, script and story writer
| death_date =
| death_place =
| years_active = 1984–present
| spouse = [[Ketan Mehta]]
| website =
}}

'''Deepa Sahi''' is an Indian actress and producer, best known for her role as Maya in the 1993 movie ''[[Maya Memsaab]]'', opposite actor [[Farooq Sheikh]]. She made her directorial debut with the movie ''[[Tere Mere Phere]]'' in 2011.<ref name=HT>{{cite news |title=Sense of humour is important in a marriage |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/sense-of-humour-is-important-in-a-marriage/article1-659542.aspx |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=7 February 2011 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=16 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216143001/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/sense-of-humour-is-important-in-a-marriage/article1-659542.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early and personal life==
[[File:Deepa Sahi at Esha Deol's sangeet ceremony 02.jpg|thumb|Sahi at Esha Deol's sangeet ceremony]]
Deepa Sahi, an ethnic [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]],<ref>HT Correspondent (12 December 2006), [https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/history-will-pour-out-of-every-brick-of-gobindgarh-fort-says-deepa-sahi/story-TTW0vORagnwy6JreGa0VBM.html "History will pour out of every brick of Gobindgarh Fort, says Deepa Sahi"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630105012/https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/history-will-pour-out-of-every-brick-of-gobindgarh-fort-says-deepa-sahi/story-TTW0vORagnwy6JreGa0VBM.html |date=30 June 2018 }}, ''Hindustan Times''. Retrieved 20 January 2019.</ref> was born in [[Dehradun]] in an Army background and is the youngest sibling in her family. She grew up in [[Meerut]].<ref name=Hindu>{{cite news |title=Maya in control! |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/maya-in-control/article2437344.ece |newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |date=9 September 2011 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=21 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221152357/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/maya-in-control/article2437344.ece |url-status=live}}</ref>
Her family later shifted to [[Canada]], but she continued to stay in [[India]]. She had an elder sister who died at the age of 18.<ref name=Hindu/> Sahi pursued her education at [[Indraprastha College for Women]],<ref>{{cite news |title=DU has a lot on its ladies special platter |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/du-has-a-lot-on-its-ladies-special-platter-49223-2009-06-02 |newspaper=[[India Today]] |date=3 June 2009 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081809/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/DU+has+a+lot+on+its+ladies+special+platter/1/44882.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and was a gold medalist in Sociology from [[Delhi School of Economics]].<ref name=times>{{cite news |title=Ketan Mehta: I must be the craziest man Deepa has met in her life |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Ketan-Mehta-I-must-be-the-craziest-man-Deepa-has-met-in-her-life/articleshow/44948638.cms |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=28 October 2014 |access-date=24 December 2014 |archive-date=30 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030053034/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Ketan-Mehta-I-must-be-the-craziest-man-Deepa-has-met-in-her-life/articleshow/44948638.cms |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=wff>{{cite news |title=DEEPA SAHI |url=http://whistlerfilmfestival.com/29-speakers/148-deepa-sahi |newspaper=[[Whistler Film Festival]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222101136/http://whistlerfilmfestival.com/29-speakers/148-deepa-sahi |archivedate=22 December 2015 }}</ref> Sahi later joined the [[National School of Drama|NSD]] with the aim of becoming a director.<ref name=toi>{{cite news |title=I am too restless to be an actress: Deepa Sahi |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/I-am-too-restless-to-be-an-actress-Deepa-Sahi/articleshow/9832835.cms |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=2 September 2011 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=12 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012043230/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/I-am-too-restless-to-be-an-actress-Deepa-Sahi/articleshow/9832835.cms |url-status=live}}</ref>
However, she started receiving acting offers from her NSD days, which prompted her to shift to acting. Sahi decided to direct her first film in the early days of her career but the film, ''Nana Karte Pyaar'' which was supposed to star [[Nana Patekar]] and [[Hema Malini]] failed to take off due to a recession.<ref>{{cite news |title=No Rules, Make What You Want |url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/article227588.ece |newspaper=[[The New Indian Express]] |date=2 October 2011 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=23 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223185441/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/article227588.ece |url-status=dead}}</ref>
She is married to film director [[Ketan Mehta]], who is the nephew of freedom fighter [[Usha Mehta]].<ref name=HT/> It is the second marriage for both of them.<ref name=times/> Her cousins Meena and Tana are theatre actresses active in Delhi's theatre circuit.

==Early career==
An alumnus of NSD, [[Delhi]], Sahi started off with a theater career, with strong social activism a core value of the productions she was involved with.

In her early film career she collaborated with noted auteur [[Govind Nihalani]] and made her debut with the 1984 film ''[[Party (1984 film)|Party]]''.<ref name=DNA>{{cite news |title=I'm too restless to act: Actress-producer Deepa Sahi |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-i-m-too-restless-to-act-actress-producer-deepa-sahi-1592550 |newspaper=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |date=28 September 2011 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=14 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214063822/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-i-m-too-restless-to-act-actress-producer-deepa-sahi-1592550 |url-status=live}}</ref>
This was well received, and she subsequently acted in ''[[Aghaat]]'' (1985). Her thespian achievement, however, will always remain her role as the independent-minded and empowered lower-caste Punjabi woman she played in the highly acclaimed [[television film]] ''[[Tamas (film)|Tamas]]'' (1986).<ref name=Hindu/>

===Commercial cinema===
After marrying film director Ketan Mehta, she acted in several of his films including ''[[Hero Hiralal]]'' (1988), ''[[Maya Memsaab]]'' (1992) and ''[[Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!]]'' (1995).<ref name=Hindu/> She wrote the screenplay for ''[[Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!]]''. ''[[Maya Memsaab]]'' was controversial for featuring an explicit sex scene between Sahi and then upcoming actor [[Shah Rukh Khan]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/18-Bollywood-Controversies-From-The-Past-Now-Forgotten/ |title=18 Bollywood Controversies from the Past That Were a Big Deal Back then but Are Now Forgotten |date=4 February 2016 |access-date=19 June 2020 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604230553/http://www.scoopwhoop.com/18-Bollywood-Controversies-From-The-Past-Now-Forgotten |url-status=live}}</ref> Her other notable films include ''[[Hum (film)|Hum]]'' (1991),<ref name=Hindu/> ''[[Trinetra]]'' (1991) and ''[[Ek Doctor Ki Maut]]'' (1991).

Her last film appearances was in her husband's film ''[[Aar Ya Paar]]'' (1998)<ref name=ndtv>{{cite news |title=Rare sighting: Maya Memsaab Deepa Sahi |url=http://www.ndtv.com/photos/entertainment/blast-from-kim-kardashian-s-past-8949/slide/25 |publisher=[[NDTV]] |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-date=12 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012013708/https://movies.ndtv.com/photos/now-there-s-a-face-we-haven-t-seen-in-a-while-8949 |url-status=live}}</ref> She got a [[Filmfare]] best supporting actress nomination for ''Hum'' and National Award (Jury) for ''Maya Memsaab''.<ref name=ndtv/>

In 2015, she returned to acting after 18 years appearing in her husband's film ''[[Manjhi – The Mountain Man]]'' in a cameo role as [[Indira Gandhi]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Deepa-Sahi-returns-to-the-screen-as-Indira-Gandhi/articleshow/48261506.cms |title=Deepa Sahi returns to the screen as Indira Gandhi - Times of India |website=[[The Times of India]] |date=29 July 2015 |access-date=19 June 2020 |archive-date=13 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313120200/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Deepa-Sahi-returns-to-the-screen-as-Indira-Gandhi/articleshow/48261506.cms |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Production career===

She became a producer in 1993. She has produced seven films to date:
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
|-
|1993
|''[[Maya Memsaab]]''
|-
|1995
|''[[Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!|O Darling Yeh Hai India]]''
|-
|1997
|''[[Aar Ya Paar]]''
|-
|2003
|''[[Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula|Rules: Pyaar Ka Super Hit Formula]]''
|-
|
|''[[Mangal Pandey]]'' (co-producer)
|-
|2014
|''[[Rang Rasiya]]''
|-
|2015
|''[[Manjhi – The Mountain Man|Manjhi - The Mountain Man]]''
|}

Besides this, she has produced 12 TV series and is promoter of Maya Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. one of India's leading animation studios.<ref name=toi/> She was the CEO of [[Maya Entertainment]] from 2000 to 2002 and was responsible for the long-term strategy of the company; she made many entries into other animation avenues such as MAAC, etc. After her stint as the CEO of Maya Entertainment, she returned to her first love cinema. She made her directorial debut with the 2011 film ''[[Tere Mere Phere]]''. Together with Ketan Mehta, she co-founded an animation company, Cosmos-Maya.

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
! Notes
|-
|1984
|''[[Party (1984 film)|Party]]''
|Sona Rane
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1985
|''[[Aghaat]]''
|Chotelal's wife
|
|-
|''[[Aar Paar (1985 film)|Aar Paar]]''
|
|
|-
|1986
|''[[Tamas (film)|Tamas]]''
|Karmo
|
|-
|1988
|''[[Hero Hiralal]]''
| Rani Sitara Devi
|
|-
|1990
|''[[Dushman (1990 film)|Dushman]]''
|Geeta
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1991
|''[[Trinetra]]''
|Seema
|
|-
|''[[Ek Doctor Ki Maut]]''
|
|
|-
|''[[Hum (film)|Hum]]''
| Aarti Malhotra
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1992
|''Siasat''
|
|
|-
|''[[Maya Memsaab]]''
|Maya Das
|
|-
|1993
|''[[Bhookamp]]''
|Mrs. Pooja Satyajeet Anand
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1995
|''[[Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India!]]''
| Miss India
|As screenwriter
|-
|''[[Daughters of This Century]]''
|Champia
|
|-
|1997
|''[[Aar Ya Paar]]''
| Anu Chauhan
|
|-
|2005
|''[[Mangal Pandey: The Rising]]''
|
|As a producer
|-
|2011
|''[[Tere Mere Phere]]''
|
|As the director
|-
|2015
|''[[Manjhi – The Mountain Man]]''
| [[Indira Gandhi]]
|
|-
|2018
|''[[Toba Tek Singh (film)|Toba Tek Singh]]''
|
|As a producer
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|0756313}}
*{{Bollywood Hungama person|deepa-sahi}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahi, Deepa}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Punjabi women]]
[[Category:Indraprastha College for Women alumni]]
[[Category:National School of Drama alumni]]
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Indian women film producers]]
[[Category:Film producers from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:Hindi film producers]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Women artists from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Artists from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Actresses from Dehradun]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Writers from Dehradun]]
[[Category:Women writers from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Dehradun]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]

Deepa Sahi - Revision history

DigitalKush at 05:51, 25 November 2025