Chitrangda Singh: A Star Is Reborn

At 39, Chitrangda Singh has set up a production house that is all set to make a biopic on an Indian champion, is raising a son she adores and has the kind of acting chops that puts most contemporaries in the shade.

- Sandipan Dalal, photographs by Arjun Mark

Just over a year-and-a-half ago, all Chitrangda Singh was being asked about was her divorce. She had split with her husband of 12 years, golfer Jyoti Randhawa, was faced with the challenge of raising young son Zoravar in Delhi while managing a career in Mumbai, and was anxious about being offered films she didn’t want to sign. “I didn’t want the 30-40 days of filming to be a painful experience. So I refused work I didn’t like” she says. Today, the 39-year-old actor works for her own production house CS Films’ fi rst project by day and watches Madagascar movies with Zoravar by night. Her first production will be a biopic based on the life of Indian hockey team captain Sandeep Singh. Chitrangda is happy, grateful and careful. “Even though I’m excited, I cannot reveal details of my first film. You will have to wait for the corporate house backing the fi lm to announce it.” Edited excerpts from the interview:

You have been dividing your time between your work in Mumbai and your family in Delhi. Are you in a happier place today?

Absolutely. I feel the energy and excitement of cinema the moment I land in Mumbai. Growing up, I had no ambitions of becoming a part of the movie industry. But the city re-introduced me to myself, gave me an identity and recognised my work. However, home is Delhi because of my eight-year-old son Zoravar. Whenever I’m travelling to Mumbai, I tell (him) I’m heading to my office.