Ivanka Das is an Indian actor, dancer, choreographer, model, fashion creative director, and former drag queen. She is known for her appearances in Hindi-language films and web series. She gained recognition from her performances in films like ‘Ghoomer’ (2023) and ‘Haddi’ (2023). She is also recognised for her distinctive bold appearance and bald look, which has captured the attention of many.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ivannka Das was born as Arandeep Das on Thursday, 18 December 1986 (age 37 years; as of 2023) in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius. She grew up in Mumbai and Delhi. Her hometown is Kolkata. Ivanka joined the South Point School in Kolkata on 5 February 1993. She then attended Gobardanga Hindu College, Kolkata.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Weight (approx.): 70 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Figure Measurements (approx.): 34-30-34
Family
Ivanka Das belongs to an extended and conservative Bengali family.
Parents & Siblings
Ivanka lost her parents when she was young. Her father was a musician, and her mother used to work as a manager at The Oberoi in Colaba, Mumbai.
Wife
Ivanka, who was living as a man, married a woman in 2010. They started as friends and then began dating. According to Ivanka, she got married under family pressure. She, however, later opened up about her identity to the girl following which they remained best friends rather than a couple. After one year of marriage, they got separated, and Ivanka decided to leave Kolkata and move to Delhi, where she lived at her aunt’s place for nine years.
Gender Identity
Ivanka is a transwoman. According to her, she displayed girl-like behaviour even as a child. In an interview, she revealed about experiencing both gender and body dysphoria when she came to know about her identity as a woman at the age of 22. According to Ivanka, she initially used to lie to people that she was bisexual; she came out as bisexual at the age of 17. Ivanka later officially came out as a trans and underwent gender confirmation surgery in Delhi. She then changed her name from “Amandeep to “Ivanka.”
Ivanka Das before and after the transition
Relationships/Affairs
Ivanka once dated a man for three years in Delhi while being identified as a man. According to her, the relationship made her realise that she was meant to be a woman. In an interview, she talked about that relationship and revealed that when that guy broke up with her, she became very upset and got sick. To heal from her anxiety and heartbreak, Ivanka spent two years at ISKCON, which also helped her make important decisions about her gender identity.
Religion
Ivanka follows Hinduism.
Career
Choreographer and Model
Ivanka Das initially worked as a dancer in Kolkata. She even represented India at various events. She went on to choreograph for various people and awards shows. According to her, she soon gained recognition and became one of the youngest choreographers in Kolkata. She then started posting videos on TikTok which soon went viral on the internet. According to Ivanka, one of her friends once asked her to help him with a photoshoot which made her explore modelling. In 2019, she was featured on the online cover of Vogue India; it was in celebration of the first anniversary of the decision in the Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India case, which made consensual adult relationships legal. Later, Ivanka became a drag queen at Keshav Suri’s club ‘Kitty Su’ at The LaLiT in Chandigarh. According to Ivanka, she was initially asked to leave the club lobby, but she reached out to Keshav Suri directly, who selected her as the drag queen. In 2023, she was featured on the cover page of Harper’s Bazaar.
Actor
Television
Ivanka made her television debut as a contestant in 2019 with a dance reality television series titled ‘Dance Deewane’ (Season 2), which aired on the channel Colors TV.
Ivanka Das while performing on the show ‘Dance Deewane’ (Season 2)
In 2023, she appeared as ‘Shanmukhi’ in the television series ‘Chand Jalne Laga,’ which aired on Colors TV and streamed on Jio Cinema.
Ivanka Das as ‘Shanmukhi’ in the television series ‘Chand Jalne Laga’ (2023)
Web Series
Ivanka made her acting debut with the web series ‘Yeh Hai #Mandi’ in 2019; she played the role of a brothel owner named Kareena in the series, which premiered on Prime Flix.
Ivanka Das as Kareena in a still from the web series ‘Yeh Hai #Mandi’ (2019)
In 2021, she appeared as ‘Beauty’ in the series ‘Bombay Begums,’ which featured Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, and others; the series streamed on Netflix. In the same year, she appeared in ZEE5’s black comedy series ‘Sunflower,’ which starred Sunil Grover, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Kulkarni, and others.
Ivanka Das (left) as ‘Beauty’ in the web series ‘Bombay Begums’ (2021)
Film
Ivanka Das debuted in Bollywood with the drama film ‘Maja Ma’ in 2022. She appeared as a trans activist in the film.
Ivanka Das in a still from the film ‘Maja Ma’ (2022)
In 2023, she played the role of ‘Surri’ in a crime drama film titled ‘Haddi,’ starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Anurag Kashyap, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and Ila Arun. In the same year, Ivanka appeared as ‘Rasika’ in the sports drama film ‘Ghoomer.’
Ivanka Das (as Rasika, left), along with Saiyami Kher (as Anina, right), in the film ‘Ghoomer’ (2023)
Tattoos
Ivanka Das has got a butterfly inked on her neck.
Ivanka Das’ tattoo on her neck
She has got an arrow inked on one of her forearms.
Ivanka Das’ tattoo on her forearm
Favourites
Facts/Trivia
- Ivanka also goes by the name ‘Sonu Das.’
- According to her, she initially faced financial issues due to which she had to work as a massage boy, security guard, table boy in a local hotel, and even as a gipsy.
- She is proficient in English, Hindi, and Bengali languages.
- Ivanka follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- She loves cooking and often posts about it on social media. According to her, cooking serves as a source of meditation. In 2020, she shared a post on Facebook to reveal that as a kid, she used to feel jealous of girls who could do things like knitting and cooking. She wished she had those skills. Ivanka mentioned that she later learned how to knit sweaters, cook, and even about motherhood from her grandmother.
Ivanka Das’ Facebook post about cooking
Ivanka Das’ Facebook post about cooking- Ivanka Das consumes alcohol occasionally.
- According to her, she began smoking to fit in with the image of being a boy; however, she later understood that this was not true to who she really was. While talking about this, in an interview, Ivanka said,
I even started smoking, all the while knowing deep inside that I was doing these things solely for my image and I wasn’t truly content. I realised that my authentic self was not that of a man.”
Ivanka Das while smoking a cigarette
- She once suffered from alopecia, a condition causing hair loss. As a result, she decided to embrace a bald look, which later became her signature style. A photographer had suggested that a clean-shaved head suited her facial features well, and she followed this advice, which made her earn the title of the world’s first bald trans model.
Ivanka Das’ bald look
- She is considered to be the first bald transwoman with multiple skills to enter Bollywood.
- While talking about the making of the film ‘Haddi’ (2023) in an interview, Ivanka shared that she had a fight with some transgenders on the set. According to Ivanka, they believed that she was receiving special treatment, but Ivanka explained that it was only because she was an actor, while they were part of the crowd in the film. She mentioned that these individuals not only argued with her but also teased her about her body language and tried to attack her.
- According to Ivanka, she was removed from the film ‘Taali’ (2023), starring Sushmita Sen, after about three days of shooting.
- Ivanka Das believes in contributing to society and has been actively involved with non-governmental organizations like the Society for Human Alliance Need.
- In an interview, Ivanka Das recounted an incident involving Ram Gopal Varma, a film director and screenwriter. She claimed that Varma once asked her to send him pictures of herself in lingerie as part of a casting process for a film. After she sent him the pictures, Varma invited her to his place in the evening to discuss the project. Ivanka, however, felt uncomfortable with the situation and requested that he first send her details about the project via text, but Varma blocked her later.
Categories: Bollywood
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
