Indian actor Celina Vikram Jaitly returns to feature films as Sister Nibedita, the Irish-born disciple of Swami Vivekananda, in director Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s upcoming biographical drama.
The project marks another collaboration between Jaitly and Mukherjee after their earlier film Season’s Greetings. Jaitly previously built her Bollywood career with her breakout role in Janasheen (2003). She later appeared in films such as No Entry (2005), Golmaal Returns (2008) and Thank You (2011).
The film Sister Nibedita comes from Aritra Das Creation in association with Assorted Motion Pictures. It follows the life of Sister Nibedita, also known as Nivedita, born in Ireland as Margaret Elizabeth Noble. She left her homeland and made India her spiritual home. She later devoted her life to social reform, women’s empowerment, education and nation-building.
Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk, carried the philosophy of Vedanta to the West. He delivered a landmark speech at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. His guru, Ramakrishna, a 19th-century mystic from Bengal, influenced Vivekananda’s belief in the unity of all religions.
The film traces Nibedita’s journey from a young Irish educator to a key figure in India’s cultural and spiritual awakening. It also explores her relationship with Swami Vivekananda and her role in shaping national consciousness during a period of major change.
The makers have reunited Mukherjee with music composers Sourendra-Soumyajit, who earlier worked on Binodiini Ekti Natir Upakhyan. Ipsita Acharya has written the screenplay. The team continues to finalise the remaining cast and crew.
Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee said the subject had long waited for a film adaptation. He said he first came across Nibedita’s story while researching Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda during Binodiini. He added that he saw Celina Jaitly as the right choice to portray Margaret and praised her understanding of emotional depth and sacrifice.
Celina Jaitly said she felt drawn to the project through a meaningful journey. She said she previously worked with Mukherjee on Season’s Greetings and did not expect their paths to meet again in a spiritually significant story. She also recalled visiting Sister Nibedita’s home in Darjeeling as a child. She said she now feels honoured to portray Margaret Noble and dedicated her performance with blessings from Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Mission.
Producer Aritra Das described Sister Nibedita as a dream project. He said the team had planned the film after Binodiini. He also noted that Jaitly travelled from Austria for her look test and impressed the team with her transformation.
The makers announced the project on 4 July, marking the 124th death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
The film will be an international production with shooting planned across Mumbai, Kolkata and Ireland. The story will capture key locations that shaped Nibedita’s life.
