Melinda Leanna Shankar (born February 18, 1992) is a Canadian actress.[1] She is best known for starring as Alli Bhandari in the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2008–2015) and as Indira "Indie" Mehta in the YTV series How To Be Indie (2009–2011), for which she won several awards, including a Canadian Screen Award in 2013.[2][3]
Melinda Shankar | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Shankar at 2013 Canadian Screen Awards Nominee Reception | |
| Born | February 18, 1992 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Degrassi: The Next Generation |
Early life
editMelinda Shankar was born on February 18, 1992, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Canadian parents of Hindu[2] Indo-Guyanese descent who immigrated to Canada.[3] She has two older sisters and a brother, who is also an actor. She was raised in Orleans, Ontario, a suburban section of Ottawa.
Her father owned a karate school in Ottawa, with her beginning to study the practice at three.[4] She began to study ballet at the same age. Shankar currently has a black belt in karate.[5] She attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School in Ottawa until grade 11 before moving to Toronto when she was sixteen, following her casting in Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2008.[6]
Career
editActing
editShankar began her career as a child model and appeared in numerous print advertisements, including a Procter & Gamble billboard in Los Angeles.[citation needed] Shankar's mother was an actress and her paternal grandfather was a director in Guyana. Shankar's father would often drive up to five hours from Ottawa to Toronto for her auditions.[7][8]
In 2008, she debuted as an actress in the popular CTV television series Degrassi, joining the cast as an incoming 9th grade student.[9] Shankar appeared in a total of seven seasons, until its finale in 2015.[4]
In 2009, she starred in a television series on YTV called How To Be Indie. She played the lead role of Indira "Indie" Metha for two seasons. The series aired its final episode on October 24, 2011. For her role, Shankar won a Gemini Award in 2011 and a Canadian Screen Award in 2013.[10]
She co-starred alongside Jennifer Stone and Vanessa Morgan in the 2010 children's television film Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars.[11]
Shankar was cast in her first feature film, Festival of Lights in 2010. The movie was filmed on location in New York City and Georgetown, Guyana. Her father served as production manager for the film due to his familiarity with the locations in Guyana.[7][8]
She has appeared in all three of the Christmas with a Prince television film franchise as Bella since 2018.[12]
Other work
editIn 2013, Shankar and a longtime childhood friend began working on an image consulting business.[13]
On February 22, 2014, Shankar launched Miss Conception, a professional styling and image agency based in Toronto.[14]
Personal life
editShe currently resides in North York, a district in Toronto.[15]
Shankar is a supporter of the Breaking Boards, Breaking Chains campaign, an event to raise funds for young survivors of sexual assault in Bolivia.[16]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Trigger | Rocker Chick #1 | |
| Festival of Lights | Reshma | ||
| 2017 | Filth City | Monica | |
| 2018 | Blindsided | Mika | |
| Blink | Carrie | Short film | |
| 2020 | Survival Smarts | Mindy | Short film |
| 2021 | Red String of Fate | Danika Mondal | |
| Romance in the Wilds | Amara | ||
| Christmas in the Wilds |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2015 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Allia "Alli" Bhandari | Main cast; 221 episodes |
| 2009 | Degrassi Goes Hollywood | TV movie | |
| 2009–2011 | How To Be Indie | Indira "Indie" Mehta | Lead role; 52 episodes |
| 2010 | Degrassi in India | Self | TV special |
| Degrassi Takes Manhattan | Allia "Alli" Bhandari | TV movie | |
| Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars | Janie Gibbs | ||
| 2011 | Degrassi in Haiti | Self | TV special |
| 2013 | Alive | Kaitlyn | TV film |
| 2017 | Darker Than Night | Mika | |
| Mooom | Kylie | ||
| Filth City | Monica | 9 episodes | |
| Slasher: Guilty Party | Talvinder "Tal" Gill | Main cast; 6 episodes | |
| Christmas Wedding Planner | Jealous Bridesmaid | TV film | |
| 2018 | Christmas with a Prince | Bella | |
| 2019 | Christmas with a Prince: Becoming a Royal | ||
| True Dating Stories | Detective Banks | Episode: "Steph" | |
| 2020 | The Wedding Planners | Izzy | Episode: "Wedding of Champions" |
| DM 4 Revenge | Dana Mohan | Episode: "Demo"; Creator & executive producer | |
| 2021 | Christmas with a Prince: The Royal Baby | Bella | TV film |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Gemini Awards | Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | How to Be Indie | Won | [17] |
| 2013 | Canadian Screen Awards | Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Won | [18] | |
| 2018 | First Glance Film Festival | Best Actress (Web Series) | Filth City | Nominated | [19] |
| Best Ensemble Cast (Web Series) | Won | [19] | |||
| 2020 | Indie Series Awards | Best Guest Actress - Comedy | True Dating Stories | Nominated | [20] |
References
edit- ^ "Melinda Shankar". Angies Models. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ a b "Melinda Shankar on MTV Cribs - YouTube". www.youtube.com.
- ^ a b "Stabroek News - Melinda Shankar returns to Guyanese roots to film new movie". www.stabroeknews.com. 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b Jackson, Lisa (2015-07-28). "Melinda Shankar, the Degrassi star dishes about her seven great seasons on the hit show". Streets Of Toronto. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ Powell, Catherine (2011-04-16). "Melinda Shankar Interview (Inside Degrassi Series) « Back-Pocket Believers". Showmetheskyline.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
- ^ "Ottawa actress lands principal Degrassi role". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ a b "OC Interview: OPEN CHEST Interview with Actress Melinda Shankar - Open Chest with Raj Girn". Openchest.com. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
- ^ a b Laura Cummings Published on March 06, 2009 (2009-03-06). "Orléans teen scores television series - Well-being - Orléans Star". Orleansstar.ca. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Melinda Shankar | Biography, Photos, Movies, TV, Credits | Hollywood.com". June 27, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27.
- ^ "You are being redirected..." www.academy.ca.
- ^ MacDonald, Gayle (2010-03-23). "The mother-daughter movie script". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ Singh, Prerna (2022-08-07). "Where Was Christmas with a Prince Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ Mayele, Grace (2013-07-04). "Miss Conception launch". PRESS The Fashion Blog. Pressthefashionmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
- ^ Jayda Ivy March 8, 2014 at 11:20 PM - Reply (2014-02-21). "Melinda Shankar's Miss Conception is Officially Open for Business!". 613 Style. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Growing up through her Degrassi role". Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
- ^ Guardian, Etobicoke (2017-04-25). "Melinda Shankar, board break-a-thon supports Bolivian sex assault survivors". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ "Gemini Awards (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ "Canadian Screen Awards, CA (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ a b "First Glance Film Festival (2018)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ "Indie Series Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-03-09.