Melinda Shankar
Shankar at 2013 Canadian Screen Awards Nominee Reception
Born (1992-02-18) February 18, 1992
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
OccupationActress
Years active2008–present
Known forDegrassi: The Next Generation

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]

Early life

Melinda 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.

She began studying ballet and karate at the age of three. Shankar currently has a black belt in karate.[4] 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.[5]

Career

Acting

Shankar began her career as a child model and appeared in numerous print advertisements, including a Procter & Gamble billboard in Los Angeles. 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.[6][7]

In 2008, she debuted as an actress in the popular CTV television series Degrassi, joining the cast as an incoming 9th grade student.[8] Shankar left the show in 2015, after seven seasons.

Shankar with Andra Fuller at 2013 Canadian Screen Awards Nominee Reception

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 in October 24, 2011. For her role, Shankar won a Gemini Award in 2011 and a Canadian Screen Award in 2013.[9]

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.[6][7]

Other work

In 2013, Shankar and a longtime childhood friend began working on an image consulting business.[10]

On February 22, 2014, Shankar launched Miss Conception, a professional styling and image agency based in Toronto.[11]

Personal life

In 2008, Shankar and her family moved to Toronto when she was cast in Degrassi. She currently resides in North York, a district in Toronto.[12]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008–2015Degrassi: The Next GenerationAllia "Alli" BhandariMain cast; 162 episodes
2009–2011How To Be IndieIndira "Indie" MehtaLead role; 52 episodes
2010Harriet the Spy: Blog WarsJanie GibbsTV film
2010Festival of LightsReshmaLead role
2010TriggerRocker Chick #1TV film
2013AliveKaitlynTV film
2017Filth CityMonicaFeature film
2017Darker Than NightMikan/a
2017Slasher: Guilty PartyTalvinder "Tal" GillMain cast
2017Christmas Wedding PlannerJealous BridesmaidTV film
2017Christmas with a PrinceBellaTV film

References

  1. ↑ "Melinda Shankar". Angies Models. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Melinda Shankar on MTV Cribs - YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  3. 1 2 "Stabroek News - Melinda Shankar returns to Guyanese roots to film new movie". www.stabroeknews.com. 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  4. ↑ Powell, Catherine (2011-04-16). "Melinda Shankar Interview (Inside Degrassi Series) « Back-Pocket Believers". Showmetheskyline.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
  5. ↑ "Ottawa actress lands principal Degrassi role". Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  6. 1 2 "OC Interview: OPEN CHEST Interview with Actress Melinda Shankar - Open Chest with Raj Girn". Openchest.com. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
  7. 1 2 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)
  8. ↑ "Melinda Shankar | Biography, Photos, Movies, TV, Credits | Hollywood.com". June 27, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-27.
  9. ↑ "You are being redirected..." www.academy.ca.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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)
  12. ↑ "Growing up through her Degrassi role". Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
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