From the modest bylanes of Guwahati to the luminous arc lights of Bollywood, Surjasikha Das’ journey is a testament to grit, grace and the quiet fire of ambition. Her debut feature film Maa is more than just a professional breakthrough – it’s a heartfelt tribute to her mother, the one who stood by her when all she had were dreams and the strength to chase them.
In Maa, Surjasikha plays Nandini, a village woman whose strength is rooted in her silent resilience rather than any dramatic flair. Directed by Vishal Furia and produced by Ajay Devgn, the mythological horror film was released on June 27 and has won praise from both critics and audiences.
For Surjasikha, the film was not just a role but an emotional experience. “My mother was my reference point while portraying Nandini,” she shares. “Growing up, my father was very strict…he wanted me to pursue education and find a stable job. But it was she who supported me and gave me the courage to follow my path. I have no formal acting training, but acting is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Surjasikha’s mother, Niru Das, is a retired teacher from Railway Higher Secondary School in Panbazar, Guwahati. Surjasikha grew up in a traditional Assamese family with two elder sisters – one a doctor and the other a professor. There was no connection to Bollywood or acting in her background. Like many, she started out on a conventional path, pursuing a stable career. But eventually, she chose to follow her heart. “I didn’t want to die with regrets. I wanted to try. Give it a shot,” she says.
Surjasikha studied at Saint Mary’s English High School and Cotton College in Guwahati before moving to Bangaluru, where she completed her MBA from Christ University. After that, she worked in the corporate sector for a while, but the desire to act never left her. She eventually moved to Mumbai, where she worked as an Assistant Director to learn how the camera works. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, she returned home to Assam. But by the end of 2021, she was back in Mumbai, more determined than ever to pursue acting seriously.
“I made it a point to visit casting offices in Aram Nagar at least once a week,” she recalls. “One day, while walking through Aram Nagar, I was randomly called in for an audition for Maa. I cleared it, and soon after, I got a call from Ajay Devgn’s office. The director explained the role, and I immediately said yes. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”
Before her big-screen debut, Surjasikha had already been slowly building her career in front of the camera. She started with advertising, then moved into television and digital platforms. Her acting credits include popular shows like Bade Achhe Lagte Hain on Sony TV, The Night Manager on Jio Hotstar, and Happily Ever After by Zoom Studios. She also appeared in Parth Aur Jugnu on ZEE5, played CID officer Pragya Bharadwaj in the Assamese web series Trojan on ReelDrama, and featured in the Amazon Prime series Call Me Bae as Vir Das’s sister. Internationally, she was part of the UAE-based web series Al Boom and also shared the screen with Kajol in The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha on Jio Hotstar. But it’s in Maa that her acting has truly taken centre stage.
In the film, Surjasikha plays the mother of an 11-year-old girl- a non-glamorous, older character that required her to gain weight for the role. “Was I afraid of getting typecast? Not at all,” she says. “I was thankful to be offered a role that allowed the audience to see a different side of me. If a role offers scope to perform, I’m all in.”
Despite working alongside a Bollywood icon like Kajol, Surjasikha wasn’t intimidated. “Kajol is very approachable, and that helped me overcome my nervousness. During the shoot, we built a comfortable rapport. That made our scenes together even more impactful.”
When asked about her future goals, Surjasikha expresses her love for intense, layered characters. “I want to do strong, authoritative roles – like Ranbir Kapoor in Animal. I’m really drawn to psychological thrillers and murder mysteries.” As for her inspirations, she finds it hard to pick just one. “Everyone is doing fabulous work. I’ve always admired Irrfan Khan. Today, I look up to Manoj Bajpayee, Tabu, Vidya Balan, Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra.” She also dreams of working with renowned filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Imtiaz Ali, and Anurag Kashyap.
Surjasikha’s upcoming projects include Season 3 of Gutur Gu on Prime Video and an international Maldivian film for which she learned Hebrew. Despite the rising recognition, she remains grounded and committed to her craft. “I want to act. Whatever the role is, I want to give it everything I have and do it justice. When you do something with all your heart, the universe blesses you. Doors open…you just have to recognise the opportunities and keep working hard.”
Surjasikha means ‘sun’s temperature’ – a fitting name for someone whose persistence and talent are gradually lighting up the Indian film industry. Her journey from Assam to Bollywood proves that with belief, support and relentless effort, dreams do come true. For Surjasikha Das, this is just the beginning.
