Background

Paoli Dam was born on October 4, 1980, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, to a Bengali family, which is originally from Faridpur District, Bangladesh. Her father and mother are Amol and Papiya Dam. She also has a brother, Mainak.

Dam learned classical dance and was also interested in theater from an early age, but she never aspired to become an actor.

Education

Initially, Dam wanted to become a chemical researcher or a pilot. She attended Loreto School in Bowbazar, before passing her Higher Secondary Examination. Then she was admitted to Vidyasagar College, affiliated with the University of Calcutta, graduating with a degree in chemistry. She earned a postgraduate degree in chemistry from Rajabazar Science College of the University of Calcutta.

Career

Dam began her acting career in Bengali television serials. In 2003, she appeared in Jibon Niye Khela, for Zee Bangla and later in the ETV Bangla serial Tithir Atithi, directed by Jishu Dasgupta; the latter ran for six years. The actress also appeared in Tarpor Chand Uthlo, Sonar Harin and Jaya. She then worked in Bengali television serials such as Tithir Atithi and Sonar Harin; the former ran for six years on ETV Bangla.

Dam's debut Bengali film Teen Yaari Katha began in 2004 but was not released until 2012. Her first film release was Agnipariksha (2006). The film was directed by Rabi Kinagi and produced by Debendra Kuchar; she played a supporting role. The actress next appeared in Tulkalam (2007), directed by Haranath Chakraborty and produced by Pijush Saha. Dam's third Bengali film release was I Love You, in which she had a supporting role as the heroine's friend. In 2008 she appeared in the Bengali film Hochheta Ki, a comedy of errors directed by Basu Chatterjee, in which Dam played a Bengali housewife.

In 2009 Dam appeared in seven Bengali films, and came into focus with the success of Kaalbela. She played Madhabilata, the girlfriend of a young Naxalite leader, and her performance was praised. In an interview, Dam said the film was a "turning point" in her career. Her other six films released that year were Hochchheta ki, directed by Basu Chatterjee; Jamai Raja, directed by Swapan Saha; Box No. 1313; Mallick Bari; Shob Charitro Kalponik, directed by Rituparno Ghosh and Tinmurti.

In 2010, Dam appeared in eleven Bengali films, including Tara, Takhan Teish, Moner Manush, Kagojer Bou and Banshiwala; five of the eleven are unreleased. In 2011, Dam appeared in Chatrak, directed by the Sri Lankan Vimukthi Jayasundara. The actress played Paoli, a Bengali girl, and the film triggered controversy in India when an explicit unsimulated no-body-double sex scene with Dam and Anubrata Basu was leaked on the Internet.

In 2012, Dam's first Hindi film Hate Story was released; she also appeared in three Bengali films: Bedroom, Elar Char Adhyay, and Teen Yaari Katha. Bedroom's storyline revolved around the lives of Kolkata urban couples; Dam played Priyanka, a bored and irritable housewife. Elar Char Adhyay was based on Rabindranath Tagore's literary work Char Adhyay, and was set in British Raj India during the 1940s. Dam played Ela, teacher of a group fighting for Indian independence. In Teen Yaari Katha, the actress played a supporting role. Dam also appeared in Mainak Bhaumik's Family Album. The film, also starring Swastika Mukherjee, deals with an MMS scandal.

In 2012 she also made her Bollywood debut in Hate Story, directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Vikram Bhatt. The film had female protagonists; Dam played Kavyah Krishna, a sex worker. In the film, she and her friend Vicky pull off a caper against one of India's biggest business tycoons. After Hate Story, Dam appeared in Vikram Bhatt's next film Ankur Arora Murder Case. The film, directed by Sohail Tatari, is based on the true story of a young boy who died in an operating room due to medical negligence. She played a lawyer fighting for justice.

In 2014, Dam acted in Chaya Manush. In the film, directed by Arindam De, she played the role of Trisha, a journalist. Later that year, she acted in Obhishopto Nighty (cursed nighty), directed by Birsa Dasgupta. Dam played the character of Miss Monica, a Bengali bar singer of the 1980s in the comedy-romantic film. She said that she was initially reluctant to accept the role, but later realised that it was a "love story." Her next releases were the drama film Sada Canvas and the romantic comedy Hercules, directed by Abhijit Guha and Sudeshna Roy. Dam described her character in Hercules, Minu, as "practical, grounded and not driven by emotions."

Her first 2015 release was Anjan Das' Ajana Batash, in which she played Deepa, who works in an ad agency in Kolkata, "lost in depression amongst all the affluence." She then appeared in Debesh Chattopadhyay's Natoker Moto - Like a Play which, according to Dam, was a "fictional biopic of a famous actress of the Bengali stage during the 1970s," Auroni Taukhon by Saurav Chakraborty, which is a love story set against the background of communal riots, and Swarup Ghosh's Tobuo Aparichito.

In 2016-2018 she played roles in six films, including Zulfiqar, Maacher Jhol, and Maati. Her latest role was in the film Konttho (Password), which was released on May 10, 2019.

Achievements

• Paoli Dam is recognized as a popular Indian actress whose performance is always well received by the audience.
  
  She won the Viewers' Choice Award for Best Actress for her performance in Natoker Moto at the Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival in 2016.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • Takhan Teish

    (Tamodeep is brilliant, sensitive and eternally perturbed ...)

    2010
  • Sab Choritra Kalponik

    (Non-resident Bengali Radhika (Bipasha Basu) marries the t...)

    2009
  • Obhishopto Nighty

    (The story of the film revolves around a cursed nightie wh...)

    2014
  • Tulkalam

    (A heart-wrenching story of a land scam and the lives of p...)

    2007
  • Jamai Raja

    (Durgeshwari Devi (Hema Malini) is a very rich and proud l...)

    2009
  • Ankur Arora Murder Case

    (Dr. Romesh (Arjun Mathur) is a young medical intern who d...)

    2013

Religion

Dam is affiliated with Hinduism.

Personality

Physical Characteristics: Dam's height is 5' 3'' (161 cm), and she weighs around 112 lbs (51 kg). Her hair and eyes' colour is dark brown.

Quotes from others about the person

• The Times of India: "Paoli plays Madhabilata with such integrity that the pain in her eyes and the romance in her voice charms viewers to believe that she has it in her to lend her face to everything that Madhabilita has epitomised."

Interests

• reading

Connections

Dam is married to the businessman Arjun Dev.

Father:

Amol Dam

Mother:

Papiya Dam

Spouse:

Arjun Dev

Brother:

Mainak Dam