Niyar Saikia (Assamese: নিয়ৰ শইকিয়া; born 9 November 1999) is an Indian actress. She played Lakshmi in Jeffrey D. Brown's film Sold.[1]

Niyar Saikia
Born
Niyar Saikia

(1999-11-09) 9 November 1999 (age 24)
Occupation(s)Actress, Dancer
Years active2005–present
Parent(s)Probin Saikia, Roshmi Rekha Saikia

Early life edit

Saikia was born in Guwahati, Assam, as the daughter of musicians Probin Saikia and Roshmi Rekha Saikia. She is a student of folk dances and songs of Assam at the Panchasur Institute and at the Seagull theatre. Saikia is training under Padmashree Awardee and Nrityacharya, Shri Jatin Goswami for Sattriya.[2]

Career edit

Saikia started acting at age 5. Her first (unreleased) film was Butterfly Chase, directed by Jahnu Baruah. Niyar started performing in theatre and soaps and received a Best Actress award in the All India Multi-Lingual Children Play ad Dance competition-Cuttack (Orissa), portraying a girl named Dhunumoina. Saikia acted in Assamese and Hindi films before she was cast in Sold in 2014. The film is directed by Oscar-winning director Jeffrey D. Brown and based on Patricia McCormick's novel Sold. She was selected for the role after casting director Tess Joseph auditioned more than a thousand girls in Nepal and India. Saikia played the role of a trafficked Nepalese child, Lakshmi, who is sold off to a brothel in Kolkata.[3]

Filmography edit

  • Sold, as Lakshmi
  • Aai Kot Nai
  • Main Ganga
  • Butterfly Chase
  • Ami Axomiya
  • Joymoti

References edit

  1. ^ "Assamese teenager Niyar Saikia acts in Hollywood movie - Sold". OK North East. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  2. ^ Lagachu, Migang David (1 December 2014). "Exclusive interview of Niyar Saikia who made her debut in Hollywood film Sold". Creativica.in. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  3. ^ Gani, Abdul (28 July 2014). "Assam girl Niyar Saikia elated after acclaimed role in 'Sold'". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2015.

External links edit