BURLINGTON, MA—Saheli, a Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to addressing issues related to domestic violence in the South Asian community, announced that actress and writer Dipti Mehta will be the keynote speaker at Saheli’s upcoming fundraising gala, Nirbhaya.
Saheli empowers women and families to lead safe and healthy lives by providing financial, legal, counseling, and protective services.
Mehta will be speaking from her experience and commitment to giving a voice to vulnerable women through her art.
“We are very excited to have Dipti Mehta as Nirbhaya’s keynote speaker,” said Savitha Rajiv, the Co-Executive Director of Saheli. “Dipti represents the current generation and it is great to see her involvement in the fight for social justice. We need more people like her to become ambassadors of change in the society ”
In her recent one-woman play, HONOUR: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan, Mehta works to deconstruct the social stigma surrounding sex work and to shine a spotlight on the children growing up in India’s red light district. HONOUR has received extensive recognition and praise, including 5 stars from Time Out New York, Best Actress from SAIPAF in 2015, and Best Solo Show from Fringe NYC in 2016. A portion of the show’s proceeds went towards rescuing and empowering victims of sex trafficking.
“Saheli is doing wonderful work of uplifting women whose voices are muffled by domestic violence, these voices matter and thankfully Saheli is listening,” said Mehta.
In addition to her many theater credits, Mehta has played roles in both Indian and American TV shows, such as One Life to Live and the starring role in Hum Tum, as well as films including Penumbra (Cannes Short Film Corner), Yaatra (5 Nominations, 1 Award), and Life! Camera Action (11 nominations, 3 Awards). Mehta is also trained in North Indian classical dance, has a Doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and does research in the field of prostate caner.
Nirbhaya will be held on December 8, 2017 at the Woburn Hilton Hotel. To buy tickets, sponsor or to donate to Saheli, please visit us at www.saheliboston.org/nirbhaya.
