Born in Srinagar, *Bhasha Sumbli* began her artistic journey with the Kashmiri folk theatre form *Bhand Pather*. A graduate of the National School of Drama, she has written and directed several critically acclaimed plays showcased at national and international theatre festivals. Her research papers on theatre have been featured in prestigious journals such as *Rang Prasang* and *Sahitya Akademi’s* special issues.
An *Inlaks Theatre Fellow and Awardee (2014)*, Bhasha has specialised in the ancient Indian classical acting form *Kudiyattam*. She received the *Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar* for Theatre Direction, recognising her contribution to contemporary Indian theatre.
Widely acclaimed for her powerful portrayal of *Sharda Pandit* in the blockbuster film *The Kashmir Files*, Bhasha continues to bridge traditional art with modern storytelling. Her upcoming film, *Baramulla*, is set to release this year on Netflix.
Currently, she is a recipient of the *Award of Fellowship* (2021) by the *Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for her research on “Studying the Sacred Geography of Kashmir through Dina Nath Koul Nadim’s Operas.” Her recent opera, *Vitasta*, has been performed at prestigious cultural festivals across the country, reaffirming her as one of India’s most profound theatrical voices.