Ellora Patnaik

Canadian actress and dancer

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Ellora Patnaik

Born|  (1968-09-05) September 5, 1968 (age 56)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Occupation(s)| Actress and Odissi dancer

Ellora Patnaik (born September 5, 1968) is a Canadian actress of film, stage and television as well as an Odissi dancer.

## Early life

[edit]

She was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the first child of her parents, Promod and Chitralekha Patnaik; she is seven years older than her brother Devraj Patnaik. Her parents were born in the state of Orissa (now Odisha), India, and immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. Patnaik made numerous trips to India with her family in her youth.

Her parents soon moved to Oakville, Ontario, and then to Burlington, Ontario, where she attended M. M. Robinson High School.

In 1986, she was selected for training by (late) Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, and went to study at the Odissi Research Centre in Orissa, India.

## Dance training

[edit]

Patnaik's first and primary dance guru was her mother, who began training her as an Odissi dancer from a very young age. She has also received training from such notables as (late) Padma Shri Pankaj Charan Das, (late) Padma Vibhushan Kelucharan Mohapatra, Padma Shri Sanjukta Panigrahi and Padma Shri Gangadhar Pradhan.

## Acting

[edit]

She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts[clarification needed] from 1992 to 1994 and was a member of the company in her third year.

In 2009, she played Jyoti Mehta, Indie Mehta's mother, in the Canadian television series How to Be Indie on YTV,[1] she filmed another season in 2010.[citation needed]

## Career

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Film  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1998  | My Own Country | Rajani Verghese
2000  | Tapish | Lajwati 'Laji'
2003  | Open House | Young Woman
2005  | Riding the Bus with My Sister | Girl on Bus
2008  | Toronto Stories | Caroline
2008  | Statues Come to Life | Statue
2016  | Killing Mommy | Detective Morse
2018  | Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe | Beverly
2020  | Kitty Mammas | Helen
2020  | Too Close for Christmas | Kim
2021  | One Small Visit | Elizabeth George

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2000  | The 7th Portal | Imitatia / Anna Nehue
2003  | Wild Card | Insurance Adjustor
2004  | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Nurse
2006  | Billable Hours | Office Worker
2005-2006  | True Crimes: The First 72 Hours | Elaine Rupesh / Tara Mulla
2007  | The Gathering | Nurse
2008  | MVP | Hostess
2009  | Being Erica | Erica
2009  | The Line | Nikki
2010  | Cra$h & Burn | Court Driver
2009-2011  | How to Be Indie | Mum (Jyoti) Mehta / Jyoti / Mum Mehta
2011  | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Nurse
2012  | Beauty and the Beast | Nurse
2016  | Orphan Black | Ultra Sound Technician
2016  | American Gothic | Dr. Donna Stanhope
2016  | Ride | Madhu
2016  | Conviction | Dr. Lorraine Martin
2017  | The Expanse | Ashanti
2017  | Murdoch Mysteries | Padma Bannerjee
2018  | Imposters | Dr. Grady
2018  | Condor | Tech Female
2018  | Guilt Free Zone | Veena
2018  | Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe | Beverly
2018  | Coroner | Richie Singh
2019  | Talent Drivers | Sex Shop Attendant
2019  | The Bold Type | Priya
2019  | Titans | Ticket Agent
2019  | Hudson & Rex | Deena Roy
2020  | Spinning Out  | Dr. Latner
2020  | Schitt's Creek | Funeral Director
2017-2020  | Kim's Convenience | Anjali Mehta
2020  | Nurses | Aalia Khan
2020  | The Wedding Planners | Deb
2021  | Ginny & Georgia | Bhanu
2021  | Sort Of | Raffo
2023  | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | T'Pril

### Odissi dance teacher

[edit]

Patnaik has taught Odissi dance since the mid-1980s. In the early 1990s, she took over as the executive director of the Chitralekha Dance Academy.

### Theatre work

[edit]

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately.
Find sources: "Ellora Patnaik" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Year  | Title  | Role  | Theatre  | Location

|
|
|
|

1995 | Standing on My Knees | Catherine |  | New York City, New York
1997 | Naga Mandala | Rani | Tarragon Theatre | Toronto, Ontario
2001 | Umrao Jaan Ada | Umrao | Rasik Arts |
2004 | Left | Bobby | Rasik Arts |
| Say Goodnight Gracie | Catherine |  | New York City, New York
| The Heidi Chronicles | Becky/Betsy |  | New York City, New York
| The Country Wife | Lucy |  | New York City, New York
| The Seagull | Housemaid |  | New York City, New York
| The House of Blue Leaves | Little Nun |  | New York City, New York

## See also

[edit]

* Biography portal
* Ontario portal

* List of Canadian actors
* List of dancers
* List of Indo-Canadians
* List of people from New York City
* List of people from Oakville, Ontario
* List of people from Odisha
* List of people from Toronto

### Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Nominee(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2022  | Peabody Awards | Entertainment  | Sort Of | Nominated  | [2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ [dead link‍] "DECODE Strikes How to Be Indie Sales". World-Screen via The TV Realist.com. January 7, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
2. ^ Voyles, Blake (September 20, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Nominees". Retrieved September 20, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Ellora Patnaik at IMDb
* Chitralekha Odissi Dance Creations website
* Chandra, Sarat (undated). "Mira Nair's New Girl". odissi.itgo.com. Retrieved October 10, 2013.

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)