- "To me, it made sense that [Cinta] wasn't saying a lot because this is someone who has been through so much and is suffocating on her own rage and anger at the injustice. So, why would she waste words, or her breath, talking about it. All you get is a glimpse of who she is and a throwaway line on how her family was slaughtered by stormtroopers. So, I imagined her as a survivor of a genocide."
- ―Varada Sethu on Cinta Kaz, the character she plays in Andor
Varada Sethu (born May 12, 1992)[1] is an Indian-born,[2] British actor[3] who portrayed Cinta Kaz in Star Wars: Andor. Her character debuted in "Aldhani," the fourth episode of the first season.[4] She is also known for starring as Belinda Chandra in the science fiction television series Doctor Who.[2]
While preparing for the three-episode arc directed by Susanna White, the director had Sethu and the other actors portraying the Aldhani rebel infiltration team read books and watch documentaries regarding real-life rebellions and conflicts. Sethu's portrayal of Cinta was in part informed by Eileen MacDonald's Shoot the Women First, which described how women who might seem quiet and meek could go unnoticed and be capable of violence. Although it was not scripted, Sethu imagined that Cinta might have been a survivor of a genocide.[3]
Works[]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Series | Contribution(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Aldhani" | Star Wars: Andor | Cinta Kaz[4] |
| 2022 | "The Axe Forgets" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[5] |
| 2022 | "The Eye" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[6] |
| 2022 | "Announcement" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[7] |
| 2022 | "Narkina 5" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[8] |
| 2022 | "One Way Out" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[9] |
| 2022 | "Daughter of Ferrix" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[10] |
| 2022 | "Rix Road" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[11] |
| 2025 | "Harvest" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[12] |
| 2025 | "What a Festive Evening" | Andor | Cinta Kaz[13] |
Sources[]
Star Wars: Andor — "Aldhani"- Star Wars: Andor — "The Axe Forgets"
- Star Wars: Andor — "The Eye"
- Star Wars: Andor — "Announcement"
- Star Wars: Andor — "Narkina 5"
- Star Wars: Andor — "One Way Out"
- Star Wars: Andor — "Daughter of Ferrix"
- Star Wars: Andor — "Rix Road"
- First Andor A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer and Poster Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Andor Revisited: The Making of a Rebel - Exploring the Second Arc of Season 1 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Introducing the Cast of Andor Season 2 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Andor Explained: Episodes 1-3 - "One Year Later", "Sagrona Teema", and "Harvest" on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Andor — "Harvest"
- Star Wars: Andor — "What a Festive Evening"
- "What a Festive Evening" Episode Guide | Andor A Star Wars Story on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Andor Explained: Episodes 4-6 - "Ever Been to Ghorman?", "I Have Friends Everywhere", and "What a Festive Evening" on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Varada Sethu (@varadasethu) on Instagram: Happy birthday to my partner in crime for life, terrorising y'all since '92, ft. the best grandad in the world (May 12, 2016) (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2
'I can't believe I'm paid to watch Ncuti Gatwa!': Doctor Who's boundary-pushing new companion, Varada Sethu by D'Souza, Shaad on The Guardian (April 16, 2025) (backup link archived on April 22, 2025)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kerala-born British actor Varada Sethu on playing a rebel in 'Star Wars' show 'Andor' by Aswin, V. N. on The Hindu (November 22, 2022) (backup link archived on November 26, 2022)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Star Wars: Andor — "Aldhani"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "The Axe Forgets"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "The Eye"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "Announcement"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "Narkina 5"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "One Way Out"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "Daughter of Ferrix"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "Rix Road"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "Harvest"
- ↑ Star Wars: Andor — "What a Festive Evening"
External links[]
- VARADA SETHU on www.spotlight.com (backup link archived on October 14, 2022)
- Varada Sethu (@veesethu) on Twitter (backup link)
- Varada Sethu (@varadasethu) on Instagram (backup link)
- Varada Sethu on Wikipedia
- Varada Sethu at the Internet Movie Database
