Ester Noronha

Ester Noronha is an artist/entertainer, well known as a singer, dancer, performer and film actress in Konkani, Telugu and Kannada languages so far. She is currently venturing into Hindi, Tamil and Marathi film industries with two projects in each of these above-mentioned languages.[1][2]

Ester Noronha
Born
Bahrain
NationalityIndian
Alma materSt. Xavier's College, Mumbai & University of Mumbai
Occupation
  • Film actress
  • Singer
  • Classical Dancer
  • Live Show Performer
Years active2012–present
Parent(s)Janet Noronha
Valerian Noronha

Background

Ester Noronha was born to Valerian Noronha and Janet Noronha in Bahrain. Due to the interest Ester showed in music and dance at a very young age, her mother gave up her career and came down to Mangalore along with Ester, where Ester continued her schooling while simultaneously pursuing training in piano, Bharatnatyam, Carnatic singing, guitar and also performing in live shows in Konkani language at the age of 9. She then became very popular as a child artist and performer among the Mangalorean Konkani community and went on to perform in numerous shows locally and abroad, delivering several hit numbers and participating in albums and shows of all the top composers and musicians in the Konkani language.

Ester was brought up in Mangalore between years 2000–2008. She attended St. Gerosa school, Jeppu, Mangalore between 3rd to 10th std., during which she accomplished quite a few things in the field of arts too. She completed 8 grades in Piano from the Trinity college of London, Senior grade in Bharatnatyam from the KSEEB (Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board) And also performed the "Rangapravesha" in Bharatnatyam.

She completed the junior grade in Carnatic singing from the KSEEB and also performed the "Rangapravesha" in the same.

Ester is the first artist in the Dakshina Kannada district to have performed "Rangapravesha" in both Bharatnatyam and Carnatic singing.

At the age of 14, she established her independent musical live show with the title "Ester Show" which was in aid of the Mangalore Diocesan Medical relief fund.

Ester was a bright student academically and passed the 10th std with a distinction. Due to her interest in the social sciences and her drive to do something for the society, she dreamed on getting into civil services, for which she planned on pursuing her studies in Arts. She along with her mother then shifted to Mumbai where she joined the prestigious St. Xavier's college under the merit list. She went on to graduate as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology subjects.

Even as she shifted to Mumbai, she continued to keep training in music and dance and shows whenever possible. During the college phase she got trained in Hindustani singing under Ustad Hafiz Khan, Mumbai. She produced and released her maiden audio album in Konkani titled 'Ester's "Kalza Thaun"(from the heart)' comprising 10 songs composed and sung by herself at the age of 16.

It was during one of her Bharatnatyam shows in Bangalore, that the legendary Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan laid her eyes upon Ester. She noticed the talent and the potential in her and advised her to try her luck in films. Ester went on to get trained in Kathak and Bollywood dancing under Saroj Khan for around 2 years, during which she got introduced to the world of movie making and related people.

Ester then joined Anupam Kher's 'Actor Prepares – The School for Actors', the school of acting where she completed her Diploma course in acting.

Career

Ester was initially hesitant about getting into films as an actor as that field was yet to be explored by her. During this time was when her Guru, Saroj Khan offered her to work in a non-commercial Hindi movie Baromas, she herself was choreographing. Ester, along with her mother's support and her Master's insistence, took it up. Baromas went on to be played and nominated in various countries and film festivals around the world, including the 2012 South Asian International Film Festival in New York City and the DCIFF (DC Independent Film Festival) in Washington, DC. It was the only Indian movie to be selected and competing in feature films category against films from United States, Switzerland, UK and Canada. She was then cast by the renowned Director Teja (film director) in his Telugu movie 1000 Abaddalu in 2013, which went on to be a hit and Ester was immediately signed by the prestigious Suresh Productions for their Golden jubilee project Bhimavaram Bullodu, opposite Hero Sunil. The project was in celebration of the 50th year of the production house and it turned out to be a massive hit, completing 50 successful days in theaters across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, thus making Ester Noronha popular and loved by the audience in the Telugu film industry (Tollywood).

Ester then debuted in Sandalwood Kannada cinema with the movie Usirigintha Neene Hattira, produced by the famous Mungaru Male movie banner E. K. Entertainers. It was released in 2014 and introduced Ester to the Kannada movie makers and audiences.

As Ester was still in senior college when she entered the film industry, and the frequency of offers she was receiving increased, she realised her education suffered and thus decided to take a break and focus on her studies. In her interview with the Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, she was stated saying, "I was still studying when I did 1000 Abaddalu and Bheemavaram Bullodu. Suddenly, it seemed like acting was going to stay and I wasn't prepared for it as I was in my final year of graduation, which was very important for me. So, I focused on my studies and completed the MA in Political Science from the University of Mumbai last year, which was my actual dream and plan". The actress had earlier made plans to prepare for the Civil exams. "I want to. I guess time will reveal whether I will be able to fulfil that dream or not. I completed my masters for that only".

Yet, she appeared in the title song of the Telugu movie Garam, alongside hero Aadi and in the Tamil movie Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum (English: Fish Curry And The Clay Pot) starring Kalidas Jayaram in the lead. Dr. Kamal Haasan shot for a cameo appearance in the film. Upon release, the film opened to mostly positive reviews from critics.

She is in support of the uplifting of her mother-tongue Konkani and contributed by supporting one of the first efforts to make a full-fledged commercial Mangalorean Konkani movie Noshibacho Khell by acting in it. The film became a historic blockbuster hit upon release and a created a milestone in the Konkani cinema world, thus making Ester a household name in the Mangalorean Catholic Konkani speaking community globally.

She went on to star in her next Konkani project Sophiya - A Dream Girl produced by her mother Mrs. Janet Noronha under the production banner "Janet Noronha Productions", which is one of the first professional attempts in Konkani cinema made with high quality technical aspects and a big budget. The movie released with high expectations and lived up to it due to the positive reviews and response from the audience as well as the critics.

Ester also became a part of one of Tollywood's highly celebrated directors, Boyapati Srinu's multi-starrer project Jaya Janaki Nayaka. In the meanwhile, she did the Kannada movie Nuggekai, under director Venugopal of Tale Bachkoli Powder Hakoli fame.

She is also a part of ace Sandalwood director Mahesh Babu's project Athiratha, starring Hero Chetan Kumar of Aa Dinagalu fame. Ester has done a cameo in the film. Ester is currently working on a few more projects in various languages which are at different stages of production.

Awards
  • Ester has been awarded the 'KALA RATHNA' award by the Mangalore Musical & Cultural Association, GITANJALI in 2015.
  • Her Konkani movie, "Sophiya – a dream girl" won the KARNATAKA STATE AWARD – 'BEST REGIONAL FILM' 2017.
  • Ester won the first ever BEST ACTOR – FEMALE in Konkani at the First Global Konkani Cine Awards 2018.
Best Actor Female First Global Konkani Cine Awards 2018 Sophiya
Best Regional Film Karnataka State Awards 2018 Sophiya

Education

Ester holds a post graduation degree i.e M.A in Political Science under the University of Mumbai.

Playback singing

Ester has evolved as a singer over the years and is now venturing into playback singing. She rendered her voice for a Konkani movie Nachom-ia Kumpasar (Let's dance to the rhythm) for the song "Meu Amor". The movie is based on the lives of two jazz musicians, Chris Perry and Lorna. The film, which takes its title from the name of a song by the two artists, was directed by Bardroy Barretto. The story is told through over 20 popular Konkani songs from the 1960s and 1970s that have been re-recorded for this film. The film is set in the 1960s and is a tribute to the "unsung" Konkani musicians of that era. At the 62nd National Film Awards, the film won two awards and a special mention. The film won the award for the best feature film in Konkani. The film also won Lebara Play Audience Choice Award for best film at London Indian Film Festival 2015. Nachom-ia Kumpasar was also included in the short list for the 2016 Oscars.

Ester sang for the Konkani film 'Sophiya – a dream girl' in which she acted too which was produced by her mother Janet Noronha.

Advertisements and endorsements

Ester Noronha has been the face for a few products and jewellery brands in Chennai and Cochin namely:

  • SMJ (Senthil Murugan Jewellers), Madurai
  • SKTM (Sri Kumaran Thanga Maligai), Chennai
  • Vee Vee Sugar, Chennai
  • Kallarackal Jewellery, Cochin and many more.

Live Shows

Ester has been performing in musical shows in various parts of India and around the globe in Countries like Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait etc. She went on musical tours along with the Goan Nightingale Lorna Cordeiro to USA and Canada in September- October 2015 and to Australia – New Zealand in October – November 2016.

In 2017, Ester marked her entry in the traditional Goan "Tiatr" (Portuguese Theatre) titled Goem Goenkar Goenkarponn, in which she performed for about 30 shows to packed audiences across U.K. and Goa, thus stealing the hearts of Konkani music lovers in the regions.

In June – July 2018, Ester again went on a musical tour to Mumbai and UK as a star performer in yet another tiatr – Tujem Bangaar Tujeach Angaar. She later stepped out of the Goa tour due to her prior commitments and upcoming projects.

Discography

Ester Noronha's DESPACITO KONKANI COVER song featuring Noel Sean in the rap went viral in April – May 2018 and went on to cross 1 Million views in less than 3 months thus creating a world record of being the first Konkani song on YouTube to do so. The video has now reached way beyond that record too. Ester also sang for and was featured in the Despacito Telugu Cover song by Noel Sean which went equally viral and created waves in Telugu music industry too.

Filmography
Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Film Director Language Status
2012 Baromas Saroj Khan Hindi Released
2012 Qayamat Hi Qayamat Vicky Ranawat Hindi Released
2013 1000 Abaddalu Teja (film director) Telugu Released
2014 Bhimavaram Bullodu Uday Shankar Telugu Released
2014 Usiriginta Neene Attira Surya Kiran Kannada Released
2016 Garam R R Madan Telugu Released
2016 Nosibacho Khell Harry Fernandes Konkani Released
2016 Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum Amudheshwar Tamil Released
2017 Sophiya – A Dream Girl Harry Fernandes Konkani Released
2017 Jaya Janaki Nayaka Boyapati Srinu Telugu Released
2017 Athiratha Mahesh Babu (Director) Kannada Released
2017 Nuggekai A. Venugopal, Venugaopal Kannada Released
2017 Juliet Lover of Idiot Ajay Vodhirala Telugu Released
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References
  1. "Ester Noronha turns singer". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. "Everything I do, I do it with a passion, says Ester Noronha". Retrieved 31 July 2018.
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