Indian-origin Shubshri Kandiah is all set to play the lead role of Belle in the Australian premiere of Disney Theatrical’s blockbuster ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in June 2023.
Shubhshri’s parents, mother Raj and father Kumar, migrated to Australia from Malaysia when they were young. They met in Adelaide, got married, and decided to settle in Perth, Western Australia.
Growing up in Perth, Shubhshri studied Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Bollywood dance at Saraswati Maha Vidyalaya on Beaufort Street where her mother was also one of the teachers.
Given the lack of opportunities for brown actors and the overwhelming feeling to look like the majority in Australia, at times, Shubshri hated being Indian.
However, she soon realised that being different is okay. She observed in an interview:
“I don’t want any other Indian girl to feel like that. I really wish I didn’t feel that way, now I’m so proud to be Indian and I love that part of myself.”
Shubshri graduated with a Bachelor of Musical Theatre degree from Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University in Brisbane.
In 2018, Shubshri played the lead role of Princess Jasmine in the Australian musical production of Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ and in 2021 she landed the title role in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s stage production of ‘Cinderella.’
On her latest achievement, the 26-year-old actor observed:
“I think that there’s definitely been a call out for more diversity. I think it reflects the time that we’re in now, the world we live in. Especially in Australia, it’s such a diverse country. So it’s nice to see that finally reflected in sectors and screens, and not feel limited because of our skin colour.”
No doubt that today Shubshri is an inspiration to many young boys and girls of Indian-origin who wish to play leading roles in mainstream Australian media, films, TV and stage to proudly represent their community and heritage.
