(hier klicken für deutsche Sprachversion)
India Rosita Antony (*1980) is an actress, social educator, and cosmopolitan. Born in Kerala and brought to Germany as a child by her parents, she grew up between two worlds – deeply rooted in South Indian culture while shaped by German realities. Today, she lives in Berlin and Düsseldorf and is a familiar face on German television, appearing in productions such as In aller Freundschaft, Sturm der Liebe, and Die Rosenheim-Cops. Artistically, she is committed to promoting diversity and authenticity. In this interview, she reflects on formative childhood memories between cashew nuts and bustling airports, her passion for acting and spirituality, her journey from social work to the camera, the state of diversity in German television, and why she learned early on to walk her own path – with courage, sensitivity, and conviction: „I was not born to be the way others want me to be“.
You were born in Kerala and came to Germany as a baby. What was it like growing up in a South Indian family in Germany?
It was an exciting experience for me. I was immersed in the South Indian community in Düsseldorf and Cologne — its values, customs, and Christian celebrations — while also being deeply influenced and shaped by German society. We travelled regularly to India, where I got to know my grandparents, relatives, and everyday life there.
I loved my time in India. The connection with nature: my grandparents had rice fields, coconut palms, and mango trees. I would pick cashew nuts myself, and my grandmother would roast them in a pan. The time spent with animals — we had a dog, goats, rabbits, chickens, and a cat — was simply wonderful. I also loved my godmother Rosa, after whom I am named, very dearly.
What formative memories do you associate with your roots?
Even as a little girl, around the age of seven, I became aware that there were two worlds. When I got off the plane in Mumbai, I realised it was not a perfect world — there were so many street children. I understood that I was simply lucky, because I could just as easily have been born as one of those children.
That touched me deeply and awakened in me, at a very young age, the urge to help others — especially those less fortunate. At the same time, I later realised that India possesses an inner richness, a kind of abundance that comes from the power of the heart and the connection to the divine — something that is often missing in the Western world. Both worlds are important!
What values did your parents pass on to you?
My parents taught me values, openness, and faith — faith in God and in goodness. That deeply rooted belief shaped my childhood and youth, and it became an immeasurable treasure in the years that followed. I also always had the feeling that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. My parents encouraged me greatly — in music, dance, and sports.
For a long time, I was searching for my own identity, since I grew up between two worlds. I felt a strong urge to discover, live, and embody my own truth — no matter what the people around me were doing. That search was not always easy, because I often felt I did not fit into the model of life that so many around me seemed to simply adopt. I was curious and decided quite early, at the age of 19, to stand on my own feet and move out.
And that was the beginning of my journey — to experience and understand how I perceive the world. I even wrote a short piece about it, which was published in a poetry collection and will soon appear in another one. It is called “Home Is Where My Heart Is.”
Your path led you from social work to acting…
Not quite. I actually attended acting school before studying social pedagogy, in my early twenties, because acting had always fascinated me. I first stepped on stage at the age of five, singing Indian songs my father had taught my brother and me using cassette tapes. When I was nine, I performed in my first play, and later I joined the theatre club at my high school. But after some time spent travelling and searching for myself, I decided I wanted to study first. Social work had been part of my life since I was 17, when I took my first part-time job in a retirement home.
Was there a particular moment when you felt: “This is my path — I want to be in front of the camera, on stage”?
Yes. After about ten years of focusing my work on other people — including a period in Italy working with individuals with mental health challenges — there came a moment when my “self” and my body were exhausted. I had poured my heart into it, but my energy felt completely drained. I returned to Germany, took some time off, and during that break, I landed a small role as a dancer in a feature film. Everyone else complained about the long hours on set, but I was overjoyed, because I realized: wow, this is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do! From that moment on, doors kept opening for me — almost like a miracle. Doors that should have been closed, but opened because I realized how passionate I am about acting, and apparently, it was God’s will that I follow this path.
You have appeared in many well-known TV series, from In aller Freundschaft to Sturm der Liebe. What has your experience been like in the German film and television industry — especially as an actress with an Indian background?
The people on set were friendly, but it was often a bit strange to notice that I was the only one with a different skin color or from another country. That could sometimes feel isolating. I do feel that the German film industry is moving in the right direction in terms of diversity, but as a woman of Indian descent, I am certain that German actors who look “typically German” are still often preferred in casting. I have never met a Malayalee actor on a set before, and only recently did I work with an Indian woman on a Hindi film. It really highlights how underrepresented we still are in the German film and television landscape.
Have you often been reduced to certain types of roles in your career — for example, as an “exotic” character or a supporting figure with a stereotypical background?
I have always only taken roles that I truly wanted to play. I was rarely offered conscious clichés. And on the rare occasion that I was asked to play, for example, a woman of Indian descent who speaks poor German — which happened once — I insisted that the character speak fluent German! I’ve had the chance to portray a wide range of roles, but yes, when it comes to the visibility of actors of Indian descent on German television, there is still a long way to go, especially regarding leading roles.
And yet, is anything starting to change?
Yes, there are changes happening, but much more could still be done. America has always been faster and more open when it comes to diversity — bolder, really. Germans tend to be more cautious, security-minded, slower, which can be frustrating at times.
… And are there roles you particularly enjoy, or ones you consciously choose not to play anymore?
Yes, there have been roles I consciously declined because the script didn’t resonate with me. For example, there was a request from New York from an Indian director — the story and the nude scenes didn’t appeal to me, so I chose not to take it.
How much do appearance, name, or background still play a role in castings?
Appearance does matter. I have always focused on working on myself and my body. And yes, much more could still be done in terms of diversity. But I have now reached a point where I feel comfortable in my body and accept it as it is.
What many people don’t know is that in the early 2000s, you co-founded the “Soul of India” party series in Düsseldorf — an event that remains fondly remembered by many in the German-Malayalee youth community. What inspired you back then, and what became of it in the following years?
The “Soul of India” parties started fairly spontaneously. My best friend at the time, Joyce, my cousin, and another friend often met within the Düsseldorf community, and the idea came up. I loved the idea of bringing people with my background together. I have always loved dancing and going to parties, so why not create our own? I have always enjoyed being a creator, and the name “Soul of India” was my idea — to “follow the soul” and, instead of feeling alone as an Indian in Germany, to bring together people with the same background.
We never expected it to be so successful. But it was wonderful to see the turnout and how many people came to the parties and the follow-up events. Eventually, however, similar parties started popping up everywhere, and we simply didn’t have the time to continue. I also moved away from Düsseldorf and the surrounding area.
Racism and structural exclusion are, unfortunately, also real in the arts. Have there been situations in your professional life where you felt discriminated against or disadvantaged?
Yes, that has happened — once during my time as a social educator, and sometimes on set, even if it wasn’t openly expressed. And certainly as a woman. Let’s be honest: the path as a woman of Indian descent has never been easy. Still, I have to say that I haven’t experienced much overt racism.
Even so, when it did happen, how did you deal with those experiences?
I was able to handle it well when it occurred, though the undercurrent is always there and can be frustrating. It often starts with seemingly harmless remarks like, “You speak German very well” or “Where are you from?” I’ve experienced these more in private life than professionally. When it annoys me, I often reply, “I’m from planet Earth” or “from heaven,” and in the past, sometimes playfully, “from Mettmann.”
A classic question people ask is, “So, will you ever go back to your homeland?” I usually answer, “Bremen is a lovely city, but I feel quite at home in Hamburg.” But Let me ask you, to close: what advice would you give to young people living with multiple cultural identities who might be seeking a path into the arts or media?
What I want to share is this: feeling yourself and walking your own path can be an incredibly powerful and liberating experience — though sometimes, it can also feel lonely.
Find people who nurture you. When you enter the arts, especially as a woman or man of Indian descent, you often feel different from the rest. This feeling has accompanied me all my life, but everyone has their own path. Be courageous — you only have this one life. You have to ask yourself: do I want to live my life to meet the expectations of others, or do I want to embark on a path where I feel truly alive, where it feels right to me?
Follow your joy — sometimes you don’t need to be understood by everyone, but what matters is that you know you are on your own path. My parents supported my wish to become an actress, but also because they understood early on that I have my own mind and go my own way. And I know that in this life, I will continue to learn, explore, and live. The actress, the social educator, and the cosmopolitan are only parts of me — the next adventure is already waiting to be lived and explored. That is what my soul is for.
I was not born to be the way others want me to be. I wrote this on my wardrobe when I was 13, and the sentence has accompanied me ever since.
Be true to yourselves, take responsibility for your life and your happiness, and fight for what matters to you — and wherever you see injustice.
Thank you for your openness.
