A popular model who hails from Dehradun, Raina Bassnet is also an award-winning actor for Aasma, a short film based on girl's education. Her performance in Wrist Watch, Virgin Girl among others are doing rounds of festivals.

Raina Bassnet's latest is that her film Manotstaan, directed by Rahat Kazmi, will have its world premiere in Cannes. "People always think I am from abroad as my looks are such. But Rahat found the Indianness in me and cast me earlier in a village girl in the short film Wrist watch followed by Aasmaa, where I was a Kashmiri girl fighting for her education, even against her own family. With Mantostaan that weaves together stories by Sadat Hasan Manto during partition, that is making its mark with the World Premiere in Cannes, I feel I have finally arrived. Here again I play a Muslim girl in Punjab who is hiding in her house with her family, reassuring her little brother that all is well. Inside, she is torn and afraid, but outside, she has to look brave. She wants her family to shift someplace safe and requests her father as well. The story takes a dramatic where flames of betrayal engulf them. I am very happy that Rahat ji saw the talent in me and entrusted me with such a huge responsibility," confesses Raina. "I am elated at the Cannes world premiere as it reassures me that I have lived up to the director's expectations."