Heisnam Sabitri is a critically acclaimed Indian stage actor and one of the most notable personalities in Manipuri theatre. Born into a Meitei family in Mayang Imphal, Manipur, she was introduced to theatre as a child artist by her aunt and theatre actor Gouramani Devi. She married stage director Heisnam Kanhailal in 1962, and together, they founded Kalakshetra Manipur in 1969. She also acted in a short film, Mahadevi Akka (1999), and the film won the National Film Award for the best anthropological film. A former government-nominated member of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, in 2008, Sabitri was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for her contributions to Manipuri theatre.