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{{Short description|Indian-American film director and producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = 
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption =
| birth_name = 
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]
| nationality = Indian-American
| other_names =
| years_active =
| education = [[Columbia University School of the Arts]]
| alma_mater = [[California State University, Northridge]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Director|producer}}
| spouse = Christian Magalhaes
| father = [[Jag Mundhra]]
| mother = Chandra Mundhra
| notable_works = {{Unbulleted list
|''[[St. Louis Superman]]''
|''[[A Suitable Girl (film)|A Suitable Girl]]''
|''[[Indian Matchmaking]]''
}}
}}
'''Smriti Mundhra''' is an [[Indian Americans|Indian-American]] filmmaker based in [[Los Angeles]]. Her production company, Meralta Films, specializes in documentary films and non-fiction content.

Mundhra won the Albert Maysles New Documentary Director Award at the 2017 [[Tribeca Film Festival]] for her first feature documentary film ''[[A Suitable Girl (film)|A Suitable Girl]]'', along with her co-director [[Sarita Khurana]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Directors use film to speak on social issues at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/directors-use-film-speak-social-issues-2017-tribeca-film-festival-n747576|access-date=2020-07-20|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-04-28|title=Award-Winning Desi Directors Tackle Arranged Marriage Stigma in 'A Suitable Girl'|url=https://www.colorlines.com/articles/award-winning-desi-directors-tackle-arranged-marriage-stigma-suitable-girl|access-date=2020-07-20|website=www.colorlines.com|language=en}}</ref>

In 2020, she was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)|Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject]] for her film ''[[St. Louis Superman]]'' (2019).

== Biography ==
=== Early life and education ===
Mundhra was born in [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]] and raised between Los Angeles and [[Mumbai, India]]. Her father, [[Jag Mundhra]] was also a filmmaker. Before she was born, her parents rented a single screen in Culver City, Los Angeles and became the first exhibitors of Bollywood films in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lim|first=Woojin|date=2020-07-15|title=Storytelling Without a Script: Interview with Smriti Mundhra|url=https://harvardpolitics.com/interviews/storytelling-without-a-script-interview-with-smriti-mundhra/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=Harvard Political Review|language=en-US}}</ref>

Mundhra obtained a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English from [[California State University, Northridge]] and Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in film at the [[Columbia University School of the Arts]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Smriti Mundhra|url=https://arts.columbia.edu/profiles/smriti-mundhra|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Columbia - School of the Arts|language=en}}</ref> Then, Mundhra moved to Mumbai to begin production on her documentary directorial debut film, ''A Suitable Girl''.

=== Career ===
Mundhra started working in film in her teenage years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lim|first=Woojin|date=2020-07-15|title=Storytelling Without a Script: Interview with Smriti Mundhra|url=https://harvardpolitics.com/interviews/storytelling-without-a-script-interview-with-smriti-mundhra/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=Harvard Political Review|language=en-US}}</ref> She was a production secretary on the [[Coen brothers|Coen Brothers]]' ''[[The Man Who Wasn't There (2001 film)|The Man Who Wasn't There]] and [[O Brother, Where Art Thou?|O Brother Where Art Thou?]]'' as well as [[Spike Jonze]]'s ''[[Being John Malkovich]].'' She also served as the production assistant on [[Neil LaBute]]'s [[Nurse Betty]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Smriti Mundhra|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0612731/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=IMDb}}</ref>

Then, she went on to produce ''[[Bomb the System]]'' starring [[Mark Webber (actor)|Mark Webber]]<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Rooney|first1=David|date=2003-05-12|title=Bomb the System|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/bomb-the-system-1200541771/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref> that was nominated for an [[Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Award]] for the Best First Feature award.<ref>{{Citation|title=Bomb the System - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337585/awards|access-date=2020-07-20}}</ref> In 2005, she produced [[Waterborne (film)|''Waterborne'']] about three sets of residents who band together after a terrorist attack against LA's water supply. ''Waterborne'' received the Special Audience Award at the [[South by Southwest|SXSW Film Festival]] that year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tribeca 2017 Women Directors: Meet Smriti Mundhra and Sarita Khurana— "A Suitable Girl"|url=https://womenandhollywood.com/tribeca-2017-women-directors-meet-smriti-mundhra-and-sarita-khurana-a-suitable-girl-6708f9a1f853/|access-date=2020-07-20|website=womenandhollywood.com|language=en-US}}</ref> After ''Waterborne'', Mundhra produced [[Tanuj Chopra]]'s ''[[Punching at the Sun|Punching At the Sun]]''. ''Punching At the Sun'' premiered at the 2006 [[Sundance Film Festival]], was an official selection at the [[Tribeca Film Festival]] and won the Grand Jury Prize at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Punching at the Sun|url=http://www.chopsfilms.com/punching-at-the-sun|access-date=2020-07-20|website=Chops Films|language=en-US}}</ref>

Immediately after graduating from Columbia University, Mundhra, along with fellow Columbia alumna Sarita Khurana, moved to Mumbai to begin filming ''A Suitable Girl''. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-10-27|title=Heart of the Matter|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/a-suitable-girl-vikram-seth-heart-of-the-matter-5-4908152/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Cornelious|first=Deborah|date=2019-09-14|title='Ready or Not' review: Here comes the bride|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/reviews/here-comes-the-bride/article29415191.ece|access-date=2020-07-21|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='A Suitable Girl' Doc Explores Arranged Marriage in India (Exclusive Video)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a-suitable-girl-doc-explores-arranged-marriage-india-video-995096|access-date=2020-07-21|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=18 April 2017|language=en}}</ref>

In 2018, she directed an ad campaign for [[Bumble (app)|Bumble]]'s launch in [[India]] starring [[Priyanka Chopra|Priyanka Chopra Jonas]] called “Equal Not Loose”.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian-American filmmakers Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan win Oscar nominations for "St. Louis Superman", an American tale|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/buzz/indian-american-filmmakers-smriti-mundhra-and-sami-khan-win-oscar-nominations-for-st-louis-superman-an-american-tale-5178181.htm|access-date=2020-07-21|website=cnbctv18.com|date=31 January 2020|language=en-US}}</ref> Mundhra was named [[Doc NYC|DOC NYC]]'s 40 Under 40 Filmmakers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DOC NYC ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL "40 UNDER 40" LIST|url=https://www.docnyc.net/featured/inaugural-40-under-40-list/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=DOCNYC|date=17 October 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

Mundhra directed and produced ''[[St. Louis Superman]]'', a short documentary, with [[Sami Khan (filmmaker)|Sami Khan]]. The film, produced by Mundhra, Khan and Poh Si Teng, follows former [[Ferguson unrest|Ferguson]] activist, battle rapper and state representative [[Bruce Franks Jr.]] as he tries to pass a critical bill for his community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stevenson|first=Samantha|date=2020-01-13|title='St. Louis Superman,' documentary about Ferguson activist and politician Bruce Franks Jr., among 2020 Oscar nominees|url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/6f73bdcc-3620-11ea-a9a9-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=www.stlmag.com|language=en-us}}</ref> It was commissioned by [[Al Jazeera English]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-13|title='St. Louis Superman' film featuring Bruce Franks, Jr. nominated for a 2020 Oscar|url=https://fox2now.com/news/film-featuring-bruce-franks-jr-nominated-for-a-2020-oscar/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=FOX 2|language=en-US}}</ref> and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 where it was awarded the Special Jury Mention.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Here are the Winners of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival's Juried Awards|url=https://tribecafilm.com/news/tribeca-film-festival-2019-jury-awards-winners|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Tribeca}}</ref> It became the first short documentary acquired by [[MTV]]'s new documentary banner, MTV Documentary Films, helmed by [[Sheila Nevins]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-07-25|title=MTV Documentary Films Unveils '17 Blocks' and 'St. Louis Superman'|url=https://www.thewrap.com/sheila-nevins-mtv-documentary-unit-unveils-first-two-films-17-blocks-and-st-louis-superman/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=TheWrap|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2020, ''St. Louis Superman'' was nominated for the [[92nd Academy Awards|92nd Academy Award]] in the category of [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)|Best Documentary (Short Subject)]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oscar.go.com/nominees/documentary-short/documentary-short-st-louis-superman|access-date=2020-07-21|website=oscar.go.com|title=Oscar Nominations 2021: The Complete List | 93rd Academy Awards}}</ref>

Mundhra is also the Executive Producer and Creator of [[Netflix]]'s original documentary series, ''[[Indian Matchmaking]].'' <ref>{{Cite web|last=Menon|first=Radhika|date=2020-07-16|title='Indian Matchmaking' Creator Smriti Mundhra Puts A Spotlight On The Marriage Industrial Complex of the South Asian Diaspora|url=https://decider.com/2020/07/16/smriti-mundhra-indian-matchmaking-interview/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Decider|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Matchmaking's Sima "Aunty" and filmmaker Smriti Mundhra talk modern-day arranged marriages, astrology, and more|url=https://www.vogue.in/culture-and-living/content/netflix-indian-matchmaking-sima-aunty-smriti-mundhra-on-arranged-marriage-astrology|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Vogue India|date=20 July 2020|language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Wagmeister|first1=Elizabeth|date=2020-06-23|title=Netflix Orders Unscripted Indian Matchmaking Series and Autism Dating Show (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/netflix-dating-shows-indian-matchmaking-love-on-the-spectrum-1234646974/|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='Indian Matchmaking': TV Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/indian-matchmaking-review-1302712|access-date=2020-07-21|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=10 July 2020|language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Mundhra is married to Emmy-nominated screenwriter, Christian Magalhaes and they live in Los Angeles, California with their two children.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alumni Directed 'St. Louis Superman' Picked up by Legendary Producer Sheila Nevins and MTV|url=https://arts.columbia.edu/news/alumni-directed-st-louis-superman-picked-legendary-producer-sheila-nevins-and-mtv|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Columbia - School of the Arts|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='A Suitable Girl' Will Challenge Everything You Thought You Knew About Arranged Marriage|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/a-suitable-girl-will-challenge-everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-arranged-marriage-52295|access-date=2020-07-21|website=Bustle|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mundhra, Smriti}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Artists from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Hindi film producers]]
[[Category:Indian women film directors]]
[[Category:American women film directors]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:American women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Hindi screenwriters]]
[[Category:Film directors from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Women artists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women artists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women artists]]
[[Category:Writers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian writers]]
[[Category:California State University, Northridge alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia University School of the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:21st-century American screenwriters]]

Smriti Mundhra - Revision history

imported>Citation bot: Add: title, date. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Abductive | #UCB_webform 2019/2200