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'''Mira Nair''' (born 15 October 1957) is an [[Indian Americans|Indian-American]] filmmaker based in [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Spelling|first=Ian|title=Director likes to do her own thing|newspaper=Waterloo Region Record|date=1 September 2004|pages=C4}}</ref> Her production company, [[Mirabai Films]], specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spheres. Among her best known films are ''[[Mississippi Masala]]'', ''[[Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love]]'', ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'', the [[Golden Lion]] winning ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]'', and ''[[Salaam Bombay!]]'', which received nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] and the [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language]]. | '''Mira Nair''' (born 15 October 1957) is an [[Indian Americans|Indian-American]] filmmaker based in [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan area|New York City]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Spelling|first=Ian|title=Director likes to do her own thing|newspaper=Waterloo Region Record|date=1 September 2004|pages=C4}}</ref> Her production company, [[Mirabai Films]], specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural spheres. Among her best known films are ''[[Mississippi Masala]]'', ''[[Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love]]'', ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'', the [[Golden Lion]] winning ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]'', and ''[[Salaam Bombay!]]'', which received nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] and the [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language]]. | ||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
Mira Nair was born on 15 October 1957 in [[Rourkela]], [[Odisha|Orissa]], and grew up with her two older brothers and parents in [[Bhubaneswar]].<ref name="Applause Theater & Cinema Books">{{cite book|last1=Muir|first1=John Kenneth|title=Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair|date=1 June 2006|publisher=Applause Theater & Cinema Books|isbn=1557836493}}</ref> Her father, Amrit Lal Nair, was an officer of the [[Indian Administrative Service]] and her mother, Parveen Nayyar, is a social worker who often focused on children.<ref name="Mira Nair">{{cite web|title=Mira Nair|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-Li-Pr/Nair-Mira.html|website=Encyclopedia of World Biography|publisher=Encyclopedia of World Biography|access-date=29 April 2015}}</ref> | Mira Nair was born on 15 October 1957 in [[Rourkela]], [[Odisha|Orissa]], and grew up with her two older brothers and parents in [[Bhubaneswar]].<ref name="Applause Theater & Cinema Books">{{cite book|last1=Muir|first1=John Kenneth|title=Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair|date=1 June 2006|publisher=Applause Theater & Cinema Books|isbn=1557836493}}</ref> Her father, Amrit Lal Nair, was an officer of the [[Indian Administrative Service]] and her mother, Parveen Nayyar, is a social worker who often focused on children.<ref name="Mira Nair">{{cite web|title=Mira Nair|url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-Li-Pr/Nair-Mira.html|website=Encyclopedia of World Biography|publisher=Encyclopedia of World Biography|access-date=29 April 2015}}</ref> | ||
She lived in Bhubaneswar till age 18, and attended a convent, following which she left to attend [[Loreto Convent, Tara Hall, Shimla]],<ref>{{cite news |title=I'd eat onions before kissing Shashi Tharoor: Mira Nair |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Id-eat-onions-before-kissing-Shashi-Tharoor-Mira-Nair/articleshow/16235108.cms |work=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> an Irish-Catholic missionary school, where she developed an infatuation with English literature. Following Tara Hall, Nair went on to study at [[Miranda House]] at [[Delhi University]], where she majored in [[sociology]]. In order to gain the best education available, Nair applied for transfer to Western schools and, at 19, she was offered a full scholarship to [[Cambridge University]], but ultimately turned it down and instead accepted a full scholarship to [[Harvard University]].<ref name="voices.cla.umn.edu">{{cite web|last1=Blenski|first1=Simon|last2=Debreyne|first2=Adrien Maurice|last3=Hegewisch|first3=Martha Eugina|last4=Trivedi|first4=Avani Anant|title=Mira Nair|url=http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/nairMira.php|publisher=University of Minnesota|access-date=30 April 2015}}{{Failed verification|date=July 2015}} | She lived in Bhubaneswar till age 18, and attended a convent, following which she left to attend [[Loreto Convent, Tara Hall, Shimla]],<ref>{{cite news |title=I'd eat onions before kissing Shashi Tharoor: Mira Nair |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Id-eat-onions-before-kissing-Shashi-Tharoor-Mira-Nair/articleshow/16235108.cms |work=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> an Irish-Catholic missionary school, where she developed an infatuation with English literature. Following Tara Hall, Nair went on to study at [[Miranda House]] at [[Delhi University]], where she majored in [[sociology]]. In order to gain the best education available, Nair applied for transfer to Western schools and, at 19, she was offered a full scholarship to [[Cambridge University]], but ultimately turned it down and instead accepted a full scholarship to [[Harvard University]].<ref name="voices.cla.umn.edu">{{cite web|last1=Blenski|first1=Simon|last2=Debreyne|first2=Adrien Maurice|last3=Hegewisch|first3=Martha Eugina|last4=Trivedi|first4=Avani Anant|title=Mira Nair|url=http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/nairMira.php|publisher=University of Minnesota|access-date=30 April 2015}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=July 2015}} | ||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
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Her third documentary, ''India Cabaret'', released in 1984, revealed the exploitation of female strippers in [[Mumbai|Bombay]], and followed a customer who regularly visited a local strip club while his wife stayed at home.<ref name="voices.cla.umn.edu"/> Nair raised roughly $130,000 for the project. The 59-minute film was shot over a span of two months. It was criticized by Nair's family.<ref name="Applause Theater & Cinema Books"/><ref name="Mira Nair"/> Her fourth and last documentary, made for [[Canadian television]], explored how [[amniocentesis]] was being used to determine the sex of fetuses. Released in 1987, ''Children of a Desired Sex'' exposed the aborting of female fetuses due to society's favoring male offspring.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} | Her third documentary, ''India Cabaret'', released in 1984, revealed the exploitation of female strippers in [[Mumbai|Bombay]], and followed a customer who regularly visited a local strip club while his wife stayed at home.<ref name="voices.cla.umn.edu"/> Nair raised roughly $130,000 for the project. The 59-minute film was shot over a span of two months. It was criticized by Nair's family.<ref name="Applause Theater & Cinema Books"/><ref name="Mira Nair"/> Her fourth and last documentary, made for [[Canadian television]], explored how [[amniocentesis]] was being used to determine the sex of fetuses. Released in 1987, ''Children of a Desired Sex'' exposed the aborting of female fetuses due to society's favoring male offspring.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}} | ||
In 2001, with The Laughing Club of India, she explored [[Laughter yoga|laughter based on yoga]]. Founder Dr. Madan Kararia spoke of the club's history and the growth of laughing clubs across the country, and subsequently the world. The documentary included testimonials from members of the laughter clubs who described how the practice had improved or changed their lives. Its featured segments included a group of workers in an electrical products factory in | In 2001, with The Laughing Club of India, she explored [[Laughter yoga|laughter based on yoga]]. Founder Dr. Madan Kararia spoke of the club's history and the growth of laughing clubs across the country, and subsequently the world. The documentary included testimonials from members of the laughter clubs who described how the practice had improved or changed their lives. Its featured segments included a group of workers in an electrical products factory in Mumbai who took time off to laugh during their coffee break.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HEte5ilhCTcC&q=mira+nair+++documentary&pg=PR9|title=Mercy in Her Eyes: The Films of Mira Nair|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|date=2006|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9781557836496|pages=156–158|language=en}}</ref> | ||
===Feature films=== | ===Feature films=== | ||
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Nair went on to direct four more films before she produced one of her most notable films, ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]''. Released in 2001, the film told the story of a [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] Indian wedding, written by [[Sabrina Dhawan]]. Employing a small crew and casting some of Nair's acquaintances and relatives, the film grossed over $30 million worldwide. The film was awarded the [[Golden Lion]] award at the [[Venice Film Festival]], making Nair the first female recipient of the award.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitney |first=Anna |date=10 September 2001 |title=Indian director is first woman to win Golden Lion |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/indian-director-is-first-woman-to-win-golden-lion-9225222.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |access-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> | Nair went on to direct four more films before she produced one of her most notable films, ''[[Monsoon Wedding]]''. Released in 2001, the film told the story of a [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]] Indian wedding, written by [[Sabrina Dhawan]]. Employing a small crew and casting some of Nair's acquaintances and relatives, the film grossed over $30 million worldwide. The film was awarded the [[Golden Lion]] award at the [[Venice Film Festival]], making Nair the first female recipient of the award.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitney |first=Anna |date=10 September 2001 |title=Indian director is first woman to win Golden Lion |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/indian-director-is-first-woman-to-win-golden-lion-9225222.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |access-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> | ||
Nair then directed the Golden Globe winning ''Hysterical Blindness'' (2002), followed by making [[William Makepeace Thackeray]]'s epic ''[[Vanity Fair (2004 film)|Vanity Fair]]'' (2004).{{ | Nair then directed the Golden Globe winning ''Hysterical Blindness'' (2002), followed by making [[William Makepeace Thackeray]]'s epic ''[[Vanity Fair (2004 film)|Vanity Fair]]'' (2004).<ref name="IMDb">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0619762/?ref_=pro_nm_visitcons|website=IMDb|title=Mira Nair|accessdate=September 14, 2021}}</ref> | ||
In 2007, Nair was asked to direct ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', but turned it down to work on ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]''.<ref name="Mira Nair"/> Based on the book by [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winner [[Jhumpa Lahiri]], Sooni Taraporevala's screenplay follows the son of Indian immigrants who wants to fit in with [[New York City|New York]] society, but struggles to get away from his family's traditional ways. The film was presented with the Dartmouth Film Award and was also honored with the Pride of India award at the [[Bollywood Movie Awards]].<ref>{{cite news |date=23 April 2007 |title=Bollywood to honour Mira Nair with 'Pride of India' award |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a8b47023-270e-47f0-a6c2-399a750ab572& |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|agency=Press Trust of India (PTI) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930055840/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a8b47023-270e-47f0-a6c2-399a750ab572& |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 May 2007 |title=Mira Nair, Asha Parekh honoured at Bollywood awards in New York |url=http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/252152/cs/1/ |newspaper=Malaysia Sun |agency=Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207004720/http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/252152/cs/1/ |archive-date=7 February 2012 |access-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> This was followed by the [[Amelia Earhart]] biopic ''[[Amelia (2009 film)|Amelia]]'' (2009), starring [[Hilary Swank]] and [[Richard Gere]].{{ | In 2007, Nair was asked to direct ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)|Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', but turned it down to work on ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]''.<ref name="Mira Nair"/> Based on the book by [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winner [[Jhumpa Lahiri]], Sooni Taraporevala's screenplay follows the son of Indian immigrants who wants to fit in with [[New York City|New York]] society, but struggles to get away from his family's traditional ways. The film was presented with the Dartmouth Film Award and was also honored with the Pride of India award at the [[Bollywood Movie Awards]].<ref>{{cite news |date=23 April 2007 |title=Bollywood to honour Mira Nair with 'Pride of India' award |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a8b47023-270e-47f0-a6c2-399a750ab572& |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|agency=Press Trust of India (PTI) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930055840/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a8b47023-270e-47f0-a6c2-399a750ab572& |archive-date=30 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 May 2007 |title=Mira Nair, Asha Parekh honoured at Bollywood awards in New York |url=http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/252152/cs/1/ |newspaper=Malaysia Sun |agency=Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207004720/http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/f825b92e19df636a/id/252152/cs/1/ |archive-date=7 February 2012 |access-date=8 December 2009}}</ref> This was followed by the [[Amelia Earhart]] biopic ''[[Amelia (2009 film)|Amelia]]'' (2009), starring [[Hilary Swank]] and [[Richard Gere]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/114003628|website=NPR|title=Mira Nair, Discovering A Very Modern 'Amelia'|first=Melissa|last=Block|date=October 22, 2009|accessdate=September 14, 2021}}</ref> | ||
In 2012, Nair directed ''[[The Reluctant Fundamentalist (film)|The Reluctant Fundamentalist]]'', a thriller based on the best-selling novel by Mohsin Hamid. It opened the 2012 Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim and was released worldwide in early 2013. For the academic reception of Nair's adaptation of ''[[The Reluctant Fundamentalist]]'', ''The Journal of Commonwealth Literature'' questions "how the ambivalence and provocativeness of the 'source' text translates into the film adaptation, and the extent to which the film format makes the narrative more palatable and appealing to wider audiences as compared to the novel’s target readership."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lau|first1=Lisa|last2=Mendes|first2=Ana Cristina|year=2018|title=Post-9/11 re-orientalism: Confrontation and conciliation in Mohsin Hamid's and Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist|journal=The Journal of Commonwealth Literature|language=en|volume=53|issue=1|pages=80|doi=10.1177/0021989416631791|s2cid=148197670|issn=0021-9894|url=http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/1559/8/lau_jcl_2016.pdf}}</ref> | In 2012, Nair directed ''[[The Reluctant Fundamentalist (film)|The Reluctant Fundamentalist]]'', a thriller based on the best-selling novel by Mohsin Hamid. It opened the 2012 Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim and was released worldwide in early 2013. For the academic reception of Nair's adaptation of ''[[The Reluctant Fundamentalist]]'', ''The Journal of Commonwealth Literature'' questions "how the ambivalence and provocativeness of the 'source' text translates into the film adaptation, and the extent to which the film format makes the narrative more palatable and appealing to wider audiences as compared to the novel’s target readership."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lau|first1=Lisa|last2=Mendes|first2=Ana Cristina|year=2018|title=Post-9/11 re-orientalism: Confrontation and conciliation in Mohsin Hamid's and Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist|journal=The Journal of Commonwealth Literature|language=en|volume=53|issue=1|pages=80|doi=10.1177/0021989416631791|s2cid=148197670|issn=0021-9894|url=http://eprints.keele.ac.uk/1559/8/lau_jcl_2016.pdf}}</ref> | ||
Nair's 2016 film ''[[Queen of Katwe]]'', a [[Walt Disney Pictures]] production, starred [[Lupita Nyong'o]] and [[David Oyelowo]] and was based on the story of Ugandan chess prodigy [[Phiona Mutesi]].{{ | Nair's 2016 film ''[[Queen of Katwe]]'', a [[Walt Disney Pictures]] production, starred [[Lupita Nyong'o]] and [[David Oyelowo]] and was based on the story of Ugandan chess prodigy [[Phiona Mutesi]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/08/lupita-nyongo-disney-d23-star-wars-jungle-book-queen-of-katwe|website=Vanity Fair|title=Why Lupita Nyong’o, Not the Superheroes, Represents the Future of Disney|first=Joanna|last=Robinson|date=August 16, 2015|accessdate=September 14, 2021}}</ref> | ||
Nair's short films include ''A Fork, a Spoon and a Knight,'' inspired by the [[Nelson Mandela]] quote, ″Difficulties break some men but make others.″ She contributed to ''[[11'09"01 September 11]]'' (2002) in which 11 filmmakers reacted to the events of 11 September 2001. Other titles include ''How Can It Be?'' (2008), ''Migration'' (2008), ''New York, I Love You'' (2009) and her collaboration with, among others, [[Emir Kusturica]] and [[Guillermo Arriaga]] on the compilation feature ''[[Words with Gods]]''. | Nair's short films include ''A Fork, a Spoon and a Knight,'' inspired by the [[Nelson Mandela]] quote, ″Difficulties break some men but make others.″ She contributed to ''[[11'09"01 September 11]]'' (2002) in which 11 filmmakers reacted to the events of 11 September 2001. Other titles include ''How Can It Be?'' (2008), ''Migration'' (2008), ''New York, I Love You'' (2009) and her collaboration with, among others, [[Emir Kusturica]] and [[Guillermo Arriaga]] on the compilation feature ''[[Words with Gods]]''.<ref name="IMDb"/> | ||
===Other work=== | ===Other work=== | ||
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Nominated - [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] | Nominated - [[Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film]] | ||
Nominated - [[Filmfare Award for Best Director]] | |||
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|1991 | |1991 | ||
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* 2004: [[Golden Lion]] (Best Film), [[Venice Film Festival]]: ''[[Vanity Fair (2004 film)|Vanity Fair]]'' | * 2004: [[Golden Lion]] (Best Film), [[Venice Film Festival]]: ''[[Vanity Fair (2004 film)|Vanity Fair]]'' | ||
* 2007: [[Gotham Awards 2007|Gotham Award]] for Best Film: ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'' | * 2007: [[Gotham Awards 2007|Gotham Award]] for Best Film: ''[[The Namesake (film)|The Namesake]]'' | ||
== See also == | |||
* [[Indians in the New York City metropolitan area]] | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
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[[Category:American people of Punjabi descent]] | [[Category:American people of Punjabi descent]] | ||
[[Category:American women academics]] | [[Category:American women academics]] | ||
[[Category:21st-century American women]] | |||