Mira Nair

Mira Nair (; born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker. She is known for directing independent dramas through her production company Mirabai Films. She began her career making documentaries, but went on to create feature films. She is well known for films that sometimes touch on political themes or controversial topics, like how racial tension and prejudice are depicted in '' Mississippi Masala''. She has received two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and four prizes from the Venice Film Festival as well as nominations for two BAFTA Awards and two César Awards. Her films have also received two Academy Award nominations.

Nair made her feature film debut directing the drama film ''Salaam Bombay!'' (1988), which received nominations for the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Golden Globe Award for Best International Feature Film. Her next film was the romantic drama ''Mississippi Masala'' (1991), for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Film.

She directed the comedy-drama ''Monsoon Wedding'' (2001), which won the Golden Lion at the 58th Venice International Film Festival; it was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best International Feature Film.

She grew up in India and later moved to the United States, where she went to Harvard University. She lived in Uganda with her husband for a few years, but currently resides in the U.S. She is married to Mahmood Mamdani and is the mother of Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City. Provided by Wikipedia