Mira Nair Short biography
Mira Nair (born October 15, 1957) is an acclaimed Indian-American filmmaker, celebrated globally as one of the leading female directors. She was born and raised in Rourkela, India, in a Punjabi family; her father was a civil servant, and her mother was a social worker. During her youth, she developed a passion for drama, studying sociology at Delhi University before moving to the United States to attend Harvard University on a full scholarship in 1976. While at Harvard, her interests shifted from theater to photography and then to documentary filmmaking.
Nair is married to academic and author Mahmood Mamdani, whom she met in Uganda while researching her film 'Mississippi Masala.' They have one son, Zohran Mamdani. Nair describes herself as "an Indian filmmaker at home in the world," and she currently resides in both the U.S. and India, having previously lived in Uganda.