Indian born director Mira Nair began to earn critical buzz for her early documentary films, but with her feature debut “Salaam Bombay” (1988), she was catapulted into the international spotlight with Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. Throughout Nair’s career she made films both in the United States and in India, earning independent and film festival notoriety for the colorful family ensemble “Monsoon Wedding” (2001) and the considerably grittier “Namesake” (2006), while finding success among mainstream audiences with the interracial romantic drama “Mississippi Masala” (1992),
Spent first fifteen years of her life in Orissa, a delta area in eastern India
Acted for amateur theater company, directed by Barry John (who later worked with her when he directed the children's workshop preceding the shooting of "Salaam Bombay"!") In Delhi for three years
1976
Offered scholarship by Cambridge University; turned it down in favor of Harvard
1976
Moved to USA to study at Harvard
1979
Made first film, "Jama Masjid/Street Journal," as student thesis at Harvard
