"Nair's breakthrough came in 1988 with Salaam Bombay!, a gritty portrayal of street children in Mumbai made for just $450,000 that grossed an estimated $7.4 million worldwide. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes, and became India's second film ever nominated for an Oscar. With the proceeds, Nair established the Salaam Baalak Trust, a nonprofit that continues to provide support for street children in Delhi and Mumbai."
"It was during research for that film in Uganda that Nair met her husband, political scientist Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran's father. But Nair's biggest commercial triumph came with Monsoon Wedding in 2001. Made for approximately $1.5 million and shot in just 30 days with hand-held cameras, the film became a phenomenon, grossing over $30 million worldwide. The domestic U.S. gross alone reached $13."
Mira Nair, born Oct. 15, 1957 in Rourkela, India, studied at Delhi University and Harvard and shifted from acting to documentary filmmaking after taking a course at MIT with Richard Leacock. Her breakthrough came in 1988 with Salaam Bombay!, produced for $450,000 and grossing an estimated $7.4 million worldwide, earning major awards and prompting the founding of the Salaam Baalak Trust. She launched Mirabai Films in 1989 to retain creative control and focus on cultural identity and diaspora. Mississippi Masala (1991) and Monsoon Wedding (2001) achieved critical recognition and significant box office success.
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