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Mira Nair

Mira Nair

Director, producer and writer · Born October 15, 1957 (69) · Rourkela, Orissa, India

Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films. She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature, Salaam Bombay! (1988), won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Nair used the proceeds to establish an organisation for street children, called the Salaam Baalak Trust in India. She often works with longtime creative collaborator, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, whom she met at Harvard. Nair has won a number of awards, including a National Film Award and various international film festival awards, and was a nominee at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards and Filmfare Awards. She was also awarded the India Abroad Person of the Year-2007, which was presented by Indra Nooyi, Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo, Inc, and India Abroad Person of the Year-2006. Nair is married to political scientist Mahmood Mamdani. Their son, Zohran Mamdani, is Mayor of New York City. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mira Nair, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 15, 1957 (69)
From
Rourkela, Orissa, India
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 3% in 30 days

What are Mira Nair's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Self
27%
Society
19%
Survival
12%
Ideas
5%
Power
3%
Morality
2%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDisplacement2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 8 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
9
Tense
7
Romantic
6
Warm
5
Bittersweet
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mira Nair's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mira Nair's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 14 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • National Treasure: Edge of History(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows

  • A Suitable Boy(2020)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows

  • Queen of Katwe(2016)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • A Fork, a Spoon & a Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Writer

  • Words with Gods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • The Reluctant Fundamentalist(2012)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Amelia(2009)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Producer

  • How Can It Be (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • New York, I Love You(2008)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Migration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Positive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer

  • The Namesake(2006)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Vanity Fair(2004)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • 11’09”01—September 11: India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director

  • September 11(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Hysterical Blindness(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Bollywood Calling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Mira

  • The Laughing Club of India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Monsoon Wedding(2001)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • My Own Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Producer · as Saryu Joshi

  • Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love(1996)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Perez Family(1995)

    Director · as Woman Buying Flowers

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Writer

  • Mississippi Masala(1991)

    Director · Producer · as Gossip Aunty #1

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Salaam Bombay!(1988)

    Director · Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • India Cabaret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · as Interviewer

  • So Far from India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Producer · as Interviewer/Narrator

  • Jama Masjid Street Journal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Amri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles, 29 of them dated from 1979 to 2022.

Biggest box office

Monsoon Wedding (2001)

$31M worldwide

Highest rated

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Queen of Katwe (2016)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 30: 1 only acting, 5 with another roleDirecting28 of 30: 13 only directing, 15 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thWriting5 of 30: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing12 of 30: 1 only producing, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score85th

30 titles, 15 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 11 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s3 · 2 acting · 3 crew1990s5 · 3 acting · 5 crew2000s14 · 1 acting · 13 crew2010s4 · crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Mira Nair's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 13; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · director

A Suitable Boy (2020)

91st percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Salaam Bombay! (1988)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 72/100 and the pacing 45/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mira Nair's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 63 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles33–58 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Mira Nair work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mira Nair's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lydia Dean Pilcher shares the most, 9.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles