Gurinder Chadha  

After starting her media career in radio in the mid-1980s, Chadha moved into television as a BBC news reporter. She went on to direct award-winning documentaries including I'M BRITISH BUT... which followed the lives of young British Asians. In 1990, Chadha set up a production company, Umbi Films. Her first film was the 11-minute NICE ARRANGEMENT (1991) about a British Asian wedding. Her first feature, BHAJI ON THE BEACH, won numerous international awards including a BAFTA Nomination for 'Best British Film of 1994.' In 1995, she directed RICH DECEIVER, a two-part drama for the BBC, watched by 11 million viewers.

WHAT’S COOKING was the Opening Night Film of the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, and was the first British script to be invited to the Sundance Institute’s Writer’s Lab. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM was the highest grossing British-financed, British- distributed film, ever in the UK box-office (prior to the success of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE). BRIDE AND PREJUDICE - a film which marries Jane Austen with Indian and Western musicals - was the first film ever to open at Number One in the UK and India on the same day. She also wrote the screenplay for THE MISTRESS OF SPICES (2005), (based upon the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni) with Berges, who directed the film.

ANGUS, THONGS, AND PERFECT SNOGGING - based on the international bestseller, was released worldwide by Paramount Pictures in 2008/2009. IT’S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before releasing internationally in 2010.

Chada’s latest film VICEROY'S HOUSE, starring Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Huma Qureshi, Manish Dayak and Om Puri was released internationally on March 3rd, 2017. Her films have received Nominations from the Golden Globes, BAFTA, European Film Academy, and the Writers Guild of America. (3/19)