Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri
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Indrani receiving a 2019 Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award
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| Born | 1983 (age 41–42) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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| Education | Princeton University (Cultural Anthropology) |
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Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri is a talented Indian-Canadian artist. She is a film director, photographer, and writer. She also helps lead an education foundation.
Indrani has worked with many famous people. These include Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez. She also worked with Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. Her work was first noticed by David Bowie and Iman (model). They asked her to create the cover for Bowie's album "Heathen." Later, David Bowie helped her start directing films. She made her first big music video for his song "Valentine's Day." This video explored the thoughts of a high school shooter.
Her work has won many awards. She received the Tribeca Film Festival Disruptive Innovation Award in 2019. There, she was called "A leading director and voice for women's empowerment." She also won the CNN Expose Best Picture Award. Plus, she earned two gold awards at the Cannes Lions. Her photos have appeared in top magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair. Big brands like Nike and Pepsi have hired her. She created ad campaigns for them. Her campaign for Keep A Child Alive raised over $3.5 million. This money helped families with HIV in Africa and India.
Indrani is also a strong advocate for human rights. She supports sustainability, diversity, and women's empowerment. The United Nations recognized her as a Women's Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow. She is also a Global Peacemaker. She helps host the Global People's Summit at the United Nations. She also teaches at Princeton University. Her class is about using art and film for human rights.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri was born in Kolkata, India, in 1983. She grew up in her family's old palace. Her family were traditional Zamindars. Her British mother volunteered with Mother Teresa. Indrani saw a lot of poverty in India. This made her want to help others. Later, in Canada, her family faced racism. She helped her Jamaican stepfather in court. He suffered from diabetes and later passed away.
Indrani started modeling and acting when she was 14. This helped her learn about photography and filmmaking. She appeared in magazines like Vogue and Elle. She also worked on campaigns for brands like Benetton.
Helping Others Through Education
When Indrani was 18, she went back to India. She used money from her modeling work. She turned her family home into a special school. This school helps girls get a better future. She named it the Shakti Empowerment Education Foundation. Today, it supports over 300 students. It helps both girls and boys. It also teaches women to read and offers job training. Indrani still leads the school.
After high school, Indrani met Markus Klinko. He was a classical harp player. They became a famous photography team called Markus + Indrani. They were known for their amazing photos.
Indrani earned a scholarship to Princeton University. She studied cultural anthropology there. While studying, she also worked as a photographer in New York City. She cared a lot about Indian culture. At Princeton, she helped bring back the study of Sanskrit. She also helped create a program for South Asian Studies. She graduated with high honors in Anthropology.
Creative Work as an Artist
Indrani works as a photographer and director. She makes films, music videos, and commercials.
While she was at Princeton, David Bowie and Iman discovered her photos. They asked her to create the album cover for Bowie's Heathen. She also worked on I am Iman. Famous fashion editor Isabella Blow also noticed Indrani's work. She asked Indrani to create cover stories for the London Sunday Times. Indrani says Blow, Bowie, and Iman encouraged her to be more creative.
Indrani has created album covers for many stars. These include Beyoncé's Dangerously in Love and Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster. She also worked with Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey. She has directed their music videos too.
In 2013, David Bowie helped Indrani start her directing career. She made a big music video for his song "Valentine's Day." It looked at the mind of a high school shooter. Her work and interviews are in the HBO / BBC film David Bowie: The Last Five Years.
Indrani's photos have been in over 30 books. They have been shown in more than 20 art shows. Her picture of Beyonce is always on display. You can see it at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. In 2013, the Lincoln Center showed her art exhibition called Icons. This show had 30 pieces of her work.
She also made a video campaign for Keep a Child Alive. It was against AIDS in India and Africa. Indrani directed a short film for PSI and the UN's Nothing But Nets. It featured actress Mandy Moore. She also directed The Girl Epidemic. This film raised awareness about missing girls in Asia. Her short film "Crescendo" used football to empower girls in India.
Her short film "The Legend of Lady White Snake" is a new version of an old Asian story. It features a poem by writer Neil Gaiman. Another short film, "Till Human Voices Wake Us," stars Lindsay Lohan. This film is about mythical sea creatures called Selkies. It asks viewers to protect the oceans.
Indrani directed many music videos. These include Alicia Keys' "New Day" and videos for Mariah Carey and Bon Jovi. She also worked with Mary J. Blige.
For "Girl Rising, India," Indrani directed famous Bollywood actors. These included Freida Pinto and Priyanka Chopra. This film helps empower girls. Her video and photo campaign became part of the Indian government's "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" campaign. This means "Save girl child, educate a girl child."
Her film The Great Artist helps people talk about mental health. It focuses on the art world and includes LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also considered for the 93rd Academy Awards. The Hollywood Reporter called it one of the top short films.
Advocacy for Social Justice
Indrani is very involved in social justice. She works for racial and LGBTQIA+ equality. She also supports women's empowerment, education, health, and protecting the environment. Because of her work, the United Nations honored her in 2018. She also won the Max Mark-Cranbrook Global Peace Maker Award in 2019.
At 18, Indrani helped start the Shakti Empowerment Education (SEEschool.org). She turned her family's palace into a school. It gives free education to 300 children. It also offers job training and small loans to women. This school is near her hometown of Kolkata, India. It especially focuses on the rights of girls. She is still the executive director.
Many of Indrani's films focus on empowering women of color. Her short film "Girl Epidemic" is about millions of girls missing in Asia. This is due to child labor and trafficking. Her "Girl Rising India" film raises awareness about girls' empowerment. She raised money and directed Indian stars for this film. It became a key part of Indian Prime Minister Modi's "Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao" campaign. Her "Crescendo" short film shows how sports can help girls. It helps them build strength, confidence, and leadership skills. Her "Digital Death" campaign for HIV/AIDS in Africa and India featured stars like Kim Kardashian and Alicia Keys. It raised over a million dollars in one week for Keep A Child Alive.
Indrani works with many non-profit groups. She was also a Co-Host of the Global People's Summit in 2018. This event was held during the General Assembly at the United Nations. It helped more people access important global discussions. She is a United Nations Women's Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow. She often speaks at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
She is a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University. She teaches about using art and film for human rights. She also hosts a symposium at Princeton called "The Art of Anti-Racism and Social Change." This event brings together activists and artists. She is also a keynote speaker at Harvard University. She speaks at their LGBTQ Film Symposium.
Media and Television Work
Indrani is a popular speaker and TV personality. She has appeared on shows like Access Hollywood and America's Next Top Model.
Her work as a director and photographer for David Bowie was shown on the BBC / HBO film David Bowie: The Last 5 Years.
Indrani was also the main subject of a TV show called Double Exposure. This show followed her photo shoots with stars like Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian. It showed how she created her amazing photos. The show was described as a mix of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway. It was made for the Bravo network in the US. It has been shown in over 200 countries.
Awards and Special Recognition
Indrani has received many awards for her work:
- 2004 – Alex Award for Beyonce's "Dangerously in Love" album cover.
- 2007 – "Best of Show" at the Lucie Awards for her photography.
- 2011 – Two Gold Lions at Cannes for her "Digital Death" campaign.
- 2012 – "Best Picture" and "Best Director" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, La Jolla Fashion Film Festival.
- 2015 – "Best of Festival" at the Princeton University Film Festival.
- 2015 – "Best Picture" at the International Fashion Film Awards.
- 2016 – "Best Picture" and "Best Director" at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.
- 2016 – "Best of New York" at the New York Short Film Festival.
- 2016 – "Best Picture" and "Best Director" at the London Fashion Film Festival.
- 2018 – "Inspirique: Circle of Light" Award at the Harvard University Global Forum.
- 2018 – "Women's Entrepreneurship Distinguished Fellow Award" at the United Nations.
- 2018 – "Girl Epidemic" won "Best Picture" at the CNN Expose Film Awards.
- 2019 – "Disruptive Innovation Award" at the Tribeca Film Festival.
- 2019 – "Max Mark-Cranbrook Global Peacemaker Award" from Rotary International.
- 2020 – The Great Artist won "Best Drama" and "Best Original Score" at the Los Angeles Film Awards.
- 2020 – The Great Artist won "Best Narrative Film" at the Top Shorts Film Festival.
- 2020 – The Great Artist won "Best Picture" at the Festigious International Film Festival.
- 2020 – The Great Artist won "Best Short Film" at the Toronto Independent Festival of CIFT.
- 2021 – The Great Artist was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
- 2021 – The Great Artist was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
- 2022 – "Climate and Regenerative Visionary Award" at the Climate Conference Dubai.
- 2023 – "Best Director" at Documentaries Without Borders International for "Reunited".
