Nisha Ganatra facts for kids

Nisha Ganatra, born on June 25, 1974, is a talented Canadian-American filmmaker and actress. She is known for her work as a director, writer, and producer. Nisha has created many movies and TV shows that people enjoy.

She directed the independent comedy Chutney Popcorn in 1999. She also directed Cosmopolitan (2003) and the romantic comedy Cake (2005). Nisha has worked on popular TV shows like The Real World, Transparent, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She also directed the movies Late Night (2019) and The High Note (2020).

Early Life and Education

Nisha Ganatra first became interested in film through acting. She soon realized she wanted to make movies herself. She hoped to create stories that could help bring about positive changes in culture.

Starting Her Film Journey

Nisha began her filmmaking path at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Even though she wasn't officially studying film there, she found ways to learn. She would sneak into screenwriting classes. This helped her start making her own short films.

Film School in New York

Later, Nisha moved to New York City to study film. She attended the New York University Film School (NYU). While at NYU, she made a short film called Junky Punky Girlz in 1997. This film was very successful. It won NYU's Tisch Fellowship and was named the most outstanding short film by PBS. Nisha graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Career in Filmmaking

While still in film school, Nisha Ganatra directed several episodes of MTV's TV series The Real World in 2001. Before this, she had already written and directed two short films. She also made her independent movie Chutney Popcorn in 1999.

Supporting Female Directors

Nisha is part of a special program with NBC. This program helps talented female directors get the same chances as male directors. Women chosen for this program can watch and learn from up to three episodes of an NBC show. After learning, they get to direct at least one episode of that show themselves.

Championing Women Behind the Camera

Nisha noticed something important when looking for cinematographers. Cinematographers are the people who film movies and TV shows. She saw that men often had more impressive work reels than women. Nisha realized this wasn't because men were more talented. Instead, it was because men were often given bigger budgets, better equipment, and larger film crews.

This experience inspired Nisha to make a difference. She decided to hire female cinematographers whenever possible. She also tries to hire more women for her film crews. In 2020, it was announced that ABC was developing a new comedy show. Nisha Ganatra was set to write, direct, and produce this show.

Filmography

Short Films

Feature Films

As a Director

• Chutney Popcorn (1999) (She also wrote and produced this film)
• Fast Food High (2003)
• Cake (2005)
• Late Night (2019)
• The High Note (2020)
• Freakier Friday (2025)

As an Actor

Television Work

TV Movies

Field Producer

• Margaret Cho: Beautiful (2009)
• Cho Dependent (2011)

See also

• List of female film and television directors