Shonali Bose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shonali Bose
Bose in 2015
Born	(1965-06-03) 3 June 1965 (age 60) Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Education	The Lawrence School, Sanawar
Alma mater	Miranda House Columbia University
Occupation	Filmmaker, writer
Years active	1992—present
Spouse(s)	Bedabrata Pain ​ (divorced)​
Children	2
Relatives	Malini Chib (cousin)

Shonali Bose (born 3 June 1965) is a talented Indian filmmaker. She is known for directing and writing movies. Since her first film in 2005, she has won many important awards. These include a National Film Award and a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.

Shonali Bose became well-known with her first movie, Amu, in 2005. This drama was based on her own book. The film talked about a difficult time in India's history. It received great reviews and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. Later, Bose also helped write and was an assistant director for the 2012 war film Chittagong.

Her fame as a filmmaker grew even more with the successful movies Margarita with a Straw (2015) and The Sky Is Pink (2019). Margarita with a Straw was inspired by her cousin, Malini Chib, who works for disability rights. This film earned Bose a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.

Shonali Bose also cares about helping others. She supports many charity groups. She was married to filmmaker Bedabrata Pain. They separated after their son passed away.

Early Life and Education

Shonali Bose was born on June 3, 1965, in Calcutta, West Bengal. She spent much of her younger life in Mumbai and New Delhi. She earned her first degree from Delhi University. Then, she got a master's degree in political science from Columbia University in New York.

Bose has been an activist since her time at Miranda House in Delhi University. She also acted in theatre during school and college. Shonali did not originally plan to work in films. However, she realized filmmaking could be a strong way to promote activism. She believes film is a great way to share ideas about social and political change.

Filmmaking Career

Early Work and Amu (1999-2010)

Before filmmaking, Bose worked as an organizer for the National Lawyers Guild. She directed local television shows in Manhattan. Later, she joined the MFA Directing Program at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Early in her career, Bose directed short films like The Gendarme Is Here. She also made a documentary called Lifting the Veil. These films were shown at many film festivals.

Her first full-length movie was the 2005 drama Amu. She also wrote the story for this film. Amu was released in India in January and was praised by critics and audiences. The movie was also shown at international film festivals in Berlin and Toronto. Bose won several awards for Amu. These included the FIPRESCI Critics Award and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. She also wrote a book called Amu based on the film's story.

Continued Success (2010-Present)

Bose helped write the film Chittagong (2012). This historical drama, directed by Bedabrata Pain, tells the story of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid. Her 2014 film, Margarita, with a Straw, starred Kalki Koechlin. Kalki played a girl with cerebral palsy. The movie first showed at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and received great reviews. It won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film there.

Bose started writing the script for Margarita, with a Straw a year after her son passed away. The first version of the script won the Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award in 2012. Bose was inspired to make the film by her own experiences. She also drew inspiration from her cousin, Malini Chib, who has cerebral palsy.

In 2019, Bose wrote and directed The Sky Is Pink. This film is based on the life of motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary. It starred Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, and Zaira Wasim. The movie was released in cinemas on October 11, 2019, and was highly praised.

She also directed the short film Raat Rani. This film featured Fatima Sana Shaikh. It was part of the 2022 collection Modern Love: Mumbai.

Future Projects

Shonali Bose is set to write the first episode for a TV series. This series will be based on Diksha Basu's novel The Windfall.

She is also currently filming for an Amazon Original series. It is called The Notorious Girls of Miranda House. Pritish Nandy Communications is producing this show.

Personal Life

Shonali Bose was married to Bedabrata Pain. They are now separated. Their son, Ishan Bose-Pain, passed away on September 13, 2010, at the age of 16.

Filmography

Awards and Recognition

See also

• List of female film and television directors