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 works as a director, writer, and producer. Since her first feature film in 2005, she has won many important awards. These include a National Film Award and the Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.

Bose became well-known with her first movie, Amu, in 2005. This film was based on her own book. It told the story of a difficult time in Delhi in 1984. The movie was praised by critics and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. Later, Bose helped direct and write the 2012 war film Chittagong.

Her fame grew with the successful films 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 more awards, like the NETPAC Award.

Shonali Bose also cares about helping others. She supports many charity groups. She was married to filmmaker Bedabrata Pain.

About Shonali Bose

Early Life and Education

Shonali Bose was born on 3 June 1965 in Kolkata, West Bengal. She spent her younger years in Mumbai and New Delhi. She studied at Delhi University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, she got a master's degree in political science from Columbia University in New York.

Bose was an activist even when she was a student at Miranda House. She also enjoyed acting in plays during school and college. At first, she did not plan to work in films. However, she realized that film could be a powerful way to share ideas. She believes film is a great way to talk about social and political change.

Starting Her Film Journey

Before making films, Bose worked as an organizer for a lawyers' group. She also directed local TV shows in Manhattan. Then, she joined the film directing program at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Early in her career, she made short films like The Gendarme Is Here. She also directed a documentary called Lifting the Veil. These early works were shown at many film festivals.

Shonali Bose's Films

Breakthrough with Amu (2005)

Shonali Bose made her first feature film, Amu, in 2005. She also wrote the story for this movie. The film was released in India in January and was very well-received. It was shown at big 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, which came out at the same time as the film.

Continued Success with Margarita with a Straw and The Sky Is Pink

Bose helped write the film Chittagong in 2012. This movie was about a historical event in 1930.

Her 2014 film, Margarita, with a Straw, was a big success. It starred Kalki Koechlin as a girl with cerebral palsy. The film was first shown at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It received great reviews and won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film. Bose started writing this film after a personal loss. The first version of the story won the Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.

In 2019, Bose wrote and directed The Sky Is Pink. This film was based on the life of a young motivational speaker named Aisha Chaudhary. It starred famous actors like Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar. The movie was released in October 2019 and was highly praised.

She also directed a short film called Raat Rani in 2022. This film was part of the Modern Love: Mumbai collection.

Future Projects

Shonali Bose is set to write the first episode for a new TV series. This series will be based on the book The Windfall by Diksha Basu.

She is also currently filming for an Amazon Original series. It is called The Notorious Girls of Miranda House.

Filmography

Awards

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women