Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who was born in Amritsar, India, in 1950 and moved to Canada in 1973. She is a masterful storyteller, combining history, traditions and the sometimes harsh realities of the human experience in both her native India and Canada, her adopted homeland. Her careful use of literature and archives of all kinds in support of her work has led to a remarkable contribution to Canada’s cultural and historical heritage.

Ms. Mehta graduated from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi, with a degree in Philosophy. In 1996, she cofounded Hamilton-Mehta Productions with her husband, producer David Hamilton, in Toronto. Ms. Mehta believes that “The power of cinema is that it can start a dialogue.” Her provocative and moving films, which largely focus on issues of human rights and social injustice, have earned her an international reputation.

Ms. Mehta’s award-winning films include the Elemental Trilogy: Fire (1996), Earth  and Water (2005)—Water was an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007—Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), Heaven on Earth (2008), Midnight’s Children (2012), Anatomy of Violence (2016) and Funny Boy (2020). Ms. Mehta has also directed episodes of “Leila” (Netflix Original), “Little America” (Apple TV) and “Yellowjackets” (Showtime). She is currently working on the feature film Burnt Sugar (Girl in White Cotton), based on Avni Doshi’s Booker-shortlisted novel.

Ms. Mehta received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012, as well as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal. In 2013, she was appointed to both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada.