An Indian ad film maker, director, and screenwriter, Gauri Shinde made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed movie
English Vinglish, for which she won a Filmfare Award for the Best Debut Director and Laadli National Media Award for Gender Sensitivity. After the success of the film, she featured on Rediff's list of Bollywood's 5 Best Directors of 2012.
Early LifeBorn and raised in Pune, Maharashtra, India, Gauri Shindi competed her schooling from St. Jospeh's High School and did her graduation from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communications, Pune. While in college, she developed a keen interest in film making and decided to shift to Mumbai to make a career in it. Soon after coming to Mumbai, Gauri interned under documentary director Siddharth Kay and then started working for Advertising Agencies like IBW, Bates Clarion, and Lowe Lintas, where R. Balki was the creative director.
Personal Life
In 2007, Gauri Shinde tied the knot with R. Balakrishanan, an ad filmmaker and director, best known for making films like Cheeni Kum and Paa.
Movie CareerAfter a successful stint as an ad director, Gauri Shinde made her first feature film, English Vinglish, which also marked the successful comeback of actress
Sridevi and ended her 15 year long sabbatical from the Hindi film industry. A comedy drama based on the life of a housewife who enrolls herself in an English speaking class to stop her husband and daughter from making fun of her, was a blockbuster and was also critically applauded. English Vinglish swept all the Best Debut Director awards of 2012 for Gauri Shinde. The film was also shortlisted as India's official entry for the Academy Awards in Best Foreign Language Film category.
Her 2016 directorial venture includes the Hindi drama film
Dear Zindagi. Produced by Gauri Khan,
R.Balki, and
Karan Johar, the movie stars
Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Ali Zafar,
Aditya Roy Kapoor,
Kunal Kapoor and
Angad Bedi.