Mira Nair Career Retrospective | SAG-AFTRA Foundation | The Business

Mira shares stories from her work on Vanity Fair, Mississippi Masala, and Salaam Bombay in this interview covering her directing career. She recounts working with Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury, her beginnings in documentary filmmaking, and her stance on activism with art in this Q&A moderated by actor Kal Penn. This interview is part of The Business, a SAG-AFTRA Foundation series of discussions with industry experts, providing performers with advice on how to navigate the often complex waters of the entertainment world. Watch Past Q&A's:    / sagaftrafoundation   Follow the SAG-AFTRA Foundation on social media: Instagram:   / sagaftrafound   Facebook:   / sagaftrafoundation   Twitter:   / sagaftrafound   The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, educational and state-of-the-art resources to SAG-AFTRA members. The Foundation believes that the contributions made to our culture by performing artists are not only valuable, but essential. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation relies entirely on donations to provide emergency assistance and free educational programs to SAG-AFTRA artists. This conversation is made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters. Over the past year, the Foundation has given over $6.5 million in disaster relief to more than 7,000 performers. If you are a SAG-AFTRA artist and need help, please ask. And, if you can help, please give at: https://sagaftra.foundation/donate All donations are tax-deductible. 0:00 Introduction 2:07 Upbringing 9:03 Harvard, beginnings in documentary 14:18 Salaam Bombay 20:56 Mississippi Masala 22:54 Casting 26:47 Advice for actors auditioning 36:09 Denzel Washington & Sarita Choudhury 41:37 Inspiration for Mississippi Masala 49:10 Vanity Fair 52:17 Activism with art