Filmmaker Mira Nair, known for her distinctive portrayal of South Asian social and cultural life, is currently in Amritsar, India, working on a new film inspired by the life of early 20th-century Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil. The project, tentatively titled “Amri,” is scheduled for release in 2027 and explores the unconventional artistic journey of Sher-Gil, who is often described as the Frida Kahlo of India.

Nair, whose career spans over four decades and includes acclaimed works such as “Mississippi Masala” and “Monsoon Wedding,” spoke about the deep personal and artistic connection she feels to Sher-Gil. The painter’s bold use of color and fusion of Western and Indian artistic traditions have long inspired Nair, who encountered Sher-Gil’s work as a student at New Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art in the 1970s. Sher-Gil’s paintings, often depicting rural Indian life with vivid reds, yellows, and ochres, resonated with Nair and influenced her filmmaking style.

The film’s lead role will be played by Indian actress Anjali Sivaraman, with English actress Emily Watson portraying Sher-Gil’s mother and Indian actor Jaideep Ahlawat as her father. Priyanka Chopra-Jonas is involved both as a cast member and executive producer. The movie draws heavily from a two-volume collection of Sher-Gil’s letters and sketches, edited by her late nephew and artist Vivan Sundaram, who died in 2023.

Sher-Gil, who died at the age of 28 in 1941, was born to a Sikh aristocrat father and a Hungarian opera singer mother, embodying a culturally complex upbringing. She studied art in Paris before establishing her unique style in India. Her personal letters, which reveal her bisexuality and intimate thoughts, provide insight into her artistic and personal life, a narrative that Nair aims to highlight. Nair emphasized Sher-Gil’s unapologetic embrace of her multifaceted identity as central to her artistry and relevance today.

In conversation, Nair also reflected on her familial ties, notably as the mother of Zohran Mamdani, the newly inaugurated mayor of New York City. She described the pride she feels in her son, praising his ability to translate their shared values into political action. Nair noted how public recognition of her son has changed social interactions with her and her family, recounting anecdotes from both film sets and distant locations where people have acknowledged their connection to the mayor.

Balancing her career and family life, Nair explained that during her early filmmaking years, her mother and in-laws cared for Mamdani while she traveled for extended shoots. Her husband, Mahmood Mamdani, an academic, would visit when possible, and their son accompanied Nair on film projects until he started school in Cape Town. She seeks to provide him with a childhood enriched by creativity rather than commercialized entertainment, recalling moments from her sets, including a memorable underwater birthday cake surprise from one of her cinematographers.

Nair described the pursuit of art as a “ruthless” endeavor, asserting that pleasing others is not part of her creative process. She sees Sher-Gil’s life as emblematic of this ethos, a young woman who refused to conform while forging her distinct voice. The filmmaker’s upcoming film aims to tell a story of artistic self-expression rooted in cultural complexity and personal courage.