Irfana Majumdar

Irfana Majumdar is an Indian Actress, Director, and Producer who predominantly works in the Bollywood film industry. She is originally from the city of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Irfana Majumdar’s mother- Nita Kumar Nita Kumar is an Indian production designer and sc >> Read More... is a college professor of Anthropology and History. She completed her education in the United States of America and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Chicago. After that, Irfana Majumdar pursued her Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies at York University in Toronto, Canada.

Irfana Majumdar made her debut on the big screen in 2008 with the documentary-style film ‘Children Playing God.’ Irfana Majumdar wrote and directed the movie herself, under the Production company- Nirman Films. In 2021, she released her second film ‘Shankar's Fairies’, which turned out to be a major hit. The film was released at the Locarno Film Festival and tells the story of the relationship between a rich girl and her family’s help. ‘Shankar's Fairies’ was written by her mother and based on her memories of growing up in Lucknow. Irfana Majumdar herself acted in the film and played the central role of Sudha, who was based on her real grandmother. She even got her real-life husband- Gaurav Saini Bio coming soon... >> Read More... to be a part of the movie. 

Irfana Majumdar has been nominated for a host of awards throughout her career, including the Grand Prix Award for Best Film at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in 2022, the Golden Leopard Award for Filmmakers of the Present at the Locarno International Film Festival, the New Talent Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, and the Gold Hugo Award for New Directors at the Chicago International Film Festival. Besides her career in the film industry, Irfana Majumdar has taught drama-related courses as a contract teacher for short durations at institutes such as Kalamazoo College in Michigan, Claremont McKenna College in California, Ohio Northern University, and The Vedica Scholars Programme for Women in Delhi. 

Since 2004, Irfana Majumdar has been a founding Artistic Director of the prestigious NIRMAN Theatre and Film Studio in Varanasi. This is a nonprofit organization that works towards education and protecting the arts. Here, she directs and creates artistic performances, organizes artistic residencies and internships, and plans annual creative events. Irfana Majumdar also mentors students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as a part of NIRMAN’s International Education Program.