Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri

She is described as a "rad feminist director and fashion photographer" by Julianne E. Shepherd of Jezebel. Known by a single name, Indrani is "renowned for her iconic imagery and visionary storytelling, collaborations with Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and Kanye West" according to Shinjini Das, contributor to the Huffington Post. Her work was discovered by David Bowie and Iman (model) who became mentors, commissioning her first album cover for "Heathen" and later Bowie launched her directorial career, commissioning her first major music video, for his song "Valentine's Day" exploring the mind of a high school shooter, on his album The Next Day. Now known as a young director of films that have won 29 awards, including the Tribeca Film Festival 2019 Disruptive Innovation Award, the Max Mark-Cranbrook 2019 Global Peacemaker Award, and two gold lions at Cannes Festival of Creativity. With a passion for social justice and women's empowerment, "Wielding her visionary work like a weapon, Indrani is using her art and resources for social justice and change."

Films which Indrani has directed and produced have won numerous awards including the Tribeca Film Festival Disruptor Award 2019, first prize in four categories at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival 2015 for "Best Picture," "Best Visual Effects," "Best Costumes" and "Best Production Design"; "Best Film," "Best Director" and "Best Design" at the London Fashion Film Festival 2015, "Best of Festival" at the Princeton Film Festival, 2015, "Best Film" at the International Fashion Film Festival Los Angeles 2015, first prize in the top four categories at the International Fashion Film Festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, including "Best Film," "Best Director," "Best Fashion," "Best Special Effects" and the RED Camera Award.

Many of Indrani's films focus on empowerment of women. Her "Girl Epidemic" short film, on the millions of girls missing in Asia due to child labor, female infanticide, and sex trafficking, won the Tribeca Film Festival 2019 Disruptor Award, and the CNN Expose 2018 Best Picture Award, and was created in partnership with Anand Mahindra's "Nanhi Kali Foundation" and ad agency "Strawberry Frog." Her "Girl Rising India," raises awareness of the importance of girls' empowerment, for which she raised the funding and directed Indian stars, which became central to Prime Minister Modi's "Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao" social awareness campaign (trans: "Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter"). Her "Crescendo" short film, which became part of Pepsi's "Beats of the Beautiful Game, shows how "sports uplift and empower girls to develop physical and mental strength, discipline, self-confidence, leadership and a sense of community."

For "Girl Rising, India" a feature-length film for girls' empowerment, Indrani directed the Bollywood stars Freida Pinto, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Nandita Das Priyanka Chopra Sushmita Sen and Madhuri Dixit for the original Indian content, with a video and photo campaign which she also shot, that trended on Twitter when released on 29 August 2015, and became part of the Indian government's campaign Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (translation: Save girl child, educate a girl child).

Indrani's work has been published in over 25 books and shown in over 20 exhibitions, and her portrait of Beyonce is on permanent exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. In 2013 the Lincoln Center presented a week-long 30-piece public art exhibition Icons, to accompany the release of the photobook, Icons: The celebrity exposures of Markus and Indrani, published by Perseus Press. Icons is described as the product of 18 years as "a visionary tour de force" by Katie Amey for Elle; and "High-concept and hyperrealism commingle" by Kimberley Jones for the Austin Chronicle.

In 2013 Indrani directed David Bowie's "Valentine's Day" video, about which Eric Danton of Rolling Stone says Bowie "radiates intensity", Robin Hilton of NPR calls it "thrilling and intense". Described by Michael Bonner in The Uncut as "Indrani's video. It is compelling. I think she captured something about him - and the story around how she did it is quite interesting." Indrani's work and interviews are featured in the HBO / BBC Film "David Bowie: The Last Five Years."

As well as working with over two dozen non-profits, Indrani was Special Advisor to the UNGMDF World Fashion Forum and Director of Relations at the UN World Film Forum 2013-2015. She is Co-Host of the Global People's Summit 2018 during the General Assembly at the United Nations, democratizing access to conversations and information that shapes the world, with the President of the General Assembly and 190 countries live. She is also a Fellow and Speaker at the United Nations for Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2018.

An exhibition at the Pacific Design Center LA was presented by the Lucie Foundation in concert with the Month of Photography Los Angeles and the Farmani Gallery, and the Icons Exhibition of her work was presented by The Angel Orensanz Foundation for Contemporary Art NY and Bravo TV to celebrate "Double Exposure" on 16 June 2010.

Indrani was born in Kolkata, India, in 1983, raised in the historic palace of her Zamindar family, and accompanied her British mother as a volunteer with Mother Teresa. Both her parents were accountants. She witnessed "the devastating poverty that stood in stark contrast to her own childhood," which motivated her to someday make a difference in the area.