Mira Nair unveils Amri, a movie inspired by Amrita Sher-Gil’s life and legacy

3 min readUpdated: May 13, 2026 04:00 AM IST

Filmmaker Mira Nair, who has self-admittedly been deeply inspired by the art of Amrita Sher-Gil, announced her next feature ‘Amri’, which is based on the life and art of the iconic artist. Set across Hungary, France and India in the early 20th Century, the film traces the worlds of Europe and India that shaped Sher-Gil’s imagination and her artistic vision. The film is currently completing production across India and Hungary.

The ensemble cast is led by Anjali Sivaraman (of Bad Girl fame) as Amrita Sher-Gil. The movie will feature Emily Watson as her mother, Marie-Antoinette Gottesman, Jaideep Ahlawat as her father, Umrao Singh Sher-Gil, Krisztián Csákvári as Victor Egan, Anjana Vasan as Indira Sher-Gil, Jim Sarbh as Karl Khandalavala and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas as Madame Azurie. Chopra-Jonas also serves as an executive producer on the film.

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Sher-Gil’s work has been impactful on Nair’s visual imagination. Talking about Amri, the Salaam Bombay! (1988) director said: “Every film I’ve made in the last several decades has been inspired by the art of Amrita Sher-Gil. She taught me how to see. She absorbed the best European training to distill the soul of India in a way that no one ever had — it is this distillation that has informed my own cinema from the beginning. The bravery of her palette, color and framing of the ordinary people of India has eternally moved me.” Nair has co-written the film with Clara Royer.

Amri explores Amrita Sher-Gil’s coming of age as both an artist and a woman, her restless search for selfhood, her defiance of convention even to the point of scandal in her love life, and her determination to create a visual language entirely her own.

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The youngest student to ever be admitted in the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Paris, educated and trained in the conventions of European tradition, Amrita evolved a personal aesthetic that highlighted the everyday life of ordinary women and men in India. This was a radical aesthetic breakthrough that later shaped Mira’s own sensibility.

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Speaking about Amri, producer Samudrika Arora shared, “Amrita Sher-Gil’s life and oeuvres reflect the aspirations of the modern generation, where identity and unapologetic self-expression meet. There is something deeply human in the tension of coming from two wildly different worlds — the challenge of belonging to both, and never entirely to either. What moved me to make this film is how Amri carried the best of each world within her, and not lose herself in the space between them.”

Alaka Sahani is a prominent film critic and journalist based in Mumbai. With a career spanning over two decades, she has established herself as one of India’s most authoritative voices in cinematic journalism, known for an analytical approach and insights that transcend the standard cycle of celebrity journalism.

Expertise & Accolades
In 2014, Alaka was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Film Critic. Her Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) citation specifically lauded her for “highlighting facets of cinema beyond glamour and gossip” and for her ability to delve into the contemporary relevance of iconic filmmakers. Her commitment to journalistic integrity was further recognised in 2019 with a Special Mention at the Red Ink Awards for her investigative feature, ‘In Search of a Star’. Her article titled ‘People Like Us’, published in The Indian Express on March 27, 2022, was shortlisted for Red Ink Award, 2023.

Global Industry Leadership
Alaka’s expertise is sought after by major international and domestic film bodies:

Golden Globes: In 2025, she joined the international voting body for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.

National Film Awards: She served on the prestigious jury for the 68th National Film Awards, helping select the finest contributions to Indian cinema.

Global Perspective: Her work consistently bridges the gap between commercial Bollywood A-listers and emerging independent talents, offering nuanced insights into both Indian regional cinema and international film trends.

Focus & Vision
Beyond the screen, Alaka is a dedicated observer of Mumbai’s vibrant theatre scene and the historical evolution of the moving image. Through her long-form articles and deep-dive interviews, she continues to challenge “tried-and-tested” templates, providing readers with a deep understanding of the artistic and systemic workings of the Indian and global film industry. … Read More