Mira Nair bereaved, triumph at Venice diminished

With the exultation comes the rain-clouds. Just when Mira Nair was rejoicing over the singular honour of having her latest work The Reluctant Fundamentalist being selected as the opening film at the Venice Film Festival, the director has lost her father, the retired civil servant Amrit Nair. Though Mira has two older male siblings she was the closest to her father. Says a source close to Mira, “She was deeply attached to her father. During her growing years he encouraged to pursue her dreams. In her home-town Bhubaneshwar she was encouraged by her father to learn to play the Sitar, to participate in street theatre, paint and write poetry. Her roots as a filmmaker go back to her childhood in her home-town.” The death happened suddenly and has left Mira shaken and introspective. Friends say she is avoiding all social interaction.. Some years ago in 2003 Mira Nair lost her mother-in-law who was like a mother to her. The bereavement prompted her to make The Namesake.