As someone who considers herself an enthusiast of art from the South Asian region, Mindy Kaling took notice when a short film named “Anuja” appeared on her desk at Kaling International. Directed by Adam J. Graves together with his wife, renowned South Asian artist Suchitra Mattai, this project caught Kaling’s attention. “I have a deep affection for South Asian art, and Suchitra is a significant figure in that field,” Kaling shared with The Hollywood Reporter. Although she boasts a diverse portfolio of producer credits spanning TV shows such as “The Office“, “The Mindy Project“, and “Never Have I Ever“, films including “Late Night“, and documentaries like “To Kill a Tiger“, Kaling hadn’t produced a short film (with the exception of Michael Scott’s “Threat Level Midnight” in “The Office“, which Kaling humorously refers to as her “most cherished producer accomplishment”).
Honestly, I don’t have a lot of experience with short films,” Kaling admits. “I always thought they were quite serious. But when I heard the plot for this one, it didn’t initially seem like something that fit our usual tone at Kaling Productions. However, I adored Suchitra so much that I agreed to watch a 22-minute production. To me, it was like an episode of TV. As soon as I saw it, I was captivated. It was more beautiful than I anticipated and had a unique tone that I wasn’t expecting. This made me want to assist in any way possible.
In October, Kaling agreed to produce a movie that revolves around a talented 9-year-old girl who works in an Indian garment factory. After filming was completed and they were searching for a distributor, he came on board. The short film explores the issue of child labor as Anuja and her sister Palak encounter a significant chance to quit their factory jobs and attend school instead. Graves and Mattai began contemplating this concept roughly five years prior and filmed it in 2023.
In collaboration with producers and executive producers such as Oscar winner Guneet Monga (of “The Elephant Whisperers”) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mindy Kaling opted to partner with Netflix to broadcast her short film to international viewers. This decision has proven fruitful, as the movie is now nominated for the category of Best Original Short Film at the 2025 Oscars. Kaling considers this Academy recognition a significant milestone in her career. Prior to this nomination, the short film garnered three other awards: the title of best live-action short at the HollyShorts Film Festival, the grand prize and the award for best short film by audience choice at the New York Shorts International Film Festival, and the audience award for short film at the Montclair Film Festival.
Typically, I’m the one responsible for writing, directing, or acting in productions,” Kaling explains. “However, this time around, my role was to market it, which turned out to be a delightful test. I had a hunch that Netflix would make an ideal platform for Anuja. Bela [Bajaria, head of content at Netflix] is a strong advocate for artists, and I thought, ‘What if this ended up with Bela?’ They needed visibility and they needed it promptly.
The movie was produced in partnership with Salaam Baalak Trust, a charitable organization based in India that offers aid to street and working children in New Delhi. Notably, the film’s leading actress, Sajda Pathan, is one of these very children. Kaling explains that the trust employs acting as a form of therapy for these kids, meaning that while Pathan has some acting background, she lacked professional experience. “I hope this role marks the start of a successful acting career for Sajda,” says Kaling. “She possesses such natural talent. I can’t wait to work with her on one of my future projects. I truly hope she achieves financial stability and security for the rest of her life.
This tale was initially published in a special issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine for February. If you’d like to get this magazine, you can subscribe by clicking here.
Originally featured in a solo issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine, published in February. You can subscribe here to get your own copy.
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This tale was initially published in a special February issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To get the magazine, click here to subscribe.
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2025-02-10 22:26