I think optimism springs from nature. I'm a gardener. Nature has taught me about rhythm, the essence of every art. With so much that is terrible, nature gives me pleasure. Mira Nair artessencegardener Change image and share on social
Post 9/11, so much has changed in New York that it does not give you that homely feeling which it did before. Mira Nair changefeltgive Change image and share on social
I love the idea that it doesn't take one person only to achieve your potential. It takes a village, it takes a community, a street, a teacher, a mother. Mira Nair achievecommunityidea Change image and share on social
I listen to Ustad Vilayat Khan's 'Raga Khamaj' and 'Raga Jaijaiwanti' virtually every morning, a lot of Abdullah Ibrahim, Michael Kiwanuka, Savages, and contemporary Ugandan pop. Mira Nair abdullahcontemporaryibrahim Change image and share on social
Life is short, so I'm knowing exactly where I'm putting my time. I don't want to do things that I don't have to do. Mira Nair knowlifeputt Change image and share on social
You've got to understand that in Bollywood, every actor is an instrument, and yet a human being. They come to the set with a set agenda, believing, 'This is who I am, this is what I want, and no, I am not going to become that character you want me to.' Mira Nair actoragendumbelieve share on social
I've been able to look at the world differently from three continents practically. I've always lived between India and the U.S. When I married Mahmood I became a daughter-in-law of Africa. That really changed my worldview. I can see it from so many perspectives. Mira Nair africachangecontinent share on social
Either you're this, or you're that: either you're - if you're a Pakistani, you're a terrorist; if you're an American, you might be a militarist. Those kind of prisms that we see each other through are really stultifying, and they don't often show the complexity and the incredible warmth and encompassing of the world. Mira Nair americancomplexityencompass share on social
'No words - action' was the lesson my mother taught me: as artists, we have the privilege of holding a mirror to the world, to engage, to question, to bring beauty to a complex universe. Mira Nair actionartistbeauty Change image and share on social
It is shocking that the screen does not reflect the way the world is and the diversity in the world... What the world really looks like should be on screen, and it isn't. Mira Nair diversityreflectscreen Change image and share on social