Bollywood to honour Mira Nair with 'Pride of India' award

Critically acclaimed India-born director Mira Nair will be honoured with the 'Pride of India' award at the 9th Bollywood Film Awards, New York later this year for her contributions to the film industry.

Nair, a Harvard University graduate, began her artistic career as an actor before turning to film direction. Nair's latest project, the on-screen adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Namesake' has been critically acclaimed and is a commercial success.

Commenting on the popularity of Bollywood films worldwide, she attributed it to her root in the Indianness. "The brilliant thing is that there's room for all of us, for our four-hour Bollywood extravaganzas and for my independent work, because we come from a place whose heart is as big as the ocean."

"And to those who worry about filmmakers becoming more international than Indian, I say this it is because my roots are so strong that I can fly," said Nair.