Fagun | |
---|---|
Born | Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK |
Alma mater | University of Cambridge University College London Medical School, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London College of Fashion |
Occupation(s) | Actress, director, writer, producer, global ambassador, activist, fashion designer, philanthropist, |
Years active | Since 2011 |
Fagun Thakrar is an English actress, writer-director, founder, social entrepreneur and activist. Fagun has appeared in several British, American, and Indian cinema. [1] Fagun is the founder and CEO of the Purpose Movie Studio. [2] Fagun is involved in many global non-profit organizations, particularly in initiatives related to global health and holistic well-being. She also established the Creatively Inspired Life Foundation. [3] [4] In March 2023, Fagun was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, recognizing her as one of the world's most promising leaders. [5]
Fagun was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. [6] She studied at Beauchamp College in Oadby.
Fagun has studied five degrees at internationally renowned universities. Initially Fagun moved to London to study medicine at University College London. [7] Later, she diversified her education by training in classical acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London [7] and pursued film directing studies in the US. [8] She also holds a master's degree from the London College of Fashion. [8] Subsequently, Fagun acquired an MBA to broaden her scope in the business sector. She has further advanced her academic qualifications by earning a fifth degree from the University of Cambridge. [9]
Fagun's educational achievements was chronicled in a special segment for ITV News for maintaining her "straight A" record under a particularly challenging course load in high school and college. [10]
Whilst studying, Fagun competed against thousands of contestants and won BBC's Bolly Idol, an adoption of Pop and America idol after which she was offered her first lead stage role. [11]
For her first cinematic role, Fagun starred as Nabeela in the film, Brick Lane , [12] shot on location in London. She then played Mandy Edge for the long running BBC hospital TV series, Holby City . [13] Her acting roles include the title part of Zohra and the lead part of Deepa Verma, in the thriller Blood and Curry. [14] Fagun portrayed Rekha opposite Martin Sheen and Kal Penn in the American film Bhopal: Prayer for Rain.
She attended the Cannes Film festival in 2011. [15] She was hand-picked by internationally acclaimed film director Shekhar Kapur for the premiere of the movie Bollywood, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.
In addition to her acting credits on film, Fagun has performed in several Shakespeare plays, including as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She has also appeared in commercials representing L'Oréal, IBM and Vodafone.
As a writer and director Fagun intends to focus on films about social issues. [16]
Fagun is currently directing a documentary How Our Brains Are Affected by Meditation. [17]
Fagun was appointed as the Global Ambassador for The International Forum Advocating for Women's Brain and Health, which holds an annual meeting in Zurich, Switzerland. The organization unites experts and representatives from various scientific disciplines and practice fields, with the aim of advancing the study and enhancement of brain and mental health. [18]
Fagun founded The Creatively Inspired Life Foundation, a non-profit organization to help young people to overcome barriers through the power of creativity. [19]
Fagun served as the international spokeswoman for SAHARA (South Asian Helpline And Referral Agency), a culturally sensitive organization that supports women in Southern California through personal crisis.
Fagun continues to work with The United Nations and Amnesty International, among other global organizations [20]
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) honored Fagun on their selective Newcomers Program, awarded to international rising stars. [21] [22] [23]
Fagun was awarded the Leicester Arts Achievement Award for her contribution and supporting young people in the arts. [24]
Fagun's career achievements were featured alongside those of actors, including Dame Judi Dench, in a historical book on British actors on stage and cinema over the past eight decades. [25]
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual award ceremonies, BAFTA has an international programme of learning events and initiatives offering access to talent through workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures, and mentoring schemes in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards, is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The ceremonies were initially held at the flagship Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square in London, before being held at the Royal Opera House from 2007 to 2016. From 2017 to 2022, the ceremony was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London before moving to the Royal Festival Hall for the 2023 ceremony. The statue awarded to recipients depicts a theatrical mask.
Nora Ephron was an American journalist, writer, and filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing romantic comedy films and received numerous accolades including a British Academy Film Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and three Writers Guild of America Awards.
Greta Scacchi, OMRI is an Anglo-Italian-Australian actress. She is best known for her roles in the films White Mischief (1987), Presumed Innocent (1990), The Player (1992), Emma (1996), and Looking for Alibrandi (2000).
Emily Olivia Laura Blunt is a British actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and four British Academy Film Awards. Forbes ranked her as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world in 2020.
Deeyah Khan is a Norwegian documentary film director and human rights activist of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. Deeyah is a two-time Emmy Award winner, two time Peabody Award winner, a BAFTA winner and has received the Royal Television Society award for Best Factual Director. She has made seven documentaries to date, all have been shown on ITV in the UK as part of its Exposure series.
The Beauchamp College is a coeducational secondary school and further education community college, in Oadby, a town on the outskirts of Leicester, England. It is situated on the southern edge of the built-up area of Oadby on the same campus as Gartree High School and Brocks Hill Primary School.
Thelma Schoonmaker is an Algerian-born American film editor, best known for her collaboration over five decades with director Martin Scorsese. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Film Awards, and four ACE Eddie Awards. She has been honored with the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1997, the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2014, and the BAFTA Fellowship in 2019.
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.
A Taste of Honey is a 1961 British drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens and Murray Melvin. It is an adaptation of the 1958 play of the same name by Shelagh Delaney. Delaney wrote the screenplay with Richardson, who directed the original Broadway production of the play in 1960. The film is an exemplar of a gritty genre of British film that has come to be called kitchen sink realism.
Joanna Marion Scanlan is a British actress and writer. On television, she is known for her roles in The Thick of It (2005–2012), Big School (2013–2014), Puppy Love (2014), No Offence (2015–2018), Requiem (2018), and The Larkins (2021). She was nominated for three BAFTA TV Awards for Getting On (2009–2012), including two for Best Writing.
Caitríona Mary Balfe is an Irish actress and model. She is best known for her starring role as Claire Fraser in the Starz historical drama series Outlander (2014–present), for which she received nominations for four Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama.
Rakhee Thakrar is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders (2014–2016) and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education (2019–2023). She also voices the Eighth Doctor's companion Bliss in Big Finish's Doctor Who: The Time War audio dramas.
Samir Bhamra is a multi-faceted British artist, playwright, costume designer, producer and musical theatre director at Phizzical Productions. Samir graduated from Loughborough University with a BSc. in Mathematics and Computation where he honed in on his creativity. His contribution to the arts and cultural landscape in the UK saw him enter the Top 5 Asian Power Couples in 2020. Influenced by Indian cinema, mythologies and classic British literature, his works across multiple art forms and digital technologies. He is also the Creative Director of the world's longest running South Asian Film Festival called UK Asian Film Festival which platforms and makes independent South Asian films and talent accessible to communities across the UK. He pioneered BollyIdol, a national talent search with BBC. His writing and directing credits include Bombay Superstar, Stardust, Bring on the Bollywood, Precious Bazaar and an academically acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline. He was the 2021 Senior Producer at Belgrade Theatre Coventry producing the theatre's UK City of Culture 2021 programme.
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