Prerana Thakurdesai

On my birthday, I signed the Filmworker Pledge and made the choice to not work with Israeli institutions that are implicated in the Palestinian genocide. I join hundreds of film professionals - directors, producers, actors, technicians and others - in responding to the call of Palestinian filmmakers. We are taking a stand against art-washing genocide and apartheid. Many Israeli film institutions and companies partner with the Israeli government and support its public relations goals. We refuse to allow our labor and creativity to be used to sanitize or normalize war crimes.

We are inspired by past movements against cultural complicity. In the 1980s, Filmmakers United Against Apartheid stood against South African apartheid by boycotting apartheid cinemas and calling on studios and politicians to condition the distribution of their work. 
This is one step in a longer process of ending complicity. This pledge is a tool — and a building block to greater actions that ensure we as artists are on the side of humanity. Gaza demands meaningful action now. This pledge is one way to say: We will not be silent. We will not be complicit. We stand for Palestinian freedom, dignity, and life.

Truly humbled to be selected as an honoree for @docnycfest 2023 Documentary New Leaders initiative, and to be amidst individuals I cherish and whose work I deeply, deeply admire. Looking forward to learning from everyone through the course of the program. Grateful for the work that several wonderful people @bitchitracollective & @wearekalakars continue to do that creates space for us to grow together. ♥️♥️ Major shoutout to @stephaniejanep @itslailanie @kristalsotomayor #GerryLeonard #nataliebullockbrown see y’all soon!

Long Read on Bitchitra Collective, but equally long has been the story of women's struggle. Filmmaking, and the documentary or non-fiction subset within that, has, for long, remained, and still does for the most part, the prerogative of cis-het men. Look at the awards and the Box Office earnings for fiction films. Documentary cinema in India has never had any control over money or exhibition spaces. The Indian documentary was born, with HS Bhatavdekar's The Wrestlers (1899), 14 years before the Indian motion picture. Post-independence, the documentary film was used, via Films Division (1948), for nation-building. The '70s Emergency era saw the form catapulting the independent documentary movement and guerrilla filmmaking. It birthed India's first feminist film collective, Yugantar. Yes, it is historic that documentary filmmakers have made India proud at the Oscars & global festivals/awards in the past few years, as the pandemic wreaked havoc back home. COVID-19 left many small-time documentary filmmakers hard-pressed to even pay for rent, food & medical bills, leave alone make films. There was no filmmaker sustenance fund in the country. The government body Films Division was months away from closure/merger under NFDC. The two women running the show at Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), would quit in 2021 to form Rough Edges @rough_edges_arts to support the documentary film. That year, the US based documentary filmmaker Vaishali Sinha, in a knee-jerk reaction, posted on the US' @browngirlsdocmafia group, seeking to raise a sustenance fund to help female documentary filmmakers in India pay their med bills, rent, etc. A group of docu makers in the US of Indian origin applied for @colorcongress (fiscal sponsor) grant, which they use for a (fund + mentoring) fellowship to a select filmmakers, distributing others' films via @gooddocs , etc. For their sophomore Fellowship grant, @bitchitracollective is calling for applications till December 30. There's an additional fund in the memory of @sriyankaproduces who died this year. @meenakshishedde @vaishalisinha_79 @preranatd @apoorvarb @mriduchandra @juhifilms @farhakhatun @nishthajain LINK IN BIO/Google

#Repost @seatatthetable.film ・・・ We’re thrilled and so honored to announce that SEAT AT THE TABLE won the Audience Award at CAAMFest 2026. There is something especially meaningful about being chosen by the people who watched the film in the room with us. SEAT AT THE TABLE is about the rise of South Asians in American politics - the communities, voters, and organizers who have been doing the work of building power. To have this film resonate with the very people whose visibility and political presence it is championing means so much to us. Thank you to @caamedia and our incredible audience for showing up with so much warmth, energy, laughter, applause, and engagement. This award feels like a recognition that this story has value and has found its people. Directed by: @saritakhur & @yoyomaa8 Executive Producers: @rj.narang @nickrathod , Yoav Attias Producers: Sarita Khurana, @preranatd Editor: @sunitadee Original Music: @simon_taufique Line Producer: Suzanne Giordano Archival Producer: @arshharjani Post-production Supervisor: zakiaxsmith Assistant Editor: Samuel Valenti Associate Editor: @tallgirlshorts Additional Editor: @annequin Directors of Photography: @analoggirl16 , Eric Seals, David Vlasits, Andreas Wagner, Brad White, @yongshuling Field Producers: @samiakhanbams Cindy Martin, Meredith Nutting, @gopishastri @chandifilms , Charlotte Zonis Motion Graphics: @edgeworxstudios Additional Graphics: @ckingfilm Colorist: Aesthetica Post Sound Design: @bluetablepost Design & Social Media Producer: @khushalihaji

SEAT AT THE TABLE made its world premiere at @caamedia CAAMFest in San Francisco and we are still feeling it. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made this night unforgettable. Next stop — more screenings coming. Links in bio. Director: @saritakhur Co-Director: @yoyomaa8 Executive Producers: @rj.narang , @nickrathod , Yoav Attias Producers: Sarita Khurana, @preranatd Editor: @sunitadee #SeatAtTheTable #CAAMFest2026 #SouthAsianAmerican #RepresentationMatters #PoliticalDocumentary #FilmFestival

What a night! Thank you to everyone who came out for the world premiere of SEAT AT THE TABLE at CAAMFest. We’re still taking in the excitement of watching the film with a packed house that cheered, applauded, laughed, and truly engaged with the film. It was especially meaningful to have several of our film’s participants, @nabeelasyed @dr.amishshah and @vedapriya120 there. This film has been a labor of love, we’re so grateful for the incredible reception and for everyone who helped make the evening so special. The energy in all the conversations flowed into celebrations that continued through the night! A big thank you to @caamedia @doncaam and @sapana3000 for providing us this great platform. Stay tuned for more screenings and opportunities to engage with SEAT AT THE TABLE. Directed by: @saritakhur & @yoyomaa8 Executive Producers: @rj.narang , @nickrathod , Yoav Attias Producers: Sarita Khurana, @preranatd Editor: @sunitadee

It’s May 1, which means we’re just over a week out to our world premiere at @caamedia CAAMFest on May 9, 2026. 🛴 🎟️ at the link in bio! #itsgonnabemay #aapihm Director: @saritakhur Co-Director: @yoyomaa8 Executive Producers: @rj.narang , @nickrathod , Yoav Attias Producers: Sarita Khurana, @preranatd Editor: @sunitadee

The 29th Annual Asian American Showcase presents: SEAT AT THE TABLE Directed by Sarita Khurana, Yoav Attias Monday, May 11, 2026 - 8:15 PM @filmcenter (164 N. State) Get your tickets now! -> With Post Film Q&A Panel with: Sarita Khurana - Co-Director Seat at the Table Nabeela Syed - Illinois State Representative Kevin Olickal - Illinois State Representative Shobhana Verma - Executive Director, SAAPRI Aditi Singh - Moderator, Lawyer & Policy Analyst SEAT AT THE TABLE follows several prominent South Asian political candidates during the 2024 election cycle, alongside a community galvanized by the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian presidential candidate. Featured in the film is Nabeela Syed running for Illinois State representative for the 51st district that covers northwest suburban Cook and Lake Counties. The film captures a historic year for the South Asian diaspora as more candidates than ever run for office, providing us a rare front-row seat to the dynamic forging of power in America. @nickrathod @nabeelasyed saforamerica @staterepkevinolickal @rep.nabeelasyed @preranatd @sunitadee @kevinfor16th @kevin.olickal @yoyomaa8 @seatatthetable.film @johris09 @rj.narang @vedapriya120 #AAPI #AANHPI #AAPIHeritageMonth #SouthAsian #Desi

We are so happy to announce that we will be celebrating Asian American Heritage Month (May) with west coast screenings of our short documentary, THE LAST RESORT. The film follows the intertwined lives of residents at Shanti Niketan, the first Indian-American retirement community in the United States, where a generation of immigrants is entering a new stage of life navigating family tensions, cultural longing and the realities of growing old together. The Last Resort will have its west coast premiere at the @vcmediaorg , travel home to CAAMFest as a @caamedia funded film and close out as the closing night film at @seattleaaff . We couldn’t be happier! If you’re in LA, San Francisco or Seattle, please catch our film. Sarita and I will be in SFO so come meet us in person! Tickets link in bio. Director: Sarita Khurana Producer: Prerana Thakurdesai Executive Producers: Geeta Gandbhir, Sarita Khurana Editors: Melissa Thompson, Flávia de Souza Assistant Editor: Lucy Saephan Director of Photography: Azad Additional Camera: Amber Fares, Prerana Thakurdesai Sound: Jack Neu Consulting Producer: Jaret Vadera Graphics: Landon Maloney Color Grading: Ranju Majumdar Sound Mix: William Hsieh With support from: Upper Sky Studios, Message Pics, Center for Asian American Media, Asian Women’s Giving Circle, Producers Guild of America #southasiandoc #southasiandiaspora #shantiniketan #immigrantaging

DOCUMENTARY FILM PREMIERE OF “SEAT AT THE TABLE: SOUTH ASIANS’ RISE IN AMERICAN POLITICS” at @caamedia CAAMFEST, Saturday, May 9th, 6 pm at AMC KABUKI, Tickets & Info at linktr.ee/seatatthetablefilm 💕 I first met phenomenal filmmakers @saritakhur @yoyomaa8 on zoom with inspiring producer @rj.narang in 2024 as they described their vision for a first of its kind Documentary Film on South Asian Americans’ political journey… I remember feeling inspired and at the same time, humbled that they wanted to document my journey as an Organizer with @south_asians_for_harris as I traveled around the country to turn out the South Asian vote with many of @saforamerica Family to help elect my mentor @kamalaharris as the first South Asian and Black woman President… As they joined me around the country, I was moved by their incredible vision & talent and their deep passion for their craft (Sarita previously directed A suitable girl and The Last resort). I also got to know inspiring producer @preranatd better through this journey (Prerana produced Aamir Khan’s Satyameva Jayate & Oscar qualified Where the Light Enters You) 2 years later, their vision is now a reality and their Documentary Film @seatatthetable.film will have its world premiere at CAAMFEST in San Francisco on Saturday, May 9th at 6 pm ET at AMC KABUKI In addition to me, the film features @dr.amishshah in AZ, IL State Rep @nabeelasyed & NJ State Rep @ravibhallanj The film also has cameos of so many of my @saforamerica @south_asians_for_harris organizing family including my inspiration for being in the South Asian organizing space @msnehadewan and watching them in the film made me more emotional than seeing myself. The film also features scenes with my daughters @jananikjha @abhayarangini which makes this film extra special for me… Bay Area friends, I hope you will join me at the Film Premiere on May 9th - Visit link in my bio for Tickets! The film will travel around the country over the next few months.. Please visit linktr.ee/seatatthetablefilm for updates on additional screenings. Thank you for being part of this new chapter in my life and for being my village 🥹🙏

It’s official. We’re headed 🔜 to @caamedia next month! #SeatAtTheTable is an offical documentary selection and will make it’s world premiere at CAAMFest on May 9, 2026. 🎥 We are thrilled to be a part of this year’s important line-up. If you’re in the Bay Area, we hope you can join us at the table. Get your tickets at the link in our bio. #indiefilm #aapi Director: @saritakhur Co-Director: @yoyomaa8 Executive Producers: @rj.narang , @nickrathod , Yoav Attias Producers: Sarita Khurana, @preranatd Editor: @sunitadee

On this MLK Day, the Center for Transformational Change has released ‘A Political Hope Zine,’ exploring how creativity fuels resistance and resilience - a compilation of some soul nourishing thoughts. I feel grateful to have been invited by @lksriv to ruminate on a paradigm for hope. And importantly, I feel privileged and emotional to be in the company of such deep thinkers and change-makers on this important day. Hope y’all will engage with the zine. Link in bio. @cftchange #mlkday #politicalhope #artforresistance