On Komal Nahta’s podcast, Game Changers: The Producer Series, one of India’s most celebrated producers, Guneet Monga who has carved a place in the global cinema scene with groundbreaking work which has culminated in her historic Oscar win for The Elephant Whisperers.
Reflecting on her Oscar moment, Guneet spoke about the mix of emotion and history being made after her Oscar win, “Absolute numbness, absolute gratification, it was unbelievable, magical, mystical, surreal, it was a dream. Jab hum Bombay aaye toh hume yeh tha ki ek din Filmfare jeetenge, woh bhi din dekhe, Filmfare bhi jeete. Hum aise hi bolte the hum Oscar jayenge. Jab woh hota hai and jab woh pura theatre stage se dekhte ho na, itna lamba, uncha, it’s really surreal, it’s magical. I want to go back again for a feature film and finish my speech jo pending hai.”
Guneet Monga has produced several critically acclaimed and popular films that have made a mark both in India and internationally. Some of her most well-known productions include Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), a cult gangster epic directed by Anurag Kashyap, and The Lunchbox (2013), a globally celebrated romantic drama that earned widespread praise at international film festivals. She also backed Masaan (2015), a poignant indie film that won accolades at Cannes, and Pagglait (2021), a Netflix original praised for its sensitive portrayal of grief and self-discovery. Monga produced the Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru (2020), which won multiple National Awards. In the documentary space, she made history with Period. End of Sentence. (2018), which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject, Her recent productions like Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery (2023) and the action-thriller Kill (2024) continue to showcase her versatility as a producer committed to powerful storytelling.
With Game Changers’ Producer Series, Komal Nahta is redefining the landscape of Indian cinema conversations. Tune in to the YouTube channel for Game Changers Producer Series!
