Nayan Padrai is a renowned screenwriter, producer, and director, boasting an impressive array of accomplishments in the film industry. His directorial debut, "When Harry Tries to Marry", was a groundbreaking feature film released in the United States on April 22, 2011, which he co-wrote, produced, and directed. Additionally, he produced the film's soundtrack, showcasing his multifaceted talents.
Nayan's subsequent feature directing project, "Billion Dollar Raja", is an inspiring true story of the largest insider trading case in US history, with the script earning an Honoree of the Writer's Guild of America's Feature Access project. His production company is also working on "Wildflowers".
Born in Mumbai and raised in Forest Hills, New York, Nayan's passion for writing and acting was nurtured at Forest Hills High School. He further honed his skills at Queensborough Community College and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he focused on screenwriting and acting.
Throughout his career, Nayan has garnered numerous accolades for his screenwriting efforts, including top ten finalist at Creative Screenwriting Magazine's Expo Contest, winner at the Texas Film Institute competition and the Empire Screenplay Competition, and acceptance to the Sundance Independent Producer Conference in 2004. His writing has also placed in various stages of competition at the Austin Film Festival, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences - Nicholl Fellowship, Breckenridge Screenplay Competition, Lone Star Screenplay Competition, Open-Door Script Magazine Contest, Writer's Network Competition, and Chesterfield Writer's Film Project. Nayan is a proud member of the Writer's Guild of America and serves as a Co-Chair of the Asian American Writers Committee. He is also a member of BMI.
"When Harry Tries to Marry" gained widespread recognition, winning Best Audience Award, Best Crossover Film, and Best New Talent at the London Asian Film Festival. It also took home Best Feature Film (Comedy) at the Jersey Shore Film Festival, and was a marquee screening at the Austin Film Festival and the Mumbai Film Festival. The film was an official selection at the Gold Coast International Film Festival.
Nayan has been a guest speaker at various industry events and colleges, including Ithaca College, Pace University, and Stonybrook University. In 2006, the South Asian Student Alliance bestowed Nayan with a Visionary Award for his work in the media and entertainment sector. He has also written guest blogs for IndieWire, Filmmaker, and The Wall Street Journal. Nayan first coined the phrase "Direct Distribution" on Ted Hope's Hope for Film blog.
Prior to embarking on his filmmaking career at the age of 34, Nayan was the Co-Founder and President of Cinemaya Media Group, a leading South Asian media, entertainment, and marketing conglomerate in the US. At Cinemaya, Nayan produced over 300 hours of television programming and ran the company's advertising agency Elephant, which ranked among the top 15 multi-cultural agencies by AdAge. He was responsible for launching the company's operations in India in 2007.
Nayan currently resides in Los Angeles.
