# Namrata Singh Gujral

Namrata Singh Gujral is an American filmmaker, motivational speaker and actor.

## Early life

Gujral was born in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, to a Sikh father and a Tibetan-Portugeuse mother; she left India at a young age. She graduated in 1998 from the University of West Florida.

## Career

Gujral started her career as an actress in the 2001 film Training Day.
She later became President of Uniglobe Entertainment, a Hollywood based studio, which focuses on socially relevant international projects for the North American market. Gujral’s first production, Americanizing Shelley (2007) starring Beau Bridges and Wil Wheaton, was released theatrically in 24 countries with Warner Bros.
Her directorial debut came about after surviving breast cancer; she produced, directed and appeared in Uniglobe Entertainment's 2010 cancer docudrama 1 a Minute. The film includes breast cancer survivors Olivia Newton-John, Diahann Carroll, Melissa Etheridge, Mumtaz, Jaclyn Smith and cancer survivors Lisa Ray, Barbara Mori and cancer treatment advocates Deepak Chopra, William Baldwin, Daniel Baldwin, Priya Dutt and Nancy Brinker.
Gujral’s 2018 venture 5 Weddings, a Hollywood-Bollywood rom-com, features international stars and opened theatrically in 54 countries. The film delves into the lives of Hijras, a group of transgender/eunuch dancers at Indian weddings, who are socially ostracized.

## Health

In 2008, Gujral was treated for early stage, invasive breast cancer. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy. She hosts Thrive! With Namrata, a panel based show with cancer survivors on the Thrive Channel.
In 2013, she was treated for Burkitt's lymphoma. She was treated with aggressive chemotherapy including intrathecal chemotherapy at City of Hope for six months. The cause of lymphoma was prior chemotherapy from 2008 for breast cancer. In 2013, Gujral was in remission from both cancers.

## Music

Gujral made her singing debut with the single "Dancin' In The Clouds", an American country rock meets Bollywood style duet, with country singer Steve Azar. The video appeared on CMT, MTV and VH1. Hollywood composer Jay Ferguson produced the single, reportedly making her the first American artist with Eastern roots to be featured on CMT.

## Awards and recognition

Lifetime TV honored Gujral as one of their “Remarkable Women” making her the first Indian-American to join the ranks of other notables such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. The honor was awarded for her production 1 a Minute.
For her role as Saira Ahmed on the CBS series Family Law, Gujral, along with co-stars Tony Danza and Kathleen Quinlan, were Columbia TriStar's official nomination for the 2002 Emmy Awards.

## Filmography

* Training Day (2001)
* Dragnet (2004)
* Family Law (2001)
* Passions (NBC, 2001–2005)
* The Agency (CBS, 2001–2002)
* Mitsein (2009)
* House of Sand and Fog (2003)
* Kaante (2002)
* Americanizing Shelley (2007)
* 1 a Minute (2010)
* Thrive! With Namrata (2014)
* Ultimate Survivor (2015)
* You Can Thrive (2016)
* Destination Survival (2016)
* 5 Weddings (2018)
* America's Forgotten (2020)
* America's Forgotten 2 (2021)

## Music videos

| Year | Video |
| 2007 | "Dancin' in the Clouds" (with Steve Azar) |