Deepa Mehta, LLD (born 1 January 1950 in Amritsar, Punjab, India) is a Genie Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, most known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005), which was nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Her repertoire includes Bollywood/Hollywood and the adaptation of Salman Rushdie's Midnight’s Children. Born in India, she migrated to Canada after studying philosophy at the University of New Delhi. Initially focusing on documentaries, she's received numerous awards, honorary degrees, and prestigious honours like the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award and the Order of Canada for her groundbreaking work in film. Recognized for challenging norms, Mehta’s films are revered for their daring and provocative nature, earning her distinctions like the Best Canadian Director by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle in 2006. She also co-founded Hamilton-Mehta Productions, with her husband, producer David Hamilton in 1996.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 1, 1950 (76)
- Amritsar, Punjab, India
- Director, writer and producer, also actor
- 14 on MovieCove · 29 credits in all
What are Deepa Mehta's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 2 · Earnest 10
A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 1 · Dark 4
A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 3 · Intense 4
Steady 8 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0
Casual 6 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4
Resolved 8 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet5
- Ambiguous3
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Deepa Mehta's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Deepa Mehta's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
29 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Donkeyhead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
To Kill a Tiger(2022)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
I Am Sirat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Yellowjackets(2021)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
Funny Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Violation(2020)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Little America(2020)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows
Leila(2019)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all showsAnatomy of Violence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Mostly Sunny(2016)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Beeba Boys(2015)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Midnight's Children(2012)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Cooking With Stella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Heaven on Earth(2008)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
The Forgotten Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
The Republic of Love(2003)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Bollywood/Hollywood(2002)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Camilla(1994)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Sam & Me(1991)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all filmsMartha, Ruth & Edie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Danger Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
For the Record (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Sher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Troilokya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 28 titles, 26 of them dated from 1976 to 2023.
Biggest box office
Heaven on Earth (2008)
Highest rated
To Kill a Tiger (2022)
Most popular right now
Leila (2019)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Deepa Mehta's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
9 of their 14 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Divisive1
- Crowd Pleaser3
- Mixed9
Reviewers score the atmosphere 63/100 and the pacing 36/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Deepa Mehta work with?
People who share at least 2 of Deepa Mehta's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Hamilton shares the most, 6.
Actors
- Ranjit ChowdhryShared titles: Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), Camilla (1994), Sam & Me (1991)See all 3 shared titles with Ranjit Chowdhry
- Rahul KhannaShared titles: Leila (2019), Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Rahul Khanna
- SiddharthShared titles: Leila (2019), Midnight's Children (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Siddharth
- Balinder JohalShared titles: Beeba Boys (2015), Heaven on Earth (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Balinder Johal
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Colin MonieShared titles: Beeba Boys (2015), Midnight's Children (2012), Heaven on Earth (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Colin Monie
- Giles NuttgensShared titles: Midnight's Children (2012), Heaven on Earth (2008), The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father (1996)See all 3 shared titles with Giles Nuttgens
- Barry FarrellShared titles: The Republic of Love (2003), Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), Camilla (1994)See all 3 shared titles with Barry Farrell
- Daniel LanoisShared titles: Vocation (2013), Camilla (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Lanois
Producers
- David HamiltonShared titles: Violation (2020), Mostly Sunny (2016), Beeba Boys (2015), Midnight's Children (2012), Heaven on Earth (2008), Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)See all 6 shared titles with David Hamilton
- Mehernaz LentinShared titles: Heaven on Earth (2008), The Republic of Love (2003), Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)See all 3 shared titles with Mehernaz Lentin
- Robert WertheimerShared titles: Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), Sam & Me (1991)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Wertheimer
