OSCAR WINNING DIRECTOR SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY ON HER INCREDIBLE CAREER AND NEW NETFLIX SHORT FILM
by ASJAD NAZIR
TWO-TIME Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy always injects an important message into her work with such surgical precision that it remains with the audiences long after the end credits roll.
The writer-director has branched off into interesting creative directions since making Oscar history with her documentary films Saving Face and A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness, including making a massive impact in animation.
Her superb animated short film Sitara: Let Girls Dream recently premiered on Netflix and looks like winning more accolades for the ace Pakistani filmmaker. The breathtakingly beautiful film revolves around a young girl whose dream of becoming a pilot comes crashing down when she he is forced to marry an older man. The masterful film has no dialogues, but puts across a strong message through animation, emotions and music.
Eastern Eye caught up with Sharmeen during the coronavirus lockdown to talk about her incredible journey, new film, future plans and why she is inspired by every woman.
Hope you are staying safe. How are you spending the Covid-19 self-isolation period?
Well, I am reassessing my priorities during the lockdown and thinking about the stories I want to tell moving forward. I am also thinking about the fact that the world is resetting itself, and we have to rethink the way we want to live our lives. So, I am spending a lot of time with my children and my dogs. (Laughs) I am doing a lot of cooking and am not sure it is all very good, but I am attempting it. I am beginning to write a story I hope to direct once the lockdown is over.
Now that you are on lockdown, have you had a chance to reflect on your amazing journey?
Personally, I have been thinking about the fact that I have been extremely lucky to have told stories I wanted to tell. Not everyone has that ability or is able to get an audience for that. Will I be a filmmaker forever? I don’t think so. I think that there are a lot of stories I have already told and there are many I want to tell, but after that I want to pass the mantle on to the next generation of filmmakers from my region. It is one of the things I’m eager to do and have been doing with my film and animation company, which is training the next generation of storytellers from Pakistan. So the baton gets carried on.
Your body of work is extraordinary. Which one is closest to your heart?
I think of all the work that I have done, my film A Girl In The River: The Price Of Forgiveness is the closest to my heart because it was the powerful testimony of a young woman that helped change an important law in Pakistan. The impact of the change in the law will probably not be so visible in the short term, but in the long run it is our hope that this legislative change will really alter the lives of many people.
You have branched off into different creative directions, but what connected you to animation?
I have always wanted to tell stories for children. I wanted to create a world where children could see a reflection of themselves on the big screen. When you come from South Asia, you seldom see the colours, food, sunset and even the language on the big screen, and I wanted our children to feel like there is a part of them that deserves to be on the big screen. That is how the world of animation began for me, just like the world of documentary filmmaking. I never really studied animation like I never really studied film – it is the stories that speak to me and the ability to craft a story for an audience.
What led you towards your latest animation film Sitara: Let Girls Dream?
We have been making a series of films, which happened to be about child brides and what struck me most as we were interviewing so many young girls was that they kept talking about their dreams and hopes, and how unfulfilled they were. So, we wanted to tell the story of a young girl who dreams of becoming a pilot and is robbed of it. Through her eyes, we wanted to show what happens when young girls are married off and are unable to fulfil their dreams. That is how this story came about and how I started writing it.
I thought it was a genius move to not have dialogues. What was the thought process behind that?
I wanted to strip the film of all dialogues because I wanted an audience to take whatever they wanted away from it. I wanted the facial expressions, hand movements and the environment that were transporting people to speak for themselves. The language of dreams and the language of hope are universal.
The music is like an extra character. Tell us about the thought process behind that?
I always wanted the music to drive the story, and we needed to find the right composer for it. We looked and even had another composer begin work on the film, but it wasn’t making the characters soar. So I got introduced to (Emmy Award winning composer) Laura Karpman fortuitously through somebody I met standing in line at an event. The minute I walked into Laura’s house I knew that she was the composer for this film. We had a wonderful connection.
What happened next?
It’s a short animated film and animation is expensive, but we wanted to have that orchestra feel so she got hold of Audio Network in the UK, and they underwrote the entire orchestra, and Abbey Road studios saw the film and came on board. So, it was a collaboration between Laura Karpman, Abby Road Studios and Audio Network that provided the sound for the film. It changed everything because she has married instruments from the east and west, and created this unique orchestra that when the girls fly you want to fly with them, and during the marriage scene you really feel for the family. All of that was accomplished because she was able to bring two worlds together.
How important is it to you to create message driven art?
I think message driven art is in my DNA. That is why, I create films, animation and tell the stories that I do. It’s important to have a goal and to me the goal has always been to make a difference, whether it is to impact legislation, start difficult conversations, or to encourage people to look at an issue in a different way. What drives me is when the film is done, what impact will it have.
You are a brave filmmaker and not afraid to take on a challenge, would you say you are fearless?
I would say that I am determined and inspired to tell the stories that need to be told because there are so many men and women at the grassroots level who are working to create change, and they need a light to be shone on their work. They need someone to amplify what they are doing and their voices.
You have become a hero for many, but who is your hero?
I have a lot of heroes. Asma Jahangir (human rights lawyer) was one of my heroes. She had worked tirelessly to change the future for women in Pakistan. She is definitely one woman whom I look up to enormously.
You have become a strong symbol for girl power and a powerful role model. What message would you give to young girls?
My key advice to young girls is that don’t take no for an answer. If a door hasn’t opened for you, it’s because you haven’t kicked it hard enough.
Today, what inspires you?
What gives me inspiration is the fact that women around the world, today, despite everything that has been thrown at them, are still getting up in the morning and still fighting, so that the injustices, inequalities that they faced are not faced by their daughters and granddaughters. I find inspiration in the face of a woman who has had acid thrown at her face, but chooses to go to court everyday, despite everyone staring at her, to send the men that did it to her to prison. I find inspiration in a young woman who was married off as a child bride and lived in an abusive marriage for years, and then broke out of that and decided to start an organisation that helps other young women fight through domestic violence. I find inspiration in women and their ability to soldier on.
Visit Twitter & Facebook: @SOCFilms and Instagram: @SharmeenObaidChinoy
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)