Prerana Thakurdesai
Prerana Thakurdesai
South Asian American
Straight (Heterosexual)
Available for Hire
Open to Mentoring
Affiliations
- Bitchitra Collective, Co-Founder - Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Member - Asian American Documentary Network, Member - South Asian Journalists Association, Former President - DOC NYC Documentary New Leader - Producers Guild of America, Fellow - Kalakars, Former Executive DirectorImpact Campaigns & Crowdfunding
The Last Ecstatic Days | 2024| Feature Documentary
As a producer, I oversaw the two year impact campaign and impact-led distribution of the film in the end-of-life care space.Where the Light Enters You | 2025 | Short Documentary
As a producer, I coordinated an impact and outreach campaign for this Oscar qualified documentary short.
Links to Work
The Last Ecstatic Days, Lead Producer
https://www.thelastecstaticdaysmovie.com/Where the Light Enters You, Lead Producer
The Last Resort, Lead Producer
The Essential Worker, Director/Producer
9/11: The Legacy: Producer
https://tv.apple.com/us/show/911-the-legacy/umc.cmc.6la93irxvngiw9ci1v75srglr
Satyamev Jayate, Creative Producer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8dgY8aqGnA&list=PL18KFhI_nRr6u8Km8VXAoqyDd36BIUfAk
Toofan Aalaya, Co-writer/ Co-director
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CuI9_vpQkY&list=PLM1KhQfAebfHEEtMc0riorycxxNjRKfCY&index=5&t=1s
Impact Films: Reel to Real
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdGZB12BOnbvgj5yExB2QGV7VDaW9IK4L
Bio
Prerana Thakurdesai is a New York based director and producer whose work affirms that all art is political. She has produced and directed films in the U.S. and India that have reached global audiences, blending journalistic integrity with cinematic storytelling. Her credits include The Last Ecstatic Days (feature documentary) andWhere The Light Enters You (short documentary), The Last Resort (short documentary,) The Essential Worker (micro documentary) among others. She also produced 9/11: The Legacy and co-directed Toofan Aalaya, an Aamir Khan hosted series focusing on grassroots change in India. Her work lives on PBS, Amazon, Apple TV, The History Channel, Star Plus, NDTV, Times Now, Zee and several other platforms. Prerana's films have won the Global Impact Award at the Iris Global Health Film Festival, Excellence in Documentary award at the International South Asian Film Festival Canada, Indian Telly Award among others. She has helped secure grants from the Berkeley Film Foundation, Tasveer Film Fund grant supported by Netflix and more.
Prerana brings deep expertise in large-scale, socially-driven television, having been part of the core team of the internationally acclaimed docu-TV series Satyamev Jayate, hosted by Aamir Khan, which reached over 600 million viewers worldwide. Beyond television, she has led numerous documentary projects for non-profits across India and the U.S., crafting compelling narratives that drive impact. Recognized by the Producers Guild of America and honored as a Documentary New Leader by DOC NYC, Prerana brings her expertise in unscripted formats, large-scale productions, and purpose-driven content.
In her previous avatar, Prerana was a print and broadcast journalist who reported from conflict zones, rural heartlands as well as on urban & political issues for Times Now and NDTV 24x7 - India's premium English news channels. She has also worked at India Today Magazine, Indian Express and Mid-Day newspapers. She is the co-founder and board of director of the Bitchitra Collective: Indian Women/Non-binary Artists in Documentary, and served as the executive director of KALAKARS - a South Asian artist driven collective that aims to strengthen the presence of South Asian Americans in American film and television industries. She has also served as the president of the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA).
Projects
The Last Ecstatic Days (feature documentary)
The cinematic journey of a young man with brain cancer in search of community and his hospice doctor who gives up everything to honor his dying wish.
Where the Light Enters You (short documentary)
In the wake of personal loss, an unexpected sisterhood unites an ambitious New York healthcare worker with a spirited girl from a nomadic tribe in India.
The Last Resort (short documentary)
In the first-ever Indian retirement complex in the U.S, a tight-knit group of Indian immigrants forge a resilient community, navigating family tensions, cultural longing and the realities of growing old together.
Satyamev Jayate (TV Series)
Satyamev Jayate is an internationally acclaimed TV series that discusses and provides possible solutions to address social issues in India. The series was created and hosted by one of India's biggest actors and filmmakers, Aamir Khan.
