“A Heartwarming Drama,
Celia Imrie is Terrific”
-The Guardian
BAFTA Breakthrough Producer 2021
Film London Lodestar 2021
TOP 5 on Netflix and Amazon
TOP10 Itunes UK & Apple TV USA
#1 Box Office New Zealand
#4 Box Office Australia
LOVE SARAH
ABOUT
2021 BAFTA Breakthrough Producer and Film London Lodestar, Rajita Shah is the founder of UK based Miraj Films, a vibrant diverse & female led focused company whose vision is to produce incredible stories small and big, which celebrate humanity in the face of adversity, whilst also providing artistic and commercial appeal for all audiences. The aim is to make films that are inspiring and original, intersecting local stories with international communities.
PRODUCER
RAJITA SHAH was born in India, studied at School of Visual Arts New York and completed her MA in Producing at Royal Holloway London University. Being a part of three cultures has had a great influence on her creative vision and experience.
In 2020 Rajita produced UK-German co-production LOVE SARAH starring Olivier Award winning actress Celia Imrie which premiered at Glasgow Film Festival. It charted No. 1 in New Zealand Box Office and No.4 in Australia. Thereafter, it was released theatrically in the UK and was TOP 10 on Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV USA and iTunes also premiering on SKY CINEMA and HULU USA. LOVE SARAH was released in 60+ countries around the world. It was Longlisted for a BIFA in category of "Breakthrough Producer" . In 2021 Rajita was selected as BAFTA Breakthrough Producer and Film London Lodestar.
Rajita is currently developing films LET US PLAY with Studio Canal UK based on the true story of Patricia Gregory who changed the course of history in women's football. Her slate also includes Bestselling Novel by COSTA AWARD winning writer Claire Fuller OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS developed with funding from FFF BAYERN (German Film Fund) and BLIND LOVE, an adaptation of bestselling novel KIKA & ME based on the true story of Blind Activit Amit Patel, produced alongside Evangelo Kioussis, executive producer on Academy Award Winning film THE BRUTALIST.
Rajita has previously produced critically acclaimed British shorts JUBILEE, CRIMSON and LOST PARADISE funded by UK Film Council and B3Media which premiered at BFI Film Festival. Thereafter she produced AND IT WAS THE SAME WITH MY SON funded by Film London’s ‘London Calling’ which had its World Premiere at Sheffield International Film Festival, winning awards at Underwire, Aesthetica and was nominated for "Research in Film Award" by UKRI.
Filming in Morocco, Israel and India, she has also produced ZOHRA:A MOROCCAN FAIRYTALE directed by Barney Platts-Mills premiered at Rotterdam Film Festival, 4 KILOMETERS on unrecognised Bedouin tribes was funded by National Geographic and LADOO filmed with hearing impaired children, made in association with Deaf school in India which have won several awards in the festival circuit.
Rajita was also on the Jury panel for BEST DIRECTOR Nominations at BAFTA ACADEMY FILM AWARDS 2022. She is an alumni of EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), Edinburgh Talent lab and has been supported by MEDIA/CREATIVE EUROPE and Skillset/PACT.
She is currently appointed Relationship Manager for Creative Media in Midlands by ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND .
Rajita is also an avid scuba diver, traveller and a mother of two, one furry and one human.
PRODUCER
LORRAINE BHATTACHARY joined Miraj Films in 2020 after associate producing feature film LOVE SARAH and AND IT WAS THE SAME WITH MY SON.
As Producer, she is currently in post-production on THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS winner of the Hot House Shorts Climate Spring/Film London Award directed by BAFTA nominated director Elham Ehsas.
Lorraine has also produced short films MONOCHROMATIC by Karen Bryson/ Executive Produced by David Harewood and First Flight Films, along with short film THE HERRING GIRLS by Rekha Garton and BFI NETWORK funded short film RETURNED directed by Janet Marrett .
Lorraine started out in research for television and then at the First Film Foundation running various film training initiatives in the UK for new filmmakers, including New Directions promoting new directing talent to the industry in the US and the North by Northwest screenwriting programme. Lorraine has also worked in production design on several award winning shorts and features She has also been a development and finance consultant with BAFTA nominated director Suri Krishnamma on a slate of features. She is voting member of BIFA and also a BAFTA Connect Member.
