Gurinder Chadha was born in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 10, 1960, to a Punjabi Sikh family. She grew up in Southall, a predominantly South Asian community in London. Her parents were born in Kenya and stayed there until the political turbulence preceding independence compelled the family to contemplate relocation. Her family faced prejudice in the UK due to her father’s Sikh appearance, prompting them to open a shop for economic stability after he failed to secure a clerical position. She completed her education at the University of East Anglia and the London College of Printing. She started working as a news reporter and then transitioned into a documentary filmmaker. She has been given Honorary Doctorates by several British Universities and Rajasthan honored with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in the 2006 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her contributions to the British Film Industry. She is married to American screenwriter and director Paul Mayeda Berges, and they have twins, Ronak and Kumiko.