From the culturally rich backdrop of Pune, India, to the dynamic creative epicenter of Los Angeles, Aishwarya Sonar is making waves as one of the most compelling producers on the global stage. With a body of work that spans continents, cultures, and genres, Sonar has established herself as a force behind films, dedicated to telling stories that are as daring as they are deeply human.
Sonar began her career under the mentorship of industry icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas, contributing to the National Award-winning feature Ventilator, under the banner of Purple Pebble Pictures.
One of her breakthrough projects, Happy Rakhi, was produced through the CAPE x Janet Yang Productions Short Film Challenge. Supported by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and Oscar President Janet Yang’s production company, the film premiered at Palm Springs ShortFest and IFFLA, earning praise for its emotional depth and cultural specificity.
Her next hit, Three’s Definitely a Crowd, premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Pan African Film Festival and went on to be featured among the top ten films on Disney+/Hotstar. The sharp, relationship-driven short signaled Sonar’s ability to package meaningful content for both festival and streaming audiences, a rare feat for an independent producer.
Her footprint only grew with Nails, a haunting and poetic short directed by Triparna Banerjee, and starring Anjali Patil, a National Award-winning actress known for her powerful performances. The film also featured Riza Reji, a trailblazing actress with Down syndrome. Nails screened at the oscar qualifying Red Sea International Film Festival and Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, further proving Sonar’s knack for championing underrepresented voices with artistic elegance.
Perhaps her most lauded production to date is Hema, a moving narrative starring Rajshri Deshpande, widely praised for her work in Sacred Games and Trial by Fire. Under Sonar’s leadership as lead producer, Hema won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at IFFLA and the Gold Award at the Proof Film Festival, garnering industry attention including coverage in The Wrap. The film’s layered exploration of loss and resilience is emblematic of Sonar’s taste for emotionally grounded cinema.
Her latest short, Giving Mom the Talk, continues this momentum, having premiered at a string of Oscar-qualifying festivals including LA Shorts International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and RiverRun International Film Festival. As with her prior projects, Sonar’s role was central in shepherding the film through development, production, and strategic festival placements.
Recognized for her producing talent, Aishwarya was selected for Film Independent’s Project Involve, a prestigious program that has fostered the careers of many notable filmmakers. Sonar’s feature project Friends & Fascism has also been selected for CineV in Chandigarh, and IFFLA Connect in Los Angeles. These invitations reflect her growing influence in international film circles and her ability to move seamlessly between independent and institutional spaces.
She recently produced a short film under the Tasveer Film Fund x Netflix, starring Babil Khan and Anna Ben, and directed by Karan Sunil. The project underscores her continued commitment to telling South Asian diaspora stories with global appeal and fresh talent.
From bold narratives to socially resonant storytelling, Aishwarya Sonar is crafting a cinematic language all her own, one that reflects the complexities of identity, womanhood, and migration, without ever compromising on artistic integrity. Her trajectory from Pune to Hollywood is not just one of physical distance, but of visionary growth carving out space for stories that deserve to be seen, heard, and felt around the world.
As she continues to collaborate with some of the most exciting talents in the industry and grow her slate of projects, one thing is certain: Aishwarya Sonar is not just producing films—she’s producing change.
