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Gitanjali Rao (Director) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 5, 2026 • 3 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1972

Age46 (as of 2018)

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionDirector, Producer, Script Writer, Animator, Theatre Artist

NationalityIndian

Gitanjali Rao (Director) Biography

Gitanjali Rao is an Indian director, producer, animator, script writer and theatre artist best known for her acclaimed animated short Printed Rainbow. Tr a

Early life and background

Gitanjali Rao was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, in 1972 and grew up in the same city. She studied at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art in Mumbai and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours). Her formative years in the city shaped her interests in visual arts and performance.

Career

Rao began her creative life in theatre before moving into animation and filmmaking. She built a multifaceted career as an animator, director, producer and script writer, creating short films that blend hand-crafted visual sensibilities with intimate storytelling.

Her 2006 animated short Printed Rainbow brought her international recognition. Rao directed, produced and animated the film, which went on to earn several festival awards including the Kodak Short Film Award, the Small Golden Rail, the Young Critics Award and the Golden Conch Award. She followed Printed Rainbow with additional short projects such as Shorts, Chai and True Love Story. True Love Story received a high-profile festival spotlight in 2014 when it was chosen as one of ten short films in the Critics’ Week selection at the Cannes Film Festival.

Beyond filmmaking, Rao has contributed to the wider film and arts community through workshops, presentations and festival juries. Her practice encompasses teaching and mentorship as well as producing work for festival and gallery contexts.

Public profile

Rao’s professional identity spans several roles: director, producer, script writer, animator and theatre artist. She is frequently described by peers and festival programmers as an artist who brings a painterly approach to animated storytelling. Physical details that have been publicly noted include a height of approximately 163 cm (5'4") and a listed weight of about 55 kg (121 lbs). Her eye colour is described as black and her hair as salt-and-pepper in public profiles.

Personal life

Rao is Indian by nationality and was raised in Mumbai, which she lists as her hometown. Publicly available biographical details include her religious background as Hindu and her caste as Velama. Rao enjoys painting and travelling, and she has said that Russia is a favourite destination. She is also known to be an avid cat lover. Other lifestyle details that appear in public profiles indicate she is non-vegetarian and that she smokes and drinks.

Film appearances

In addition to her work behind the camera, Rao has appeared on screen. In 2018 she was featured as an actress in the film October, portraying Prof. Vidya Iyer, the mother of the character Shiuli.

Latest updates

Rao continues to be active in short-form animation and in festival circuits, maintaining a presence as a filmmaker, teacher and juror. Her body of work remains centered on independent animated shorts and projects that bridge animation, illustration and theatre.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Gitanjali Rao (Director), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Printed Rainbow

Animated short film which Rao directed, produced and animated; won multiple festival awards

2006
True Love Story

Animated short film that was selected among ten shorts for Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival

2014
October (film)

Feature film in which Rao appeared as an actress, playing Prof. Vidya Iyer

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Directed, produced and animated the award-winning short Printed Rainbow
  2. True Love Story was selected for Critics’ Week at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
  3. Has served on juries and led workshops at international film festivals
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Gitanjali Rao (Director) born?

Gitanjali Rao (Director) was born on 1972.

What is Gitanjali Rao (Director) known for?

Gitanjali Rao (Director) is known for director, Producer, Script Writer, Animator, Theatre Artist.