Paakhi A Tyrewala is the stage name of Punarnava Mehta an Indian writer-cum-director, who debuted in mainstream Bollywood in 2002 with the film Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?, in which she is credited with real name Punarnava Mehta. She later changed her name to Paakhi, which is her nickname, and adopted Tyrewala after her marriage to Abbas Tyrewala. She was relaunched by her husband Abbas in 2010 with her new name "Paakhi" in the film Jhootha Hi Sahi. Paakhi has extensive experience behind and in front of the camera as a model, actor, writer and director in the Indian film industry. Over the years, she has gained experience in various fields of film making and has now decided to plunge herself full-time in directing. Having shot her first feature film 'Pahuna' extensively in Sikkim, Paakhi grew fond of the culture there and wanted to play a part in promoting the same nationally. She played a pivotal role in getting AR Rahman on board as the brand ambassador of the state. She is also working with the Sikkim government to create a platform for performing arts and to eradicate the issues of substance abuse and suicide plaguing the state.
Early life and family
Paakhi was born and brought up in Delhi. Born to a linguistics lecturer and a journalist, Paakhi completed her schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, but didn't pursue a college education as she was dyslexic. Paakhi is married to director Abbas Tyrewala. They fell in love during the shooting of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na in which she was the casting director.
Career
Paakhi A Tyrewala started off her career as a child artist in movies, serials, and theater in 1996. Her first ever performance was when she was two and a half years old. She made her debut as a child artist in 1997, in the film Dance of the Wind. Deep in her heart, she always knew she belonged to cinema. She came to Mumbai in the year 2000 where she started modelling for the biggest brands such as Ponds, Sunsilk, Dabur Vattika, Herohonda, Rayban, Organics etc. She starred in the film Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai in 2002, in which she played a Russian girl Stella. Since then, she has worked extensively behind the camera as well as in front of it, exploring various departments in the industry along her journey. She worked on a couple of films as a writer, actor and casting director. In 2010 she was cast opposite John Abraham in the film Jhoota Hi Sahi, which was directed by her husband Abbas Tyrewala. She played a suicidal woman called Mishka whose final call mistakenly connects to a man who gives her something to live for. The film received a decent review from the audience, but did not do as expected at the box office. In 2010, she went to TICSH, New York to study film making. In December 2011, Paakhi started working as an Assistant Director with Nagesh Kukunoor for his film, The Boxer, and then his documentary, Lakshmi, in 2012. Her stints as an actor, writer and casting director finally poised her to take flight towards her first love - direction. She helmed her first short film Kajal in 2017 and her first feature film 'Pahuna', produced by Priyanka Chopra's Purple Pebble Pictures is ready for release in December' 2018.
Director
Her first shot at direction was a song she directed in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. With Kajal, she started her journey as a film-maker. This short film Kajal received rave reviews from the critics and audience alike, premiering at the New York Indian Film Festival 2017 and picking the award for Best Film and Best Music at Feedback Female Film Festival 2017, Toronto and Best Actress award at Bangalore Shorts Film Festival. Paakhi moved to her first full-length feature film right after, choosing the much ignored and less covered North East region of India to base her story and shoot in. This was a script she wrote 10 years ago and decided to pick up again for her first story. Pahuna is the journey of three kids from Nepal who get separated from their parents and find a home for themselves in the beautiful Indian state of Sikkim. The film has been made in Nepali, a language unknown to Paakhi; proving her to be a fearless filmmaker. Her intentions found a partner in Priyanka Chopra, who decided to produce this unique story under her banner Purple Pebble Pictures. Recently, she has been in the news for the successful premier of Pahuna at Toronto International Film Festival 2017, where it was received with a standing ovation. The film also won the Best Film in The International Children's Film Festival in Germany and won the Best Film Award by the European Jury and a special mention in International Category at Schlingel Film Festival. The film is slated for a commercial release on 7 December 2018 in India.
Writer
Paakhi has four films credited to her as a writer including De Taali, Jhootha Hi Sahi, her first short film Kajal & full feature-film Pahuna.
Actor
She has worked in two films as the main lead - Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai and Jhoota Hi Sahi.
Model
She has also been a model for various brands like Ponds, Ray-ban, Sunsilk, Dabur, Hero Honda, Rayban and Organics etc.
Other work
Paakhi is an Art of Living Teacher and has worked extensively in the North-East, India as part of numerous humanitarian projects. She has been associated with the Art of Living foundation since 20 years and has helped empower the youth to achieve their full potential by teaching them how to live a stress free life.
