In director Nisha Ganatra’s Freakier Friday, a rare sequel worthy of its predecessor, beloved characters played by Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis once again work through body swaps and familial strife, only decades later.
Her debut film, the groundbreaking 1999 indie Chutney Popcorn, leaned into queer identity, Indian American culture, and family dynamics — and despite stylistic differences, Ganatra’s heart, humor, and queer sensibility are still apparent in the big-budget Freakier Friday.
“I make film and television shows that center the stories of underrepresented people. I try to make the stories as entertaining and engaging as possible,” Ganatra says, adding that she’s proud to have made her first Disney film. “To have audiences around the world really respond to it feels incredible.”
Ganatra, whose TV credits as a director include Transparent, Dear White People, and And Just Like That…, sends a message of hope to LGBTQ+ people. “Let’s not forget how we made the world better for each other by demanding inclusion, protesting together, and not sitting idly by waiting for someone else to create the change we want in the world,” she says. “Together, we can do anything.” @nisha.ganatra
