Vikram Chandra

Vikram Chandra (born in India, 1961) is an Indian writer. His first novel, Red Earth and Pouring Rain, won the 1996 Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Best Frist Book.

He is married to writer Melanie Abrams, who, like Chandra, teaches creative writing at the University of California, Berkeley. Chandra currently divides his time between Mumbai (Bombay), India and Oakland, California. He is often confused with his namesake Vikram A Chandra, journalist and author of The Srinagar Conspiracy.

Family background

Chandra was born in New Delhi in 1961. His father, Navin Chandra, is a retired executive. His mother, Kamna Chandra, has written several Hindi films and plays; her most notable works include the films Prem Rog and A Love Story & yash chopra's "chandni". One of his sisters, Tanuja Chandra, is a filmmaker and screenwriter who has directed several films, including Sur and Sangharsh. His other sister, Anupama Chopra, is a film critic and consulting editor for India's NDTV.

Education

Chandra received his high school education at Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan, and attended St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. As an undergraduate student, he transferred to the United States. He graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California, with a B.A. magna cum laude in English (concentration in Creative Writing). Chandra then attended film school at Columbia University, leaving halfway through to begin work on...
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