Lena Khan: A Filmmaker of Faith, Humor, and Humanity

On the set of her debut feature film, The Tiger Hunter, Lena Khan noticed the puzzled looks. A young woman in a hijab calling the shots in Hollywood was not what her crew had imagined. One production member even confessed later that when he first saw her, he thought, “Is she an intern?”

But Lena didn’t flinch. She walked onto the set with the confidence of someone who knew her craft inside out. Within hours, she was cracking jokes, adjusting camera angles, and steering performances with precision. By the end of the first day, the same crew members who doubted her were taking notes on her directing style.

Moments like these have defined Lena’s journey: a Muslim woman of faith stepping into rooms where she was underestimated, and quietly proving she belonged.

Childhood Between Worlds

Lena was born in Canada to Indian immigrant parents and raised in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Her household was filled with contradictions that became fertile ground for stories: Bollywood movies on the TV, samosas on the dinner table, but also Friends reruns and neighborhood barbecues.

She recalls moments of both pride and isolation. As one of the few Muslim kids in her school, she sometimes fielded questions about her hijab or fasting during Ramadan. Once, a teacher asked her to “explain terrorism” after 9/11—an experience that stayed with her. But at home, she felt deeply rooted in her parents’ stories of migration and perseverance. Those stories would later echo through her scripts, blending humor with heartache.

Choosing the Camera

At UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television, Lena learned the mechanics of film—but also something more profound. Sitting in classes, she realized how few people on screen looked like her community, and how often Muslims were caricatured as villains. “It was like we didn’t exist,” she later reflected. “And if we did, we were a punchline or a threat.”

That realization turned filmmaking into more than just a career—it became a calling.

The Tiger Hunter: The Kickstarter Gamble

When Lena set out to make The Tiger Hunter (2016), she was told the script was “charming” but “too niche.” Translation: too brown, too immigrant, too risky. Investors balked.

So Lena turned to Kickstarter. She uploaded a quirky, heartfelt pitch video, where she joked about her struggles while explaining why the film mattered. To her surprise, the campaign caught fire. Thousands of people contributed. “It wasn’t just money,” Lena said later. “It was people saying, We want this story told.”

On set, she also carried her faith into practice. She recalls once asking for a short break so she could step aside and pray. A crew member looked baffled but watched respectfully as she spread her prayer mat. “After that,” she laughed, “they made sure to schedule around my prayer times. It became part of the rhythm of the set.”

When the film premiered, audiences responded warmly. It wasn’t just an “immigrant film”; it was a story about family, ambition, and belonging that anyone could relate to.

Disney, Hijab, and Superhero Squirrel

In 2021, Lena’s world expanded when she directed Flora & Ulysses for Disney+. Here was a Muslim woman in hijab leading a project with a multimillion-dollar budget, a cast of Hollywood stars, and a CGI superhero squirrel.

She remembers walking onto the Disney lot for the first time and seeing people do a double-take. Some executives even whispered that she might not “fit the image” of a studio director. But Lena turned that skepticism into fuel.

Between meetings, she would slip into a quiet corner or an unused office to pray. “I think people were surprised that I could do both—run a massive production and still live my faith,” she said.

The film became a critical and audience favorite, praised for its warmth and humor. For Lena, it was more than just a movie credit—it was proof that a hijab-wearing Muslim woman could thrive in the most mainstream corners of Hollywood.

'Stranger at the Gate' was nominated for Oscars in 2023. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award in 2023 for the show "The Mysterious Benedict Society." She just finished directing a major Netflix movie for Hasan Minhaj.

Mentorship and Advocacy

Success didn’t make Lena retreat into her own career. Instead, she has used her platform to open doors for others. As a patron for UK Muslim Film, she mentors young Muslim storytellers who often feel invisible. She tells them, “You don’t have to hide your identity to succeed. If anything, it’s what makes your voice unique.”

She recalls speaking to a group of Muslim students after the release of The Tiger Hunter. One young woman in hijab told her, with tears in her eyes, that seeing Lena direct permitted her to dream bigger. “That,” Lena said later, “meant more to me than any award.”

A Filmmaker of Faith

Through her career, Lena Khan has quietly expanded the boundaries of what a Hollywood director looks like. Her faith is not a side note but part of the foundation—guiding her through setbacks, grounding her in humility, and reminding her that storytelling is a form of service.

Her films, whether about immigrants chasing dreams or kids befriending squirrels, carry a through line: humor, humanity, and hope. And perhaps most importantly, they have the subtle but powerful message that a hijab is not a barrier to creativity—it’s just one part of a whole and flourishing human being. As Lena once put it:“Hollywood tells you success is about red carpets and fame. For me, success is when a kid watches my film and feels seen. That’s when I know I’m doing my job.”