The Tiger Hunter is the story of Sami Malik (Danny Pudi, Community), a young Indian man who travels to 1970s America to become an engineer in order to impress his childhood crush (Karen David, Galavant) and live up to the legacy of his father — a legendary tiger hunter back home. When Sami's job falls through, he takes a low-end job and joins with a gang of oddball friends in hopes of convincing his childhood sweetheart that he's far more successful than he truly is or perhaps ever could be. The directorial debut of writer/director Lena Khan, The Tiger Hunter boasts an incredible cast, including Jon Heder (Napolean Dynamite), Rizwan Manji (Outsourced), Sam Page (Mad Men) and Kevin Pollack (The Usual Suspects), and “consistently resonates with genuine affection and abundant authenticity” - The Hollywood Reporter.
Lena is a Canadian-American writer and director. Her first feature film, THE TIGER HUNTER, garnered critical acclaim and awards across the festival circuit and is releasing in the fall.
Lena graduated summa cum laude and received undergraduate degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles in political science and history, after which she went on to graduate from the prestigious UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Lena spent years directing short films, commercials and music videos for international artists such as Maher Zain, while also gaining experience at noted production companies such as Participant Media (SYRIANA, THE HELP). Her films and videos have received over 30 million hits on YouTube, won film festivals, broadcast across the world, and have been seen anywhere from universities to international embassies.
Lena has been profiled in USA Today, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, and various other media outlets; won Sony Entertainment Television's South Asian Excellence Award for contributions to entertainment, and now dedicates herself to making films that call attention to social issues through fun and engaging entertainment.
Lena is now working on a TV show, a feature, and a children's book.