Leesa Gazi

Leesa Gazi (; born 14 August 1969) is a Bangladeshi-born British writer, playwright, theatre director, and actress based in London. Her 2023 film A House Named Shahana was selected as the Bangladeshi entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

Background Gazi's father fought during the Bangladesh Liberation War. She was the script-writer and performer of Six Seasons and Tahmima Anam's A Golden Age at the Southbank Centre. Her theatrical credits include: Birangona: Women of War, Sonata, Rokey's Dream, Demon's Revenge, Ponderful People, and Bonbibi. She also wrote the script for Bonbibi: Lady of the Forest in 2012. which had an eight-week nationwide tour with Tara Arts. She performed in a serialised adaptation of A Golden Age. She worked as the cultural coordinator and as a voice artist for Akram Khan's Desh.

In May 2014, Gazi was interviewed by Nadia Ali on BBC Asian Network.

Personal life Gazi and her husband have two children: one born in 2004 (named Sreya), the other in 2006 (named Orion).

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2009 Life Goes On Actor 2019 Rising Silence director, documentary directorial debut 2025 A House Named Shahana Writer, director, feature debut Oscar entry

Stage Year Title Credit Theatre 2008–2010 Sonata Tara Arts 2010 Rokeya's Dream Ponderful People Face Front 2010 Bonbibi Culturepot Global 2012 Bonbibi: Lady of the Forest 2015 Birangona: Women of War Tara Arts