Gotham Chopra (born Gautam Chopra on February 23, 1975) is an American sports documentarian, media entrepreneur, producer, podcast host, director, journalist, and author.
He is a co-founder of Religion of Sports,
Liquid Comics, Chopra Media, and the Chopra Well.
[ His work often focuses on sports themes, having worked with athletes such as ]Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
, LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
, Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
, Simone Biles
Simone Arianne Biles Owens ( Biles; born March 14, 1997) is an American Artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She is widely regarded as one ...
and Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
.[
]
Early life
Chopra was born Gautam Chopra in what is now part of the Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...
in Boston, Massachusetts in 1975, the son of spiritualist and author Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra (; ; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-American author, New Age, new age guru, and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthi ...
and his wife, Rita. He is a first-generation American and the first in his family to be born outside of India.[ He and his sister Mallika were raised in the Boston suburb of Lincoln.][ As a child, Chopra was extremely interested in sports, enough that his mother worried that he would never have a career.][ He is a lifelong ]Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ch ...
, Patriots
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
, Celtics, and Bruins fan.[ His favorite athlete while growing up was ]Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend" Bird is widely regarded a ...
.[ At age 13, he went on tour "as a roadie" with ]Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
, a friend of his father's, on his Dangerous World Tour. Chopra's father was busy and rarely home during the first years of Chopra's childhood. He recalls that his father drank and smoked a lot until he joined the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement when Chopra was five.[ The family as a whole started practicing TM.][
Chopra graduated from ]Belmont Hill School
Belmont Hill School is an all-boys day and optional five-day boarding school in Belmont, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The school enrolls approximately 470 boys in grades 7–12, separated into the Middle School (Forms I-III, or grades 7� ...
in 1993, then Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
with a bachelor's degree in English and Literature. In 1993, while Chopra was in college, the family relocated to California.[ While at Columbia, he wrote his first book, ''Child of the Dawn'', and helped Michael Jackson write lyrics to his songs.][
]
Career
After graduating from Columbia, Chopra was a news anchor for the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
-based Channel One News
Channel One News was an American news content provider. The daily news program was accompanied by commercial advertising for marketing in schools, with supplementary educational resources. The Peabody Award, Peabody award-winning Channel One New ...
, which broadcast to teenagers in social studies classes across the United States.[ He found out later that he was hired because one of the Channel One executives was a fan of his fathers'.][ He became a ]war correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories first-hand from a war, war zone.
War correspondence stands as one of journalism's most important and impactful forms. War correspondents operate in the most conflict-ridden parts of the wor ...
and was stationed internationally.[ It was during this time that a producer recommended Chopra change the spelling of his name, Gautam, to match how he pronounced it to prevent mispronunciation.] In August 2001, he was arrested at Islamabad International Airport
Islamabad International Airport () () is an international airport serving Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan and Rawalpindi. It is located south-west of the city, and is directly connected to the Lahore and Peshawar motorways as well to ...
when empty bullet shells were found in his bag. These were a gift from the Taliban
, leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders
, leader1_name = {{indented plainlist,
* Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013)
* Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016)
* Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
, who he had been in Pakistan to interview. His father, at this point popular within celebrity circles, called Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...
and arranged his release. Within a few weeks, 9/11
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
occurred and Chopra's interview tapes were confiscated.[ Other interviews he conducted during this time were with ]George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
, John Glenn
John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...
, and the Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
.[ He left Channel One in 2005.] Between 2006 and 2008, he worked as a consultant for Current TV
Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a small ...
.[
In 2000, he co-founded Chopra Media with his sister Mallika.][ This company primarily develops media initiatives for their father but also oversees television shows and films. In 2012, Chopra launched the YouTube channel The Chopra Well along with his father and sister.][ This channel features a number of healthy and spiritual living tips, guided meditations, and guest interviews.] At its debut, Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
, Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho de Souza ( , ; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His 1988 novel '' The Alchemist'' became an international best-seller.
Early life
Paulo Coelho ...
, Lisa Ling
Lisa J. Ling (born August 30, 1973) is an American journalist and television personality. She is a news contributor for CBS News. Previously, she was the host for ''This Is Life with Lisa Ling '' on CNN, a reporter on Channel One News, a co-host ...
, and Fran Drescher were featured.[ Chopra helped create a ]virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
meditation video game, called ''Finding Your True Self'', with his father in 2016.
In 2006, he, Sharad Devarajan, and Suresh Seetharaman co-founded Virgin Comics and convinced Sir Richard Branson to invest. In 2008, the company changed its name to Liquid Comics following management changes. Chopra co-created the ''Bulletproof Monk'' comics with Brett Lewis and R. A. Jones.[ Chopra also produced the 2003 ]film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
based on the series. Devarajan, Chopra, and Seetharaman established Graphic India in 2011 under the Liquid Comics name. This company focuses on the Indian youth market and the creation of characters inspired by Indian myth and legend. Peter Chernin
Peter Chernin (born May 29, 1951) is an American film and television producer, businessman and investor. He is the chairman and CEO of The Chernin Group (TCG), which he founded in 2010. TCG manages, operates and invests in businesses in the media ...
joined the team as an investor in 2013 and is a joint owner of Graphic India.
In 2012, Chopra created, produced, and directed '' Decoding Deepak'' about his father. In 2014, Chopra hosted the talk show ''Help Desk'' on the Oprah Winfrey Network
The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN, also known as the OWN Network) is an American multinational basic cable television network which launched on January 1, 2011, effectively replacing the Discovery Health Channel, which one month later merged with ...
. In 2015, he was the executive producer on ''Kobe Bryant's Muse'' on Showtime. He also directed ''The Little Master'', a documentary about Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
as part of ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
's ''30 for 30
''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series und ...
'' series,[ and directed and produced ''I Am Giant'' about ]New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
wide receiver Victor Cruz.[
]
Religion of Sports
Religion of Sports, a sports-focused media company, was founded in 2016 by Chopra, Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan ( ; born November 21, 1971) is an American television host, journalist, and former professional American football, football player. He played his entire 15-year professional career as a defensive end for the New York Gian ...
, and Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
. Chopra created, directed, produced, and narrated the docuseries ''Religion of Sports'', which examines the profound influence sports can have on societies and cultures beyond entertainment value. The show's third series aired in 2018.[
Religion of Sports' ''Why We Fight'', an eight-part docuseries about opioid addiction in sports starring Zachary Wohlman, received a Sports Emmy nomination in 2018 in Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary.] This was Chopra's first Sports Emmy nomination.[ Also in 2018, '' Tom vs Time'', a docuseries about Tom Brady's off-season training. The series aired on ]Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch (currently rebranding to Facebook Video) is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and it was available to all U.S. ...
.[ It won a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary in 2019. The same year, ''Shut Up and Dribble'' was nominated for Outstanding Open/Tease and Outstanding Sports Promotional Announcement at the Sports Emmys. The three-part docuseries, which aired on Showtime, was inspired by ]Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
host Laura Ingraham's February 2017 comment that LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
and Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...
should stay out of politics and "shut up and dribble". The series, produced by LeBron James and directed by Chopra, shows "attempts by NBA players to bring about social change and speak up politically" throughout the years.[ The first season of '' Greatness Code'', which highlights defining moments in athletes' careers, aired in July 2020; the second season aired in May 2022.][ The ]ESPN+
ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by ESPN Inc., which is a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communicati ...
series '' Man in the Arena: Tom Brady'', which focuses on Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
's career, was nominated for two Sports Emmys.
Chopra is also involved with several podcasts for Religion of Sports, including as the host for ''Man in the Arena: Tom Brady'' and ''Why Sports Matter'' (with Tom Brady and Michael Strahan).[ He produces ''Crushed'', a podcast about steroids in baseball, in collaboration with PRX.
]
Personal life
Chopra married Candice Chen c. 1993; the couple have a son.[ As of 2022, Chopra is based in Los Angeles.][
]
Works
Books and comics
Filmography
External links
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chopra, Gotham
1975 births
American male writers of Indian descent
Belmont Hill School alumni
Columbia College (New York) alumni
Comic book publishers (people)
Living people
Writers from Boston
American comics writers
American publishers (people)
American mass media company founders
Comic book company founders
21st-century American journalists
American television reporters and correspondents
American political journalists
American war correspondents
Imprisoned journalists
Film directors from Los Angeles
American film directors of Indian descent
American documentary film directors
American television directors
Film producers from California
American documentary film producers
American film production company founders
Television producers from California