Daughters of Destiny is a four-part Netflix original documentary series released worldwide on July 28, 2017. Directed, written, and executive produced by Vanessa Roth, the four-hour program follows five girls from India’s most impoverished families as they attend Shanti Bhavan, a free boarding school in Tamil Nadu founded by Abraham George.
The Architecture of Opportunity at Shanti Bhavan
Shanti Bhavan was established in 1997 by Abraham George, a former Indian Army officer, New York banker, and financial software entrepreneur who also set up The George Foundation in 1995. The institution takes children starting at about four years of age and supports them free of charge through their school years, college education, and into their first jobs. As George stated in an interview with Authority Magazine in 2022, “I strongly believe that the path to social justice is through economic opportunity from a good education and proper upbringing.”
The documentary series captures this multi-year trajectory. Filming took place over seven years, tracking the subjects from early school years through college and into their first jobs. The production deals openly with structural pressures, including poverty, gender and class roles, family expectations, and pressure to marry.
Production Background and Creative Vision
Director Vanessa Roth discovered Shanti Bhavan through a friend who planned to volunteer there. Initially, the project was not framed around gender. In an August 2017 interview with News Deeply’s Women & Girls Hub, Roth explained, “I had not intended to make it about the girls. I didn’t want to focus on gender.” However, the production footage of the girls proved stronger and more plentiful, shifting the thematic focus.
The series features original music by A.R. Rahman and lists Vanessa Roth and Devorah Palladino as producers with the International Documentary Association. Abraham George appears on screen alongside his son, Ajit George, who served as the school’s director of operations during filming and assumed the role of chief operating officer in January 2024. When Shanti Bhavan announced the release in June 2017, Ajit George noted, “This is a huge honor and a wonderful opportunity to spotlight Shanti Bhavan’s 20 years of work and the lives we have impacted.”
Series Structure and Episode Runtimes
Netflix distributes the four-hour documentary across four distinct episodes:
- Episode 1 (59 minutes): Five girls enter Shanti Bhavan, where teachers and staff raise and educate them.
- Episode 2 (59 minutes): The pressures of school meet family traditions at home.
- Episode 3 (56 minutes): The college years, when family expectations meet personal plans.
- Episode 4 (64 minutes): Further study, first careers and helping others.
Discussing the institution’s approach to gender equality in a December 2017 interview with NYU Stern’s Gould Standard, Abraham George observed, “We don’t talk much about feminism. We don’t need to preach; we teach by action.”
Critical Reception and Industry Recognition
Critics praised both the technical filmmaking and the underlying narrative. David Wharton of The Daily Dot characterized it as “Netflix’s stunning 4-part doc” and noted that “The series is also beautifully shot.” Common Sense Media reviewer Joyce Slaton called it a “Gripping documentary” that “follows five girls moving up in India.” Joshua Adams of The Aerogram wrote that “It is an engaging and thoughtful film that humanizes the politics of education, caste, and gender in India.”
Industry bodies took note of the project’s impact. In October 2017, the International Documentary Association named Daughters of Destiny a nominee for Best Limited Series. On May 4, 2018, the Television Academy announced the series as one of seven recipients of the 11th Annual Television Academy Honors, presented on May 29, 2018. These honors recognize television programs that “have leveraged the dynamic power of television to inspire social change,” selected from a record number of submissions.
In November 2018, the Asia Society in New York hosted a public screening and conversation centered on the series, featuring both Abraham George and Ajit George as speakers. As of September 2026, Daughters of Destiny remains available for streaming on Netflix in the United States with a TV-14 rating, though regional licensing availability may vary.
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