- published: 21 Feb 2016
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Patel (also known as a Patidar) is surname of Indian origin mainly used by people belonging to Hindu Agricultural Communities viz. Kurmi or Kunbi, Hendre, Koli or Koeris, Teli, etc. Muslim Community people of Maharashtra and Gujarat in India and Pakistan also use Patel surname.
The name Patel is found primarily in the Indian state of Gujarat, along with Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka, as well as metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Delhi. Within the United Kingdom, it is the twenty-fourth most common surname nationally, and the third most common in the Greater London region. In the US, the surname "Patel" ranks 174 among the top 500 list of most common last names. The majority of those with the Patel last name are Hindus. However, Parsis and Muslims also carry the surname "Patel" (see also Muslim Patel).
Patel represents a section of Gujarati population that were historically farmers and landowners; the term patel itself meaning "village headman". The Patels forms large population in the state of Gujarat in India and also the United Kingdom and the United States. Gujarati Patels were historically landowners and farmers, and traditionally strict vegetarians. The Patel community varies by religion and ideology, with disparate groups having their own samaj (social gatherings) and mandirs. Traditionally Gujarati Patels married within their own gol (circle), though this custom had faded in the modern era. Patel community is a business community.
Nilesh Patel is a Canadian director and producer of films.
Patel was raised in Prince George, British Columbia and attended Duchess Park Secondary School, where he was first exposed to the Brocket 99 audio tape. He attended the city's College of New Caledonia and then obtained a degree in molecular biology from the University of Victoria. After working as a diabetes researcher in Boston and Montreal, Patel changed careers and started making films in the United Kingdom.
Patel now resides in Vancouver and is the program co-ordinator for the National Film Board's Diversity Project, director for Flourish Media and teaches filmmaking to street youth.
2001 - A Love Supreme -- A tribute to the Patel's mother who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. This film records for posterity her skilled hands preparing samosas, a traditional food for his Indo-Canadian family. Screened at the 2005 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. The film won the Jury Award for Short Documentary, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and Best Cinematography awards from the Sedona Film Festival. The 35 mm print was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.