Sarif is best known for her work in writing and directing films with themes that often explore issues of identity and cultural diversity.
Sarif was born in London to Indian parents who had emigrated from South Africa in the early 1960s to escape apartheid.
The novel explores issues of race, gender and sexuality and was heavily inspired by the stories of Sarif's grandmother and her Indian and South African heritage.
[5][6] Her 2011 film The House of Tomorrow is a documentary about the 2010 TEDx Holy Land Conference, which brought together Arab and Israeli women to discuss issues of mutual interest in technology, entertainment, and design.
[10] Identifying as having Muslim roots, Sarif is lesbian, and she has mentioned that her work on I Can't Think Straight is semi-autobiographical in nature.