Bollywood is currently experiencing a fresh new wave with an array of filmmakers making their foray into filmmaking. However, there also have been some hit directors who gave us some path-breaking cinema in the past. The filmmakers not only shaped the way we tell stories in our films but also raised the bar in Bollywood to an altogether different level.
Time was when audiences were only interested in the names of the lead actors in movies; but today, audiences are as interested in the names of movie directors as they are in that of the lead actors. Today, they know their favourite directors and look forward to their new movie releases.
We take a look at some epic filmmakers who are still active in the industry and are equally as famous as their lead actors with successful films too.
1. Rajkumar Hirani
Rajkumar Hirani is one of the ace directors, screenwriters, and producers in contemporary Bollywood. He is one of the directors who distinctively portray the reality of society with a touch of sarcasm and humor. He was born and brought up in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and did his graduation in Commerce because his dad wanted him to be a charted accountant. But he was more interested in filmmaking. His life took a significant turn when he joined the Film And Television Institute of India, in Pune where he joined an editing course.
His early years were quite tough as he was not getting any major breakthroughs in Bollywood which made him switch to ad filmmaking and one of the famous advertisements he made was of ‘Fevicol” with a tag line of “Zor Lagake Haisha”, in which he was featured as well. Later in the year 1994, he collaborated with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and with him, he made his first Bollywood venture as a promo designer for a film “1942 A Love Story”, starring Dhakk Dhakk girl Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Anil Kapoor.
With several blockbusters like PK, 3 Idiots, and Munna Bhai Series, this director is undoubtedly one of the most revered artists in the film industry. PK in 2014smashed all existing box office records and stands as the highest-grossing Hindi film to date.
2. Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri has directed many Indian movies mostly sequels. Some of his directorial ventures include kalyug (2005), Awarapan (2007) amongst others. While the sequels directed by him are: Aashiqui 2 (2013), Raaz-the mystery continues (2009), Murder-2 (2011). His movies were vividly watched and appreciated by the critics and proved themselves at the box office.
The director has a particularly unique and much-vaunted knack for spotting new talent and introducing them to the cinema club. Most prominently, he introduced Bollywood to Neha Sharma and also holds the revered credit of bringing the stars of the hit movie, Aashiqui 2, to the limelight.
3. Arbaaz Khan
Born in a family that has strong ties in the film industry, it wasn’t too long before Arbaaz Khan jumped into Bollywood. Born in 1967, he started his career as an actor and then decided to switch to the production aspect of films later on.
The younger sibling of megastar Salman Khan; he took off his professional career with acting but shifted his focus towards directorial ventures. He was the hand behind the Dabangg film series and it is truly safe to say that the rest is history. The tremendous success of the movies has propelled the careers of both Salman and Arbaaz.
4. Karan Johar
Karan Johar is one of the top ten celebrities in Indian cinema, who is popular in almost all the important fields in the cinema. This man is a multi-talented personality, who shines in the field of direction, screenplay writing, producing, costume designing, and acting. He has also worked as a host in the television industry.
His debut in the film industry started as an assistant director in the film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. After three years, he made his directorial debut through Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a film with Sharukh, Salman, Kajol, and Rani. This was a blockbuster hit and Karan Johar reached fame in his first movie, itself. This film won the National Award for the Best Entertainment Film. It has also bagged eight Awards from Filmfare including the Best Director and Screen Play.
The king of romantic movies, Karan Johar has dominated that particular spectrum for a long. ‘Student of the Year’ made him a rock star even among Gen X. His earlier hits include ‘Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this feature
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