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Lights! Camera! Action!
Apart from acting, many stars in the Bollywood industry are also known for trying their luck in various film-related crafts. While a few artists are known for exploring their writing and singing talents, others even directed movies. Not all the stars are successful directors, but some tasted success with their directional films. On the other hand, a few artists got critical acclaim for their directional skills.
Popular Bollywood Analyst cum Business Transformation Expert Hirav Shah says, “Lights! Camera! Action! Shouts the director to get the actors going in front of the camera. But then, actors have often given in to the creative urge to get behind the camera to call the shots. Over the decades, in Bollywood, the trend of actors taking to direction has mostly been restricted to top stars or very accomplished names. From Aamir Khan, who directed the commercially successful “Taare Zameen Par,” to Nandita Das, whose arthouse gems such as “Firaaq” and “Manto” have been critically applauded, actors who have taken to the direction so far are instantly identifiable. Sunny Deol, Kangana Ranaut, Pooja Bhatt, Shreyas Talpade, Konkana Sen Sharma, and Rajat Kapoor are some actors who have donned the director’s hat in recent decades.”
Hirav Shah picks some of the Bollywood stars who are even known to the world as film directors.
1) Naseeruddin Shah
Being one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood, Naseeruddin Shah is even known for directing movies. His directorial movie Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota became a huge flop, and he was panned as a director. Acting-wise, Naseeruddin Shah’s performance in movies like A Wednesday, and Jaane Bhi Do Yaar, among others, brought him a considerable following among the audience.
2. Aamir Khan
There is nothing special to mention about Aamir Khan’s acting skills. He is known as Mr. Perfectionist in the Hindi industry. Apart from being a hardworking actor, Aamir Khan even directed the super successful film Taare Zameen Par and got great accolades as a director.
3. Ajay Devgn
Ajay Devgn is one of the talented actors in Bollywood who stepped out of his comfort zone and started directing movies in the past decade. The actor owns his own production company, and his first debut movie as a director was U, Me Aur Hum. The romantic drama didn’t do well at the box office, but the director never stopped. His recent directional film is Runway 34, which ended up a flop.
4. Hema Malini
Being one of the first generation Superstars, Hema Malini is a terrific dancer, producer, and actor. Not stopping there, Hema Malini even tried her luck in film direction. She directed films like Dil Aashna Hai, Mohini, and Tell Me O Kkhuda earlier all of them were flops.
5. Arbaaz Khan
Being Salman Khan’s brother, Arbaaz Khan’s career in the industry as an actor didn’t yield fruitful results. As Arbaaz Khan showed interest in the film director, Salman encouraged him to direct Dabangg 2. The film was a hit, but Arbaaz received a negative response for his direction.
6. Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is one of the talented actors in Bollywood. His evergreen performances in many Indian films brought him good fame and a name. Not stopping there, Anupam Kher even directed films. A few decades back, Anupam Kher made his directional debut with a multi-starrer movie, Om Jai Jagdish. However, the film failed to create magic at the box office.
Final Word
Hirav Shah concludes by saying, “There is a new breed emerging this year, of actors taking to direction. These are actors who are not necessarily mainstream. Rather, they have belonged to the fringes of commercial Bollywood before making a mark with the megaphone. Seema Pahwa, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Anshuman Jha are prominent names.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Bollywood Directors:
Who is the youngest director in Bollywood?
Sooraj Barjatya was only 23 when he started directing Maine Pyar Kiya.
Who is the best casting director in Bollywood?
Many bright casting directors in Bollywood have become a star in their own right with their spot-on choices: But Shanoo Sharma and Mukesh Chhabra are the most popular ones.
