Famous Screenwriters from India
- Deepak Chopra (; Hindi: [d̪iːpək tʃoːpraː]; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-born American author and alternative medicine advocate. A prominent figure in the New Age movement, his books and videos have made him one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in alternative medicine.Chopra studied medicine in India before emigrating to the United States in 1970 where he completed residencies in internal medicine and endocrinology. As a licensed physician, he became chief of staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH) in 1980. He met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1985 and became involved with the Transcendental Meditation movement (TM). He resigned his position at NEMH shortly thereafter to establish the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center. Chopra gained a following in 1993 after he was interviewed on The Oprah Winfrey Show about his books. He then left the TM movement to become the executive director of Sharp HealthCare's Center for Mind-Body Medicine and in 1996 he co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.Chopra believes that a person may attain "perfect health", a condition "that is free from disease, that never feels pain", and "that cannot age or die". Seeing the human body as being undergirded by a "quantum mechanical body" composed not of matter but of energy and information, he believes that "human aging is fluid and changeable; it can speed up, slow down, stop for a time, and even reverse itself," as determined by one's state of mind. He claims that his practices can also treat chronic disease.The ideas Chopra promotes have been regularly criticized by medical and scientific professionals as pseudoscience. This criticism has been described as ranging "from dismissive [to] damning". Philosopher Robert Carroll states Chopra attempts to integrate Ayurveda with quantum mechanics to justify his teachings. Chopra argues that what he calls "quantum healing" cures any manner of ailments, including cancer, through effects that he claims are literally based on the same principles as quantum mechanics. This has led physicists to object to his use of the term quantum in reference to medical conditions and the human body. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has said that Chopra uses "quantum jargon as plausible-sounding hocus pocus". Chopra's treatments generally elicit nothing but a placebo response, and have drawn criticism that the unwarranted claims made for them may raise "false hope" and lure sick people away from legitimate medical treatments.
- Birthplace: New Delhi, India
- M. Night Shyamalan, born as Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan, is a globally recognized filmmaker of Indian-American descent. Renowned for his exceptional talent in crafting suspense-filled narratives with unexpected twists, Shyamalan has carved out an enviable niche in the realm of supernatural and sci-fi cinema. His birthplace, Mahe, India, and his upbringing in the Penn Valley region of Philadelphia, significantly influenced his cinematic aesthetics and thematic explorations. Shyamalan's journey into filmmaking began at a young age when he received a Super-8 camera as a gift. This ignited his passion for storytelling, and by the time he was 17, he had made 45 short films. He later pursued formal education in film at the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. The director's breakthrough came in 1999 with The Sixth Sense, a psychological thriller that earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. This film, characterized by its surprise ending, set the standard for much of his subsequent work. Over the years, Shyamalan has directed, produced, and written several notable films, including Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, and Split. His unique style, often filled with suspense and unexpected plot twists, has become his signature. His body of work not only showcases his ability to create thrilling narratives but also his commitment to exploring profound themes of identity, fate, and the human condition.
- Birthplace: Pondicherry, India
Every M. Night Shyamalan Movie, Ranked By FansSee all
- 1The Sixth Sense1,563 Votes
- 2Unbreakable1,347 Votes
- 3Signs1,525 Votes
- Rajnikanth, born as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad in Bangalore, India, in 1950, embarked on a legendary journey from being a bus conductor to becoming one of the most influential film personalities in the Indian film industry. Known for his unique style and charismatic performances, Rajnikanth's contributions to cinema extend over five decades, with a filmography consisting of more than 160 films in various regional languages. Despite facing numerous obstacles, Rajnikanth's determination led him to enroll at the Madras Film Institute to pursue acting. His debut came with director K. Balachander's Tamil drama Apoorva Raagangal in 1975, which set the foundations for an illustrious career. He quickly established himself as a leading actor in Tamil cinema, known for his larger-than-life on-screen persona and signature style. Films like Mullum Malarum, Billa, and Thalapathi further cemented his superstar status. Off-screen, Rajnikanth is celebrated equally for his philanthropic activities, often aiding those less fortunate through various charities. Despite his fame, he maintains a humble and down-to-earth personality, endeared by his fans worldwide. His life and work serve as a testament to the fact that with hard work, perseverance, and a little bit of style, one can truly reach the stars. Rajnikanth's extraordinary journey from humble beginnings to unmatched stardom continues to inspire millions, making him a true icon of Indian cinema.
- Birthplace: India, Bangalore
- Rahul Bose was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Bose's career in acting began with his roles in various films like "English, August" (1994), "Bombay Boys" (1998) and the comedic fantasy "Everybody Says I'm Fine!" (2003) with Rehaan Engineer. He also appeared in "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer" (2003) and "Chameli" (2004). He continued to work steadily in film throughout the early 2000s, appearing in "Pyar Ke Side Effects" (2006), "Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii" (2007) with Zain Khan and the Linus Roache dramatic period piece "Before the Rains" (2008). He also appeared in "Dil Kabaddi" (2008) and "Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam" (2008). Recently, he continued to act in "Tahaan" (2008), "The Japanese Wife" (2010) and "I Am" (2011) with Sanjay Suri. He also appeared in "Kucch Luv Jaisaa" (2011) and "Midnight's Children" (2013). Bose most recently acted in "Vishwaroop" (2013).
- Birthplace: Calcutta, India
- Kamal Haasan, a name synonymous with the Indian film industry, was born on November 7, 1954, in Paramakudi, Tamil Nadu, India. His journey in cinema began at an early age of six with the film Kalathur Kannamma, for which he received the President's Gold Medal. Haasan's versatility and dedication to his craft have seen him excel in various roles as an actor, director, producer, and playback singer. His notable performances span across five different languages - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi, marking him as a truly pan-Indian artist. Haasan is known for his pioneering efforts in pushing the boundaries of Indian cinema. His commitment to realism and strong social narratives have been a constant throughout his career. Films like Nayakan, Indian, and Anbe Sivam have not only garnered critical acclaim but have also made a significant impact on society. These films are celebrated for their nuanced storytelling, complex characters, and Haasan's riveting performances. His directorial ventures, such as Hey Ram and Virumaandi, are equally lauded for their innovative storytelling and technical brilliance. Throughout his illustrious career, Haasan has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions. He has four National Film Awards to his credit and has been nominated for the prestigious Filmfare Awards 19 times, out of which he won 16. In 1990, he was awarded the Padma Shri and later the Padma Bhushan in 2014 by the Government of India for his contributions to Indian Cinema. Kamal Haasan's life and work serve as an inspiration, encapsulating the spirit of artistry, innovation, and relentless pursuit of excellence.
- Birthplace: India, Paramakudi
The 30+ Best Kamal Haasan Movies, RankedSee all- 1Nayakan158 Votes
- 2Apoorva Sagodharargal120 Votes
- 3Thevar Magan106 Votes
- Konidela Kalyan Babu, better known by his stage name Pawan Kalyan, is an Indian film actor, producer, director, screenwriter, writer, philanthropist and politician. His film works are predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is the youngest brother of popular actor Chiranjeevi . Kalyan made his acting debut in the 1996 Telugu film Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi. In 1998, he starred in Tholi Prema, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for that year. He is known for his works in the films Gokulamlo Seetha, Suswagatam, Tholi Prema,Thammudu, Badri, Kushi, Jalsa and Gabbar Singh, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu, and Attarintiki Daredi, which became one of the highest grossing Telugu films of all time. He was listed 26th in 2013, 69th in 2017 and 24th in 2018 respectively in the Forbes India list of top 100 Celebrities . He produces films under the banners Anjana Productions and Pawan Kalyan Creative Works. In March 2014 he entered into politics, founding the Jana Sena Party. During that period, Pawan Kalyan was listed by Google as the most searched Indian celebrity politician on Google Search.Pawan Kalyan was widely known for his philanthropic work. He founded a charitable trust called Common Man Protection Force (CMPF). This trust was known to assist citizens who fall under EWS in states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He was also invited to Harvard University in Boston,USA to deliver a speech in 14th edition of India Conference 2017 along with Madhavan.
- Birthplace: India, Bapatla
- Satyajit Ray (Bengali pronunciation: [ˈʃɔtːodʒit ˈrai̯] (listen); 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, music composer, graphic artist, lyricist and author, widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century. Ray was born in Calcutta into a Bengali family which was prominent in the field of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948) during a visit to London. Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, meant primarily for young children and teenagers. Feluda, the sleuth, and Professor Shonku, the scientist in his science fiction stories, are popular fictional characters created by him. He was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University. Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including the inaugural Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. This film, along with Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959), form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, a Golden Bear, 2 Silver Bears, a number of additional awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. The Government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award, in 1992. Ray had received many noticeable awards and gained a prestigious position over his life time. In 2004, Ray was ranked number 13 in BBC's poll of the Greatest Bengali of all time.
- Birthplace: India, Kolkata
The Best Movies Directed by Satyajit RaySee all- 1The World of Apu25 Votes
- 2Pather Panchali29 Votes
- 3Nayak: The Hero18 Votes
- Silambarasan "Simbu" Thesingu Rajendar (born 3 February 1983), also credited as S. T. R., is an Indian film actor, director, writer, music composer, dancer, lyricist and playback singer in the Tamil film industry. He began his career by playing roles as a child artist in films directed by his father T. Rajendar, before his first lead role in Kadhal Azhivathillai (2002), under his father's direction and produced by his mother Usha.
- Birthplace: Chennai, India
- Sreenivasan (born 6 April 1956) is an Indian film actor, screenwriter, director and producer who works in Malayalam films.Sreenivasan has starred in over 200 films. He is most popular for his comedy oriented performances. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplay for films such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Thalayanamanthram (1990), Sandesam (1991), Mazhayethum Munpe (1995), Azhakiya Ravanan (1996), Oru Maravathoor Kanavu(1998), Udayananu Tharam (2005), Katha Parayumpol (2007), and Njan Prakashan (2018) among which the latter is one of the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. He has won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Screenplay, for Sandesam and Mazhayethum Munpe. As a writer and actor he has frequently collaborated with directors such as Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad and Kamal. As a filmmaker, he scripted and directed Vadakkunokkiyanthram (1989) and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1998). While Vadakkunokkiyanthram won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues and Best Popular Film Award at the 29th Kerala State Film Awards. He co-produced Katha Parayumpol (2007) and Thattathin Marayathu (2012) under the banner Lumiere Film Company, along with actor Mukesh.
- Birthplace: India, Thalassery
- Jagathi Sreekumar, a renowned Indian actor, was born on January 5, 1951 in Kerala, India. He is best known for his work in the Malayalam cinema where he has showcased his exceptional talent in over 1,000 films, earning him various accolades and recognition. His journey in the world of acting began in 1974 with the film Kanyakumari and since then, there has been no looking back. His versatility as an actor has been displayed through different roles ranging from comedy to intense drama, making him a household name in the South Indian film industry. Sreekumar's dedication to his craft earned him two Kerala State Film Awards. These were for Best Actor in 1991 for his role in Mukha Chithram, and the second one came in 1995 as Special Jury Award for his role in Kerala Verma Pazhassi Raja. His distinct ability to capture the essence of every character he portrayed, combined with his unique style of dialogue delivery, made him a beloved figure among audiences across generations. Beyond his remarkable career in cinema, Sreekumar also left a significant mark in the television and theater industry. His roles in various TV serials and dramas added another dimension to his acting portfolio and further cemented his place as a versatile performer.
- Birthplace: Jagathy
- Muthuvel Karunanidhi (3 June 1924 – 7 August 2018) was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He had the longest tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu with 6,863 days in office. He was also a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and ten-time president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. Before entering politics, he worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter. He also made contributions to Tamil literature, having written stories, plays, novels, and a multiple-volume memoir. He was popularly referred to as "Kalaignar" and "Mutthamizharignar" for his contributions to Tamil literature and the people of Tamil Nadu.Karunanidhi died on 7 August 2018 at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai after prolonged, age-related illness.
- Birthplace: Thirukkuvalai
- Aamir Khan, born on March 14, 1965, is an esteemed actor and filmmaker from India with an illustrious career spanning over four decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful actors in the history of Indian cinema. His journey in the glitzy world of Bollywood began in 1973 as a child artist in the film Yaadon Ki Baaraat, but it was his leading role in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988 that catapulted him to nationwide fame. Khan's contribution to the Indian film industry is not confined to acting alone. He made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par in 2007, a movie which earned him the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. Beyond his directorial ventures, Khan co-founded the production company, Aamir Khan Productions, which has produced several critically acclaimed movies, including Lagaan (2001) and Dangal (2016). Both films became international hits, with Lagaan earning a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. Off-screen, Khan is recognized for his social activism and philanthropy. He hosted and produced the television talk show Satyamev Jayate, which discussed social issues in India, raising awareness and sparking national debates. His commitment to social causes fetched him the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) ambassadorship for South Asia, further underlining his status as a national icon. Despite being one of the biggest celebrities in India, Aamir Khan manages to maintain a low-profile lifestyle, thereby endearing himself to millions of fans worldwide.
- Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Nassar, a renowned Indian film actor, director, and producer, has made an indelible mark in the South Indian film industry. Born on March 5, 1958, in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, he displayed an early interest in the arts, particularly theater. His passion led him to enroll at the prestigious Madras Film Institute, where he honed his acting skills before embarking on a prolific career that spanned several decades. Nassar made his debut in K. Balachander's Kalyana Agathigal (1985) portraying a small role, which paved the way for a series of notable performances. He gained widespread recognition for his roles in Mani Ratnam's Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995). His versatility as an actor is evident from the diverse characters he played, ranging from villainous roles to comedic parts, earning him critical acclaim. He also ventured into directing with Avatharam (1995), a film well-received for its unique narrative style. In addition to his acting pursuits, Nassar served as the president of the Nadigar Sangam from 2015 to 2019. The Nadigar Sangam, also known as the South Indian Artistes' Association, is a union for film, television, and stage actors in the South Indian film industry. His leadership role within the organization demonstrated his commitment to the welfare of his fellow artists. Despite his extensive involvement in the entertainment industry, Nassar has managed to maintain a balanced personal life. He is married to Kameela and they have three children together. Nassar's journey through the world of cinema underscores his dedication and talent, making him one of the most respected figures in the Indian film industry.
- Birthplace: India, Chengalpattu
The 100 Best Nassar MoviesSee all- 1Avvai Shanmughi27 Votes
- 2Bombay9 Votes
- 3Thevar Magan18 Votes
- Suhasini Maniratnam (born 15 August 1961) known commonly as Suhasini, is an Indian actress known for her works in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. She made her film debut in 1980 with the Tamil film Nenjathai Killathe, for which she won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress. Suhasini won the National Film Award for Best Actress for the Tamil film Sindhu Bhairavi in 1986.. She has received two Kerala State Film Awards, three Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada, one Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and Nandi Awards.
- Birthplace: Chennai, India
- Kailasam Balachander (9 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an Indian filmmaker and playwright who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, and the Indian film industry knew him as a master of unconventional themes and hard-hitting contemporary subject matter. Balachander's films are well known for their portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters. Popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Sigaram (lit. "the director who scaled the peak"), his films are usually centred on unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He started his film career in 1964 as a screenwriter and graduated to a director with Neerkumizhi (1965). In a career that spanned 50 years, he had contributed to nearly 100 feature films either as a screenwriter or director, thus becoming one of the most prolific filmmakers in the country. Known among his colleagues as a tough task master, he was credited with having nurtured numerous actors, notably Nagesh, Sujatha, Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Jayaprada, Sridevi, Jayasudha, Saritha, Renuka, Nassar, Prakash Raj, Ramesh Aravind and Vivek. In his film career, Balachander had won nine National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare Awards. He was honored with the Padma Shri (1987), India's fourth highest civilian award, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema. He also made films under his production house, Kavithalaya Productions. Apart from Tamil, he made films in other languages such as Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. Towards the tail end of his career, he directed a few TV serials and made a few film appearances as well.
- Birthplace: Tanjore District
- Asit Sen, a distinguished figure in Indian cinema, was born on 13 May 1917 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He embarked on his cinematic journey as an assistant director before establishing himself as one of the most influential directors and actors in the history of Indian film. His contributions to the industry spanned over four decades, beginning in the late 1940s and continuing until his death in 1993. Sen's directorial prowess is evident in more than 60 films, including both commercial and critical successes. His works, such as Deep Jwele Jaai and Uttar Falguni, are hailed for their nuanced portrayal of women and their struggles, a rarity in the era they were made. He also had a flair for extracting powerful performances from his actors, another testament to his excellent directorial skills. As an actor, Sen was equally impressive, making his mark in the industry with memorable roles in films like Grihadaha and Mouchak. Beyond his contributions to cinema, Sen was recognized for his efforts to improve the film industry. He was a founding member of the Federation of Film Societies of India, an organization dedicated to promoting film as an art form. He received several accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious BFJA Awards for Best Director. Despite his passing in August 1993, Asit Sen's legacy continues to resonate in the Indian film industry, serving as an inspiration for generations of filmmakers and actors alike.
- Birthplace: Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with 16 Vayathinile, he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. As of 2017, he has won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Nandi Award. He has also directed films in Telugu and Hindi. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri award, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2004 for his contribution to the film industry.
- Birthplace: India, Theni Allinagaram
- Kesavan Venugopal Nair (born 22 May 1948), known popularly by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, is an Indian film actor from Kerala. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, he has acted in more than 500 films. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film. He has won two National Film Awards and six Kerala State Film Awards for his various performances.
- Birthplace: India
- Cochin Haneefa, born as Salim Ahmed Ghoush, was a versatile Indian actor and filmmaker who made immense contributions to the Malayalam and Tamil film industries. Born in Cochin, Kerala, India on April 22, 1951, his passion for performing arts revealed itself early in his life. His journey in the world of cinema started in earnest when he directed his debut film, Venda Kakkakuyil, in 1979. With over three decades in the industry, Haneefa fashioned an enviable filmography, featuring more than 300 films across various languages, primarily Malayalam and Tamil. Haneefa's unforgettable performances showcased his ability to seamlessly transition between roles, portraying characters ranging from heart-touching leads to memorable comic roles and villainous turns. His versatility shone in films like Nadodikkattu, Vellanakalude Nadu, and Kireedam, etching his name firmly in the annals of Indian cinema. Beyond acting, his directorial prowess became evident through films like Moonnu Masangalkku Munpu and Bharatham Ennal Parin Naduvil, further demonstrating his multifaceted talent. In addition to his professional achievements, Haneefa left a significant impact on his contemporaries and the generations that followed. He was known for his humility, work ethics, and commitment to the craft. Despite his passing on February 2, 2010, Cochin Haneefa's legacy lives on, continuing to inspire aspiring actors and filmmakers.
- Birthplace: India, Kochi
- Krishnasaamy Bhagyaraj (born 7 January 1953) is an Indian director, actor, screenwriter, music director, producer and Politician active mainly in Tamil films. He has also written and directed Telugu and Hindi films and TV serials. He won a Filmfare Best Actor Award for Mundhanai Mudichu (1983). He is the editor of weekly magazine Bhagya and has also written several novels.
- Birthplace: Vellankoil
- Rabindranath Tagore ( (listen); born Robindronath Thakur, 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), and also known by his sobriquets Gurudev, Kabiguru, and Biswakabi, was a polymath, poet, musician, and artist from the Indian subcontinent. He reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse" of Gitanjali, he became in 1913 the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore's poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; however, his "elegant prose and magical poetry" remain largely unknown outside Bengal. He is sometimes referred to as "the Bard of Bengal".A Brahmo from Calcutta with ancestral gentry roots in Jessore, Tagore wrote poetry as an eight-year-old. At the age of sixteen, he released his first substantial poems under the pseudonym Bhānusiṃha ("Sun Lion"), which were seized upon by literary authorities as long-lost classics. By 1877 he graduated to his first short stories and dramas, published under his real name. As a humanist, universalist, internationalist, and ardent anti-nationalist, he denounced the British Raj and advocated independence from Britain. As an exponent of the Bengal Renaissance, he advanced a vast canon that comprised paintings, sketches and doodles, hundreds of texts, and some two thousand songs; his legacy also endures in the institution he founded, Visva-Bharati University.Tagore modernised Bengali art by spurning rigid classical forms and resisting linguistic strictures. His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali (Song Offerings), Gora (Fair-Faced) and Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World) are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. His compositions were chosen by two nations as national anthems: India's Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh's Amar Shonar Bangla. The Sri Lankan national anthem was inspired by his work.
- Birthplace: Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
- Shenaz Treasurywala is an Indian actress, TV host, writer, and travel vlogger.
- Birthplace: Bombay, Maharashtra, India
- P. V. Jagadish Kumar (born 12 June 1955), popularly known as Jagadish, is an Indian film actor and screenwriter. He has starred in over 400 Malayalam films. He is best known for his comic performances. Jagadish made his acting debut with My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), India's first 3D film. He got a big break with his role as Appukuttan in Siddique-Lal's In Harihar Nagar (1990). He was a lead actor in a number of films during the 1990s, though he now mostly does supporting roles. His notable films include Godfather (1991), Mimics Parade (1991), Welcome to Kodaikanal (1992), Thiruthalvaadi (1992), Priyapetta Kukku (1992), Mr & Mrs (1992), Pandu Pandoru Rajakumari (1992), Kunukkitta Kozhi (1992), Kasarkode Khaderbai (1992), Kallan Kappalil Thanne (1992), Grihaprevesam (1992), Sthreedhanam (1993), Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans (1993), Injakkadan Mathai & Sons (1993), Simhavalan Menon (1995), Mimics Super 1000 (1996), and Hitler (1996). He has written a few scripts as well, most notably Adhipan (1989).Jagadish is a postgraduate M.Com. rank-holder. He transitioned from a bank officer to a college lecturer and to a film actor within a short time. In 2016, Jagadish entered into politics using his star value to compete against his colleague and former state minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar for Member of the Legislative Assembly post of the Pathanapuram constituency under the banner of the Indian National Congress and lost in the elections. He is active in broadcast media.
- Birthplace: Chenkal
- Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian political activist, poet, lyricist and screenwriter, originally from Gwalior area. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri (1999), Padma Bhushan (2007), the Sahitya Akademi Award as well as five National Film Awards. In early part of his career he was a screenplay writer, creating movies like Deewar, Janzeer and Sholay. Later he left screenplay writing and became a lyricist and social-political activist .
- Birthplace: Gwalior, India
- Adoor Gopalakrishnan is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer. and is regarded as one of the most notable filmmakers in India. With the release of his first feature film Swayamvaram (1972), Adoor pioneered the new wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s. In a career spanning over five decades, Adoor has made only 12 feature films to date. His films are made in the Malayalam language and often depict the society and culture of his native state Kerala. Nearly all of his films premired at Venice, Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival. Along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Adoor is one of the most recognized Indian film directors in world cinema.For his films, Adoor has won the National Film Award 16 times, next only to Ray and Sen. He also won the Kerala State Film Awards a record 17 times. He was awarded the State honours Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004 for his valuable contributions to Indian cinema.
- Birthplace: Pathanamthitta, Adoor, India
- Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre (18 November 1901 – 30 October 1990), referred to as V. Shantaram or Shantaram Bapu, was an Indian Marathi filmmaker, film producer and actor. He is most known for films such as Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Duniya Na Mane (1937), Pinjra (1972), Chani, Iye Marathiche Nagari and Zunj.
- Birthplace: India, Kolhapur
- Upendra (Devanagari: उपेन्द्र) is an Indian masculine given name. The meaning of the Sanskrit word upendra is "younger brother of Indra" and refers to either Krishna or Vishnu, who as a son of Aditi (or in the before Vamana avatar) was born subsequently to Indra.
- Birthplace: India
- Kishore Kumar (4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987; born Abhas Kumar Ganguly) was an Indian playback singer, actor, music director, lyricist, film story writer, film director, producer and screenwriter. He is considered as one of the most popular and successful singers of Hindi film industry and from soft numbers to peppy tracks to romantic moods, Kumar sang in different genres but some of his rare compositions which were considered classics were lost in time. According to Ashok Kumar, Kumar's success lies in the fact that his voice used to hit the microphone straight at its most sensitive point.Apart from Hindi, he sang in many Indian languages including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Urdu. He has also sung in private albums in several languages especially in Bengali. He won 8 Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and holds the record for winning the most Filmfare Awards in that category. He was awarded the "Lata Mangeshkar Award" by the Madhya Pradesh government in the year 1985–86. In the year 1997, the Madhya Pradesh Government initiated an award called the "Kishore Kumar Award" as a contribution to Hindi cinema. Recently, Kishore Kumar's unreleased last song was sold for Rs 15.6 lakh (1.56 million) at the Osian's Cinefan Auction, New Delhi in 2012.
- Birthplace: India, Khandwa
The Best Kishore Kumar MoviesSee all
1Half Ticket82 Votes- 2Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi85 Votes
- 3Padosan75 Votes
- Farhan Akhtar is an Indian producer, actor, director, and writer who is known for producing "Angry Young Men," "Mirzapur," and "Made In Heaven."
- Birthplace: Mumbai, India
Sachin Bhowmick
Dec. at 80 (1930-2011)Sachin Bhowmick (Bengali: শচীন ভৌমিক; 17 July 1930 – 12 April 2011) was an Indian Hindi film writer and director. Writing was his main work and he wrote stories or screenplays for over 94 films. He is best remembered for directing the light romantic black comedy classic Raja Rani (1973). He was also a regular contributor to Ultorath, a Bengali magazine on cinema. Due to the Bengali pronunciation of his surname Bhaumick we will find his surname spelled as Bhowmick in numerous sites.- Birthplace: Kolkata, India
- Dasari Narayana Rao (4 May 1947 – 30 May 2017) was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, dialogue writer, actor, lyricist, and politician known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema, Television, and Bollywood. He has directed more than one hundred and fifty feature films in a variety of genres. His works emphasize social injustice, corruption and gender discrimination. Rao has received two National Film Awards, nine state Nandi Awards including the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and four Filmfare Awards South including the lifetime Achievement. During his career he has also acted in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada languages.Rao gained national recognition for directing Hindi films such as, Swarg Narak, Jyoti Bane Jwala, Zakhmi Sher, Sarfarosh, Wafadaar, Prem Tapasya, Pyaasa Sawan, Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar, and Asha Jyoti. Rao holds Limca World Record for directing the most number of films. He directed works such as Tandra Paparayudu, (1986), and Surigaadu (1992), screened at International Film Festival of India in the panorama section, and Kante Koothurne Kanu (1998) which received the National Film Award Special Mention Feature Film. In 1983, he directed Meghasandesam which received critical acclaim at the Indian panorama, Tashkent Film Festival, 1983 Cannes Film Festival, and Moscow film festival. The film has also received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu.
- Birthplace: Palakollu, India
- Mahesh Manjrekar was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. Manjrekar worked on a variety of projects during his early entertainment career, including "Kaante" (2002) starring Amitabh Bachchan, "Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav" with Masumi (2005) and "Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye" (2003). He also contributed to "Rakht: What If You Can See the Future" with Amrita Arora (2004), "Run" (2004) and "Vastaav" (1999) starring Sanjay Dutt. He kept working in film throughout the early 2000s, starring in the Hrishitaa Bhatt foreign "Jawani Diwani: A Youthful Joyride" (2006), "Zinda" (2006) and the drama "Pankh: The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (2008) with Bipasha Basu. Film continued to be his passion as he played roles in the action film "Wanted Dead and Alive" (2009) with Salman Khan, "Teen Patti" (2010) with Amitabh Bachchan and the Salman Khan foreign "Dabangg" (2010). He also appeared in "Ready" (2011). Most recently, Manjrekar acted in the Ranveer Singh historical love story "Bajirao Mastani" (2015).
- Birthplace: Bombay, Maharashtra, India
The Best Movies Directed by Mahesh ManjrekarSee all- 1Vaastav: The Reality23 Votes
- 2Virrudh... Family Comes First15 Votes
- 3Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hain15 Votes
- Hrishikesh Mukherjee (30 September 1922 – 27 August 2006) was an Indian film director, editor and writer regarded as one of the greatest filmmaker of all time , known for a number of films, including [Anari],Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Anupama, Anand, Abhimaan, Guddi, Gol Maal, Majhli Didi, Chaitali, Aashirwad, Bawarchi, Kissi Se Na Kehna, Namak Haraam and Chemmeen to name a few. Popularly known as Hrishi-da, he directed 42 films during his career spanning over four decades, and is named the pioneer of the 'middle cinema' of India. Renowned for his social films that reflected the changing middle-class ethos, Mukherjee "carved a middle path between the extravagance of mainstream cinema and the stark realism of art cinema".He also remained the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The Government of India honoured him with the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1999 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. He received the NTR National Award in 2001 and he also won eight Filmfare Awards.
- Birthplace: India, Kolkata
- M. P. Michael (born 2 December 1958), better known by his stage name Lal, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, film director, producer, and distributor, who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. Lal has won one National Film Award – Special Mention for acting (in 2012), two Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor (in 2008 and 2013) and a Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam (in 2008).
- Birthplace: India, Kochi
- Ram Gopal Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Telugu cinema, Bollywood, and television. Varma directed films across multiple genres, including parallel cinema and docudrama noted for their gritty realism, technical finesse, and craft. Regarded as one of the pioneers of new age Indian cinema, Varma garnered the National Film Award for scripting the political crime drama, Shool (1999). In 2004, he was featured in the BBC World series Bollywood Bosses. In 2006, Grady Hendrix of Film Comment, published by the Film Society of Lincoln Center cited Varma as "Bombay’s Most Successful Maverick" for his works on experimental films.Varma is known for presenting the Indian Political Trilogy, and the Indian Gangster Trilogy; film critic Rajeev Masand had labeled the series as one of the "most influential movies of Hindi cinema. The first installment of the trilogy, Satya, was also listed in CNN-IBN's 100 greatest Indian films of all time. Varma's recent avant-garde works include hits such as the dramatized re-enactment of "Rayalaseema factionism" in Rakta Charitra (2010), the "2008 Mumbai attacks" in The Attacks of 26/11 (2013), the "Operation Cocoon" in Killing Veerappan (2016), and the "Vijayawada riots" in Vangaveeti (2016).Starting his career as a civil engineer, he made an entry into Telugu cinema with the path-breaking crime thriller, Siva (1989) screened at the 13th International Film Festival of India, and has garnered Varma, the state Nandi Awards for Best direction, Best first film of a director, and the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Telugu. Subsequently, the film was included in CNN-IBN's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time. Varma's next movie Kshana Kshanam (1991) was screened at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. The sleeper hit won him another Nandi Award for Best Direction, and the Nandi Award for Best Screenplay Writer. The 1993 political drama, Gaayam received six state Nandi Awards. In 1999, He directed Prema Katha for which he received his third Nandi Award for Best Director.
- Birthplace: India, Hyderabad
- Himesh Reshammiya (born 23 July 1973) is an Indian actor, music director, lyricist, composer, producer, singer, screenwriter and film distributor who predominantly works in Bollywood film industry.
- Birthplace: Gujarat, India
- Mani Ratnam is a writer, director, and producer who is known for writing "Ponniyin Selvan: II," "Ponniyin Selvan: I," and "Ok Jaanu."
- Birthplace: Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Kader Khan was an illustrious figure in the Indian film industry, known for being as an actor, screenwriter, comedian, and director. Born on October 22, 1937, in Kabul, Afghanistan, he moved to Mumbai, India, during his early childhood. His humble beginnings saw him working as a professor of civil engineering at M.H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering before fate led him to the world of cinema. Khan's cinematic journey commenced in 1971 with his debut in the film Daag, marking the beginning of a career that spanned over three decades. He demonstrated his versatility by effortlessly switching between roles, from villainous characters to comedic roles, earning him critical acclaim. His exceptional contribution to Indian cinema comprised over 300 films, with notable performances in Amar Akbar Anthony, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, and Coolie. Moreover, his talent was not confined to acting alone; he penned dialogues for more than 250 movies, showcasing his flair for writing. Despite his successful film career, Kader Khan didn't shy away from his commitment to education. He established an acting school named Kader Khan's Academy of Cinema in Dubai, aiming to nurture young talents. His dedication to both cinema and education contributed significantly to his legacy. Khan passed away on December 31, 2018, leaving behind a rich body of work that continues to inspire generations of actors and writers.
- Birthplace: Pakistan, Pishin, Pakistan
The 100 Best Kader Khan MoviesSee all- 1Judaai32 Votes
- 2Dulhe Raja52 Votes
- 3Saajan32 Votes
- Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (5 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, director, and producer known for his extensive work in Malayalam cinema. Lohithadas was known for his rich, detailed, and realistic screenplays. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a National Film Award, 6 Kerala State Film Awards, and 14 Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Script.Lohithadas made his debut as a screenwriter with Thaniyavarthanam (1987). He has written screenplays for 35 films in a 24-year-long career, such as Vicharana (1988), Ezhuthapurangal (1988), Kireedam (1989), Dasharatham (1989), Mrugaya (1989), His Highness Abdullah (1990), Sasneham (1990), Bharatham (1991), Amaram (1991), Aadhaaram (1992), Kamaladalam (1992), Vatsalyam (1993), Venkalam (1993), Padheyam (1993), Chenkol (1993), Chakoram (1994), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Sallapam (1996), and Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999). He later became a director, and made his directorial debut with Bhoothakkannadi (1997). He later wrote and directed other films such as Karunyam (1997), Kanmadam (1998), Joker (2000), and Kasthooriman (2003). He died on 29 June 2009 due to a heart attack.
- Birthplace: India, Chalakudy
Sridhar Rangayan
Age: 62Sridhar Rangayan (also spelt Sridhar Rangaihn or Sridhar Rangayyan; born 2 April 1962) is an Indian filmmaker who has made films with special focus on queer subjects. His queer films, The Pink Mirror and Yours Emotionally, have been considered groundbreaking because of their realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the largely closeted Indian gay community. His film The Pink Mirror remains banned in India by the Indian Censor Board because of its homosexual content.Rangayan was born in Mandya, Karnataka. As a gay activist, he has been one of the front-rank leaders in the LGBT movement in India and has contributed immensely towards the growth of awareness about sexual minorities in India.He is a Founder Member and Trustee of The Humsafar Trust, the first gay NGO in India, along with Ashok Row Kavi. He served on its board till January 2013. He also designed and edited India's first gay magazine Bombay Dost between 1999–2003. In 2006, he was awarded the South Asian Achievers Award for his contribution to global mainstream media by Triangle Media Group (TMG), UK. In 2010, he has served on the Jury for the Teddy Awards at the 60th Berlinale (Berlin, Germany), Jury for Matter of Act awards at the Movies That Matter film festival (The Hague, Netherlands) and also as Jury for SATO-48 (USA) competition. He has been part of the eminent international jury of Outfest 2012, Los Angeles and Iris Prize 2013, UK He is the founder Festival Director of Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival that is held in Mumbai, India every year for past 9 years, the first ever queer film festival to be held at a mainstream theater - PVR Cinemas (2010), Cinemax (2011-2013) and Liberty Cinema (2014-2018) He has been elected as Regional Director (region 19) of Interpride which is a network of more than 160 Gay Pride organisations from more than 35 countries in 162 cities, dedicated to LGBT Pride parades and other events. He is also the Festival Director of Flashpoint Human Rights Film Festival that was held in Mumbai, India from 8–10 December 2010 at Alliance française de Bombay and screened 8 documentary films on human rights issues along with panel discussions on several topics like human trafficking and the law, violence against women and religious intolerance.- Birthplace: Mandya, India
- Guru Dutt was a director who was known for directing "Kaagaz Ke Phool," "Thirsty," and "Aar-Paar."
- Birthplace: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Girish Karnad was an actor who had a successful Hollywood career. His film career continued throughout the eighties and the early 2000s in productions like the foreign "Man Pasand" (1980) with Dev Anand, "Aparupa" (1982) and "Umbartha" (1982). He also appeared in the Manjunath drama "Swamy" (1987) and the dramatic period piece "Hey! Ram" (2000) with Shah Rukh Khan. Recently, he continued to act in "Dor" (2006), "Iqbal" (2006) with Kapil Dev and the drama "8x10 Tasveer" (2009) with Akshay Kumar. He also appeared in the John Abraham drama "Aashayein" (2010) and "Chandra" (2012) with Shriya Saran. Most recently, Karnad acted in the Salman Khan foreign "Ek Tha Tiger" (2012).
- Birthplace: Matheran, British India
Rajendra Singh Babu
Age: 72S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu is a Kannada film maker and producer. He was born and brought up in Mysore. His father late Shankar Singh was one of the great producers in Kannada Film Industry and has produced many films under the banner Mahatma Pictures. Rajendra Singh Babu has made movies in different genres. He has written and directed love stories, War, suspense thrillers and comedy movies. Many of his films have been adapted from novels or short stories. He is not only famous in Karnataka but also across all of India. Babu has won numerous awards for his films and has also directed movies in the Hindi and Telugu languages. His sister Vijayalakshmi is the wife of actor Jai Jagadish.- Birthplace: Mysore, India
Shomu Mukherjee
Dec. at 64 (1943-2008)Shomu Mukherjee (Bengali: সমু মুখার্জি) (or Shomu Mukherji) (19 June 1943 - 10 April 2008) was a Bengali Indian director, writer and producer. Born in 1943, he was the fourth son of Sashadhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya studios, and Sati Rani Devi. His mother was the only sister of the Ganguly brothers. He married actress Tanuja. Their daughters are actresses Kajol Mukherjee and Tanisha Mukherjee, part of the Mukherjee-Samarth family. His elder brothers are Late Rono Mukherjee, Late Joy Mukherjee (a successful actor in the 1960s) and Deb Mukherjee and he has a younger brother Subir Mukherjee. Actresses Rani Mukerji and Sharbani Mukherjee are his nieces and director Ayan Mukerji is his nephew. He died of a heart attack on 10 April 2008 at the age of 64.- Birthplace: India
- Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 9 August 1933), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-Independence Indian literature. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Pattambi Taluk, Palakkad district (Palghat), which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj. He shot into fame at the age of 20 when, as a chemistry undergraduate, he won the prize for the best short story in Malayalam at World Short Story Competition conducted by The New York Herald Tribune. His debut novel Naalukettu (Ancestral Home- translated to English as The Legacy), wrote at the age of 23, won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 1958. His other novels include Manju (Mist), Kaalam (Time), Asuravithu (The Prodigal Son - translated to English as The Demon Seed) and Randamoozham (The Second Turn). The deep emotional experiences of his early days have gone into the making of MT's novels. Most of his works are oriented towards the basic Malayalam family structure and culture and many of them were path-breaking in the history of Malayalam literature. His three seminal novels on life in the matriarchal family in Kerala are Naalukettu, Asuravithu, and Kaalam. Randamoozham, which retells the story of the Mahabharatha from the point of view of Bhimasena, is widely credited as his masterpiece. M. T. Vasudevan Nair is a script writer and director of Malayalam films. He has directed seven films and written the screenplay for around 54 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay four times for: Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Kadavu (1991), Sadayam (1992), and Parinayam (1994), which is the most by anyone in the screenplay category. He was awarded the highest literary award in India, Jnanpith, in 1995 for his overall contribution to Malayalam literature. In 2005, India's third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan was awarded to him. He has won numerous other awards and recognition including Sahitya Akademi Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Vallathol Award, Ezhuthachan Award and Mathrubhumi Literary Award. He was awarded the J.C. Daniel Award for lifetime achievement in Malayalam cinema for the year 2013. He served as the editor of Mathrubhumi Illustrated Weekly for several years.
- Birthplace: India
- Chetan Bhagat (born 22 April 1974) is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter and motivational speaker, known for his Indian-English novels about young middle class Indians. Bhagat writes columns on youth, career development and current affairs for The Times of India (in English) and Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). Bhagat's novels have sold over seven million copies. In 2008, The New York Times cited Bhagat as "the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history". Bhagat was included in Time magazine's list of World's 100 Most Influential People in 2010. He moved to Amazon Publishing on April 27, 2018 from Rupa Publications as per the news resources, and his first novel with Westland is The Girl In Room 105.
- Birthplace: New Delhi, India
- Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known popularly by his pen name Gulzar and also Gulzar Saab, is an Academy Award winning Indian film director, lyricist and poet. Born in Jhelum District in British India (now in Pakistan) his family moved to India after partition. He started his career with music director S.D. Burman as a lyricist in the 1963 film Bandini and worked with many music directors including R. D. Burman, Salil Chowdhury, Vishal Bhardwaj and A. R. Rahman. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2004, the third-highest civilian award in India, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — the highest award in Indian cinema. He has won several Indian National Film Awards, 21 Filmfare Awards, one Academy Award and one Grammy Award. He also wrote the theme song for Motu Patlu, an Indian animated sitcom. Gulzar also wrote poetry, dialogues and scripts. He directed films such as Aandhi and Mausam during the 1970s and the TV series Mirza Ghalib in the 1980s. He also directed Kirdaar in 1993.
- Birthplace: Pakistan, Dina, Pakistan
- Bala Palanisamy is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, working in Tamil cinema. Often considered to be of the finest Indian directors, Bala is widely acclaimed for "revolutionizing Tamil cinema" through his realistic, dark and disturbing depiction of the working class on celluloid screen.Just within directing a handful of films, his movies went on to win 6 National Awards, 13 State awards, 15 Filmfare Awards, 14 International Festival Awards and numerous coveted state awards which created a storm within the Indian movie scene. Apart from the awards, actors who played lead roles were transformed into brand new avatars and became stars.
- Birthplace: India, Periyakulam
- Ekta Kapoor (born 7 June 1975) is an Indian television producer, film producer and director.
- Birthplace: India
- Bimal Roy (Bengali: বিমল রায়; 12 July 1909 – 8 January 1966) was a Bengali Indian film director. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films such as Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, Parakh and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema. Inspired by Italian neo-realistic cinema, he made Do Bigha Zamin after watching Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (1948). His work is particularly known for his mise en scène which he employed to portray realism. He won a number of awards throughout his career, including eleven Filmfare Awards, two National Film Awards, and the International Prize of the Cannes Film Festival. Madhumati won 9 Filmfare Awards in 1958, a record held for 37 years.
- Birthplace: Bengal Presidency
Ranjith
Age: 60Ranjith Balakrishnan (born 5 September 1964) is a veteran Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor who works in Malayalam cinema. Ranjith made his directorial debut in 2001 with Ravanaprabhu, a sequel to Devaasuram. His films Thirakkatha and Indian Rupee won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam in 2008 and 2011 respectively.- Birthplace: India, Balussery
- Pandiarajan is an actor, director who has played leading roles in many humorous Tamil films and currently plays supporting and comedy roles.
- Birthplace: India
- Blessy is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has made several critically acclaimed Malayalam films. His popular films include Kaazhcha (2004), Thanmathra (2005), Palunku (2006), Bhramaram (2009), and Pranayam (2011).
- Birthplace: Tiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, India
- Mohan Rangachari (16 October 1952 – 10 June 2019), known professionally as Crazy Mohan, was an Indian actor, comedian, screenwriter and playwright. An engineer by profession, Mohan started writing plays and established his own drama troupe called "Crazy Creations" in 1979. In addition to dramas and tele-serials, Mohan worked as a dialogue writer on a number of comedy films. Mohan had written over 30 plays, worked on over 40 films, having cameo roles in each film, and written 100 short stories. He died on 10 June 2019 due to a cardiac arrest.
- Birthplace: Tamil Nadu
- Anand Patwardhan (born 18 February 1950) is an Indian documentary filmmaker known for his socio-political, human rights-oriented films. Some of his films explore the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India, while others investigate nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development. Notable films include Bombay: Our City (Hamara Shahar) (1985), In Memory of Friends (1990), In the Name of God (Ram ke Nam) (1992), Father, Son, and Holy War (1995), A Narmada Diary (1995), War and Peace (2002) and Jai Bhim Comrade (2011), which have won national and international awards. A secular rationalist, Anand Patwardhan is a vocal critic of Hindutva ideology.
- Birthplace: India, Mumbai
- Karan Kumar Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar, 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, costume designer, actor and television personality who works in Hindi films. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and the producer Yash Johar. Johar made his directorial debut with the widely-seen romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), which earned him the Filmfare Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. His next two films were the ensemble dramas Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), which were both very successful in the overseas market. His social drama My Name Is Khan (2010) earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Director. The 2018 spy thriller Raazi won him Filmfare Award for Best Film. These, along with the several successful films he has produced under the Dharma Productions banner, have established him as one of the leading director-producers in Hindi cinema. Johar has also ventured successfully into other avenues of the entertainment industry. He hosts a television talk show, Koffee with Karan, and a radio show Calling Karan, and appeared as a judge on competition reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, India's Got Talent, India's Next Superstars.
- Birthplace: India, Mumbai
- Anurag Kashyap is a writer, director, and producer who is known for writing "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Black Friday." Kashyap was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2015 for "The Lunchbox."
- Birthplace: Gorakhpur, India
- Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke (pronunciation ) (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944), was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as the Father of Indian cinema. His debut film, Raja Harishchandra, which was the first Marathi cinema, was the first Indian movie in 1913, and is now known as India's first full-length feature. He made 95 feature-length films and 27 short films in his career, spanning 19 years, until 1937, including his most noted works: Mohini Bhasmasur (1913), Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janma (1918) and Kaliya Mardan (1919). The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for lifetime contribution to cinema, was instituted in his honour by the Government of India in 1969. The award is one of the most prestigious awards in Indian cinema and is the highest official recognition for film personalities in the country. A postage stamp bearing his likeness was released by India Post to honour him in 1971. An honorary award from the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Mumbai was introduced in the year 2001, for lifetime achievement in Indian cinema.
- Birthplace: Nashik, India
- Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) of India. He worked as Hindi and Punjabi film producer, director and writer, and he acted in films and television. He is known for his undefeated worldwide streak in wrestling and later being a successful movie star. His role of Hanuman in film Bajrangi (1976) and in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan made him popular.
- Birthplace: Amritsar district, India
- Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), known as Dev Anand, was a noted Hindi film actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the bollywood film industry.
- Birthplace: Shakargarh Tehsil
Every Dev Anand Movie, RankedSee all- 1Guide194 Votes
- 2Jewel Thief136 Votes
- 3Johny Mera Naam129 Votes
- Vidhu Vinod Chopra (born 5 September 1952) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. His better known films include Parinda, 1942: A Love Story , Munna Bhai film series (Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai), 3 Idiots, PK, Sanju and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. He is the founder of Vinod Chopra Films and Vinod Chopra Productions.
- Birthplace: Srinagar, India
- Gollapudi Maruti Rao is the Chairman of Srikalahasti Pipes, an Indian film actor, theatre actor, screenwriter, dramatist, playwright, and dialogue writer known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu theatre and Telugu Literature. He has acted in over 230 Telugu films. His noted literary works and plays, like Rendu Rellu Aaru, Patita, Karuninchani Devatalu, Mahanatudu, Kaalam Venakku Tirigindi, Aasayaalaku Sankellu, have won numerous State Awards.He was a member of the Script Scrutiny Committee of National Film Development Corporation and served as a Jury Member at International Film Festival of India for Indian Panorama section in 1996. He is known for scripting landmark films like Doctor Chakravarthy, Tharangini, Samsaram Chadharangam, Kallu etc. He has garnered six Andhra Pradesh State Nandi Awards. In 1997, he established the Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation, which presents the Gollapudi National Award, for the best first film of a director in Indian cinema.Rao was also known for his works in All India Radio and Journalism, for over two decades. His play was included in the Master of Arts (Telugu literature) curriculum of Osmania University. This work was translated into all Indian languages by the National Book Trust, under the Aadaan Pradaan programme. The work was remade into a Telugu film in 1988 which won the Nandi Award for the Best Story in 1989. His 1975 play Kallu, was also remade into a Telugu film Kallu, which has also garnered Nandi Award for Best Feature Film. His play Oka Chettu – Rende Puvvulu was purchased by the Song and Drama Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for popular exhibition.A volume of essays on theatre, Telugu Nataka Rangam, was prescribed as a textbook for the Department of Theatre Arts, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam (1967). He has published two research articles appeared in Andhra Vignana Sarvaswam (Telugu Encyclopedia) 11th volume: "History of the development in 'Thought' and 'Technique' of Telugu Play-writing" and "Amateur Theatre – its origin and growth in relation to the World Amateur Theatre movement. His Telugu play Vandemaataram, the first one in Telugu about the Sino-Indian War, was published by Andhra Pradesh State Information & Public Relations Department, (1963).
- Birthplace: Vizianagaram, India
- Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist best known for his family dramas in Malayalam cinema. Sathyan has created many critical and commercially successful films, especially when working with Sreenivasan as the scriptwriter. Sathyan made his debut with the 1982 film Kurukkante Kalyanam. His popular films include T. P. Balagopalan M.A. (1986), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Artham (1989), Mazhavilkavadi (1989), Kalikkalam (1990), Sasneham (1990), Sandesam (1991), My Dear Muthachan (1992), Santhanagopalam (1994), No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North (1995), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Irattakuttikalude Achan (1997), Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999), Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2000), Yathrakarude Sradhakku (2002), Manassinakkare (2003), Achuvinte Amma (2005), Rasatanthram (2006), Oru Indian Pranayakadha (2013), and Njan Prakashan (2018). Sathyan's films have won 5 Kerala State Film Awards, and Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the 48th National Film Awards. He also won 2 Filmfare Awards for Best Director for Thooval Kottaram and Manassinakkare. Actors Mohanlal, Sreenivasan and Jayaram embodied the typical Sathyan Anthikkad protagonist in most of the films. On the other hand, Sathyan Anthikad had tried making movies in different genres as well but because of their lower success rate at the box-office he hasn't pursued to make more of them. Some of his such films include Pappan Priyappetta Pappan (1986), Samooham (1993), Pingami (1994) and Oral Mathram (1997) with the exception being Artham (1989) which was a commercial success at the box-office.
- Birthplace: India
- Gautham Vasudev Menon (born 25 February 1973), also known as GVM, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He has also directed Hindi and Telugu films, which are remakes of his own Tamil films. Many of his films have been critically acclaimed, most notably his romantic films Minnale (2001), Vaaranam Aayiram (2008), Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010) and his thrillers Kaakha Kaakha (2003), Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006) and Yennai Arindhaal (2015). Vaaranam Aayiram won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Menon produces films through his Photon Kathaas film production company. His production Thanga Meengal (2013) won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.
- Birthplace: India, Ottapalam
Mannava Balayya
Age: 94Mannava Balaiah (or Balayya) is an actor, writer, director and producer in Telugu cinema. He acted in 300 films.- Birthplace: India
- Murugadoss Arunasalam, commonly known by his stage name AR Murugadoss, is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter who predominantly works in the Tamil Film Industry. He is best known for his action Tamil films and Telugu films and for remaking them in Hindi cinema. This includes the Suriya, Asin-starrer Ghajini (2005) and its Hindi remake of the same name (2008) starring Aamir Khan and Asin Thottumkal who was the part of both the movies, along with the Vijay-starrer Thuppakki (2012) and its Hindi remake Holiday (2014) starring Akshay Kumar. His 2002 Tamil film Ramanaa was remade in Hindi as Gabbar Is Back (2015) starring Akshay Kumar as well. Murugadoss won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for his 2014 Tamil action-drama film Kaththi.
- Birthplace: India, Kallakurichi
- Neelesh Misra (born 5 May 1973) is an Indian journalist, author, radio storyteller, scriptwriter and lyricist. He is most known for his radio show, Yaadon Ka IdiotBox with Neelesh Misra on BIG FM 92.7. He is co-founder-editor of Gaon Connection, India's rural newspaper. He has also founded a content creation company called Content Project Pvt. Ltd. He is currently working on "The Neelesh Misra Show" on Red FM 93.5 and "Kahaani Express" on Saavn.
- Birthplace: Nainital, India
- David Dhawan (born Rajinder Dhawan on 16 August 1955) is an Indian film director who works in Hindi films. He is the father of Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and director Rohit Dhawan. He is best known for directing several successful films, including the comedies Swarg (1990), Shola Aur Shabnam (1992), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Judwaa (1997), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Partner (2007), Chashme Baddoor (2013), Main Tera Hero (2014) and Judwaa 2 (2017). The 1993 action thriller Aankhen and 1999 comedy Biwi No.1 earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Director nominations.
- Birthplace: India, Agartala
- Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a writer, director, and producer who is known for writing "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar" and "Devdas." Bhansali was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2003 for the second project.
- Birthplace: Mumbai, India
- Thangar Bachan (born 1961) is an Indian film director and actor, cinematographer and novelist. He was born in Pathrakottai, a village near Panruti.,in Cuddalore district.Tamilnadu
- Birthplace: Tamil Nadu
- Prakash Jha (born 27 February 1952) is an Indian film producer, actor, director and screenwriter, mostly known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul (1984), Mrityudand (1997), Gangaajal (2003), Apaharan (2005), including multi-starrer movies like Raajneeti (2010), Aarakshan (2011) Chakravyuh (2012), and Satyagraha (2013). He is also the maker of National Film Award winning documentaries like, Faces After The Storm (1984) and Sonal (2002). He runs a production company, Prakash Jha Productions. He also owns the P&M Mall in Patna and the P&M Hi-Tech Mall in Jamshedpur.
- Birthplace: India, West Champaran district
- Ashutosh Gowariker is a screenwriter director, producer, and actor in film and television. After roughly a decade in acting, Gowariker directed his first film (which he also wrote the screenplay for), the mystery thriller "Pehla Nasha." In 1995, he directed Bollywood star Aamir Khan in the crime-thriller "Baazi," a three-hour film about the framing of an inspector and his struggle for justice. After completing his acting career through the late-1990s, Gowarider returned to directing in 2001, with the even longer epic "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India," which starred Khan again, who also produced. The film, about a cricket match between India and its British rulers, won numerous awards, including a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2002. Other Gowarkier-directed epics, running over 200 minutes each, include the 2004 drama "Swades" and the 2008 love story "Jodhaa Akbar," each multiple-award winners in their home country.
- Birthplace: Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
- Thesingu Rajendar (born 9 May 1955), better known as T. Rajendar, Vijaya T. Rajendar or T. R., is an Indian film actor, director, composer, screenwriter, songwriter, cinematographer, producer, playback singer and distributor who works primarily in Tamil film industry. He is also a politician in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Birthplace: India, Mayiladuthurai
The Best Movies Directed by T. RajendarSee all- 1Vasantha Azhaippukkal20 Votes
- 2Rayil Payanangalil30 Votes
- 3Oru Thayin Sabhatham41 Votes
- Nagesh Kukunoor (born 30 March 1967) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor known for his works predominantly in Bollywood. He is known for his works in parallel cinema, such as Hyderabad Blues (1998), Rockford (1999), Iqbal (2005), Dor (2006), Aashayein (2010), Lakshmi (2014), and Dhanak (2016). Kukunoor has received seven International Awards, and two National Film Awards for his works.In 2003, he directed 3 Deewarein, which was showcased among the Indian panorama section, at the 2003 International Film Festival of India. The film was also premiered at the Kolkata Film Festival. After having been screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, where it was well received, the film was screened at the Commonwealth Festival at Manchester, it was nominated as one of the top five films, at the gala presentation. Nagesh Kukunoor has also received the Filmfare Award for Best Story.In 2006, he garnered the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues, for directing Iqbal. In 2014, he received the Mercedes Benz Audience Award, for Best Narrative at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for Lakshmi. In 2015 he directed the road movie, Dhanak, which won the Crystal Bear Grand Prix for Best Children's Film, and Special Mention for the Best Feature Film by The Children's Jury for Generation Kplus at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. The film has also garnered the Best Film Award in the main category-Children's Feature Film Competition-Cinema in Sneakers (film festival), and the Best Film Award - at the Montreal International Children's Film Festival (FIFEM). The film has garnered the National Film Award for Best Children's Film for 2016.
- Birthplace: India, Hyderabad
- Kasinadhuni Viswanath (February 19, 1930 – February 2, 2023) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor, One of the most prolific filmmakers of Telugu cinema, he received international recognition for his works and is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream commercial cinema. He was honored with the "Prize of the Public" at the "Besançon Film Festival of France" in 1981. In 1992, he received the Andhra Pradesh state Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the civilian honor Padma Shri for his contribution to the arts. In 2017, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema. Viswanath started his film career as an audiographer and in sixty years, he has directed 53 feature films in a variety of genres, including films based on performing arts, visual arts, and aesthetics. Viswanath's filmography is known for addressing the issues of caste, color, disability, gender discrimination, misogyny, alcoholism and socioeconomic challenges.
- Birthplace: India, Repalle
- Govind Nihalani (born 19 December 1940) is an Indian film director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer, known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has been the recipient of six National Film Awards, and five Bollywood Filmfare Awards. In 1996, his script for Drohkaal was adapted by Kamal Hassan for its Tamil remake, Kuruthipunal, which subsequently became India's official entry for the 68th Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film category.His first directorial venture was Aakrosh, starring Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri. The film was scripted by noted Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar. The film shared the Golden Peacock for best film at the International Film Festival of India held in New Delhi in 1981. He then directed Ardh Satya, based on a story by S. D. Panwalkar. the film has received critical reception for depicting the police-politician-criminal nexus. In 1997, he adapted Bengali novelist Mahasweta Devi's acclaimed novel by the same name to Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa.
- Birthplace: Karachi, Pakistan
- Namrata Singh Gujral (born February 26, 1976) is an American director, producer and actor.
- Birthplace: India, Dharamsala
- Abhay Deol is an actor, producer, and writer who appeared in "Trial by Fire," "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," and "Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!."
- Birthplace: Mumbai, Maharastra, India
- Vijay Anand may refer to: Vijay Anand (Hindi film maker) (1925–2004), Bollywood filmmaker, producer, screen writer, editor, and actor; brother of actor Dev Anand Vijay Anand (politician) (born 1969), Indian politician
- Birthplace: Gurdaspur, India
- Shiva Kumar is a film director and producer.
- Birthplace: Chennai, India
- K. Raghavendra Rao (born Kovelamudi Raghavendra Rao on 23 May 1941, popularly known as Darsakendra) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and choreographer, known for his works predominantly in Telugu cinema and a few Hindi and Kannada films. He has garnered seven state Nandi Awards, the IIFA Award, the SIIMA Award, five Filmfare Awards South and two CineMAA Awards. In a film career spanning more than five decades, Rao has directed more than a hundred feature films, of which around ninety were box office hits, across multiple genres such as romantic comedy, fantasy, melodrama, action thriller, biographical and romance films.
- Birthplace: Krishna District, India
- Akkineni Lakshmi Vara Prasada Rao (17 January 1908 – 22 June 1994), known popularly as L. V. Prasad, was an Indian film producer, actor, director, cinematographer and businessman. He was one of the pioneers of Indian cinema and is the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest Award for films in India. In 1980, he was awarded the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, for his contribution to Telugu cinema. He founded Prasads Group in 1956, which include the Prasad Art Pictures, Prasad Studios, Prasads IMAX and L V Prasad Eye Institute. L. V. Prasad was the chairman of the 27th National Film Awards Selection Committee held at New Delhi in 1980. He was the chairman of the All India Selection Panel of Indian Panorama section for the 8th International Film Festival of India from 3 to 17 January 1981. Prasad was also the chairman of the International Jury for Children's Film Festival held in November 1981 at Madras. He was elected as the President of The South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce for the year 1982–83. He was a Member of the Board of Film Censors from October 1980 to February 1987. L. V. Prasad was Chairman of the Studio Owners, Council, a wing of Film Federation of India. The Government of India released a Commemorative postage stamp in his memory in 2006.Prasad also had the unique distinction of acting in the first talkies of three different languages of Indian cinema; Alam Ara (Hindi), Bhakta Prahlada (Telugu) and Kalidas (Tamil).
- Birthplace: India, Eluru
Raj Singh Chaudhary
Age: 49Raj Singh Chaudhary is an Indian actor, screenwriter and model best known for his lead role in the 2009 Hindi-language film, Gulaal. He has appeared in various other films such as Kuch Naa Kaho and Black Friday and as a lead in Antardwand (2010).- Birthplace: India, Meerut
- Venkat Prabhu is a director who is known for directing "Mankatha," "Chennai 600028 II: Second Innings," and "Masss."
- Birthplace: Chennai, India
K.K. Raina
K. K. Raina is an Indian film, television and theatre character actor, and award-winning script writer, who is best known for his roles as Juror #8 in the 1986 film Ek Ruka Hua Faisla, a remake of 12 Angry Men, and the Dr. Watson-like side-kick Ajit in the 1993 Doordarshan detective series Byomkesh Bakshi. Raina won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue in 1998 for the Rajkumar Santoshi film China Gate. Raina is an alumnus of the National School of Drama, graduating in 1976.- Utpal Dutt (listen ) (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993) was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Theatre Group" in 1949. This group enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period now known as the "Epic theatre" period, before it immersed itself completely in highly political and radical theatre. His plays became an apt vehicle for the expression of his Marxist ideologies, visible in socio-political plays such as Kallol (1965), Manusher Adhikar, Louha Manob (1964), Tiner Toloar and Maha-Bidroha. He also acted in over 100 Bengali and Hindi films in a career spanning 40 years, and remains most known for his roles in films such as Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), Satyajit Ray’s Agantuk (1991), Gautam Ghose’s Padma Nadir Majhi (1993) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's breezy Hindi comedies such as Gol Maal (1979) and Rang Birangi (1983). He also did a small role of a sculptor in a detective show called Byomkesh Bakshi on Doordarshan in the early 90s, shortly before his death. The episode was called 'Seemant Heera'. He received National Film Award for Best Actor in 1970 and three Filmfare Best Comedian Awards. In 1990, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre, awarded him its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre.
- Birthplace: Bangladesh, Barisal
- Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards in four categories. Bhardwaj made his debut as a music composer with the children's film Abhay (The Fearless) (1995), and received wider recognition with his compositions in Gulzar's Maachis (1996). He received the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for the latter. He went on to compose music for the films Satya (1998) and Godmother (1999). For the latter, he garnered the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Bhardwaj made his directorial debut with the children's film Makdee (2002), for which he also composed the music. He garnered critical acclaim and several accolades for writing and directing the Indian adaptations of three tragedies by William Shakespeare: Maqbool (2003) from Macbeth, Omkara (2006) from Othello, and Haider (2014) from Hamlet. He has also directed the caper thriller Kaminey, the black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), and the satire Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013). In addition, Bhardwaj produces films under his banner VB Pictures. He has co-written and produced the films Ishqiya (2010), its sequel Dedh Ishqiya (2014), and the crime drama Talvar (2015), among others. He has composed the musical score for each of his directorial and production ventures, and frequently collaborates with the lyricist Gulzar. He is married to playback singer Rekha Bhardwaj.
- Birthplace: India, Bijnor
The Best Movies Directed by Vishal BharadwajSee all- 1Omkara59 Votes
- 2Maqbool50 Votes
- 3Kaminey: The Scoundrels46 Votes
Pasupuleti Krishna Vamsi
Age: 62Pasupuleti Krishna Vamsi, known popularly as Krishna Vamsi, is an Indian film director, producer and choreographer known for his work in Telugu cinema. Vamsi made his directorial debut with the 1995 crime film Gulabi, starring J. D. Chakravarthi. He has received two National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Nandi Awards. Before his directorial debut with Gulabi, he worked as an assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma. In 1996, he directed the film Ninne Pelladata, one of the highest grossing Telugu films of the time. He subsequently directed the critically acclaimed crime film, Sindhooram under his production house Andhra Talkies; both the films won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. In 2002, he ventured into Bollywood with Shakti: The Power, a remake of his own 1998 Telugu cult classic Antahpuram.- Birthplace: Tadepalligudem, India
- Raj Khosla (Hindi: राज खोसला; 31 May 1925 – 9 June 1991) was one of the top directors, producers and screenwriters in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He was known for bringing in "neo-noir" and style in Indian cinema since black and white times, and also as a "women's director" because he showcased actresses at their best. He is often credited for the success of actors such as Dev Anand. Starting his career under Guru Dutt, he went on make hit films like, C.I.D. (1956), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), Dostana (1980) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978), which won the Filmfare Best Movie Award. His early background in classical music ensured that most of his films excelled in music.
- Birthplace: India, Ludhiana
- Chitthamoor Vijayaraghavalu Reddiar Sridhar (22 July 1933 – 20 October 2008) was an Indian screenwriter and film director. He has directed nearly 60 films in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.
- Birthplace: Chengalpattu, India
- Rajkumar Hirani (born 20 November 1962) is an Indian film director and editor. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful and critically acclaimed filmmakers in the history of Indian Cinema. Hirani is known for directing the Hindi films Munna Bhai M.B.B.S (2003), Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), 3 Idiots (2009), PK (2014) and Sanju (2018). All of his films have been huge commercial and critical successes. Most have won several awards, including the national awards, and have often been regarded by the media and audiences as some of the most path-breaking films in the history of Hindi cinema. He has won 11 Filmfare Awards. He is the founder of production house Rajkumar Hirani Films and suraj production house
- Birthplace: Nagpur, India
- Nasir Hussain was a director who was known for directing "Manzil Manzil," and "Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon."
- Birthplace: Usia, United Provinces, British India
- Cheran is an Indian film director and actor known for his works in Tamil cinema. He is a three time National Film Award winner for Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000), Autograph (2004) and Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005). He has also won five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and six South Filmfare Awards. Cheran initially made a breakthrough as a director by making village-based drama films focusing on human relationships, and achieved critical acclaim for his work in Bharathi Kannamma (1997) and Porkkaalam (1997). He later moved on to work on themes exploring how globalisation affects the Indian middle class, and told the story of scam job offers in Vetri Kodi Kattu (2000) and village-to-city emigration in Pandavar Bhoomi (2001). His most renowned film till date, Autograph (2004), is a semi-autobiographical tale of a man at four stage of his life. He later also experienced success with the family drama film Thavamai Thavamirundhu (2005) and as an actor in films such as Pirivom Santhippom (2008) and Yuddham Sei (2011).
- Birthplace: India, Madurai
- P. Vasu (born Vasudevan Peethambharan) is an Indian director, writer and actor who works in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. In a career spanning three decades, Vasu has directed over 60 films.
- Birthplace: India, Kerala
- Sundar. C is a Tamilian film director and actor. He has directed over 16 films in Tamil and acted in over 9 movies as the protagonist. Initially, he worked as an assistant director to Manivannan. His notable films include Ullathai Allitha (1996), Arunachalam (1997), Anbe Sivam (2003), Winner (2003), Giri (2004), Kalakalappu (2012), Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru (2013), Aranmanai (2014) and Kalakalappu 2 (2018).He is celebrated as the king of comedy movies by Tamil Cinema viewers. He took a short break from direction after his initial launch as an actor in 2006 with the film Thalai Nagaram which was a commercial failure. He returned to direction with his trade mark comedy roller coaster in the movie Kalakalappu in 2012 and it went on to become a moderate success. He made his directorial debut in Telugu with the film Something Something (2013), the Telugu version of Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru, which featured Brahmanandam as part of the main cast alongside Siddharth and Hansika Motwani. His successful career as a director continued with movies like Aranamanai film series (2014), Aambala (2015), and Kalakalappu 2 (2018). He also produced the TV series Nandini along with his wife, actress Kushboo aired on Sun TV. He is a pioneer in television industry to produce a TV Series in 4 languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, simultaneously. The show has been praised and well received by audience, becoming a huge success and India's most watched television series in a matter of weeks since it first aired. He also produced movies like Hello Naan Pei Pesuren, Muthina Kathirika and Meesaya Murukku. Sundar C is one of the few directors who directed the two Super Stars of Tamil Cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan in Arunachalam (1997) and Anbe Sivam (2003), respectively.
- Birthplace: Erode, India
Vikram Bhatt
Age: 56Vikram Bhatt (born 27 January 1969 in Mumbai) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and now also an actor. Formerly, he was the creative head of ASA Productions and Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.; however, he has resigned from the company in 2014.- Birthplace: India
- San Banarje is a film producer, director, screenwriter, cinematographer and an actor.
- Birthplace: India, Kolkata
- S. Justin Selvaraj, known by his stage name S. J. Surya is an Indian film director, screenwriter, actor, music composer and producer who has worked in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industries. He sought to become an actor but ended up directing, assisting Vasanth and Sabapathy. Surya made his directorial debut with Vaali in 1999 whose success catapulted him to stardom. His other notable films include Kushi (2000), New (2004), Anbe Aaruyire (2005) and Isai (2015). He made his acting debut with New and went on to act in films like Kalvanin Kadhali (2006), Thirumagan (2007), Vyabari (2007) and has also worked as Antagonist in Spyder (2017) and Mersal (2017).
- Birthplace: India, Vasudevanallur
- Benny Mathews (born June 29, 1970) is an international director who directed the films Dude, Where's the Party? (2003) Santeria (2006), and Geeta in Paridise (2009). He has also directed numerous commercials and music videos for acts including Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and notorious Houston hip hop artists such as Scarface and Bun B., and Pimp C. Pimp C's Knockin' Doorz Down, earned him a nomination for "Best Video" at the 2007 Ozone Magazine Awards.
- Birthplace: India
- Radha Mohan is an Indian film director of the South Indian film industry. He is known for his work in the films Mozhi (2007), Abhiyum Naanum (2008), and Payanam (2011).
- Birthplace: Thiruvananthapuram, India
Fazil
Age: 72Fazil may refer to:- Birthplace: Alappuzha, India
Manmohan Desai
Dec. at 57 (1937-1994)Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was a producer and director of Indian movies- Birthplace: Mumbai, India
- Rajinder Singh Bedi (1 September 1915 – 1984) was an Indian Urdu writer of the progressive writers' movement and a playwright, who later worked in Hindi cinema as a film director, screenwriter and dialogue writer. As a screenwriter and dialogue writer, he is best known for Hrishikesh Mukherjee's films Abhimaan, Anupama and Satyakam; and Bimal Roy's Madhumati. As a director he is known for Dastak (1970), starring Sanjeev Kumar and Rehana Sultan and Phagun (1973), starring Dharmendra, Waheeda Rehman, Jaya Bhaduri and Vijay Arora. He wrote his scripts in Urdu, like a number of other prominent screenwriters at the time.Bedi is considered one of the leading 20th century progressive writers of Urdu fiction, and one of the most prominent Urdu fiction writers. He is most known for 'disturbing' Partition of India tales.
- Birthplace: Sialkot, Pakistan
Thoppil Bhasi
Dec. at 68 (1924-1992)Thoppil Bhasi (8 April 1924 – 8 December 1992) was an Indian Malayalam-language playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play Ningalenne Communistakki (You Made Me a Communist) is considered to be a groundbreaking event in the history of Malayalam theatre.- Birthplace: India
N. Linguswamy
Age: 57Nammalvar Lingusamy is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer in Tamil cinema based in Chennai. Lingusamy made his directorial debut with the Mammootty starrer family-drama Aanandham in 2001 and followed by successful films as Run (2002), Sandakozhi (2005), Deepavali (2007), Paiyaa (2010) and Vettai (2012). He and his brother N. Subash Chandrabose have also produced films through his production company, Thirupathi Brothers.- Birthplace: India
Manoj Punj
Dec. at 36 (1970-2006)Manoj Punj is a film director and screenwriter.- V. G. Muralikrishnan (born 4 March 1972), professionally credited as Murali Gopy, is an Indian writer-actor, author, singer and journalist. He wrote and acted in Ee Adutha Kaalathu, Tiyaan, Left Right Left and Kammara Sambhavam, which are considered path breakers in their respective genres and scripted the record-breaking blockbuster Lucifer starring Mohanlal in the lead role. He has won numerous awards including Filmfare Awards South and South Indian International Movie Awards for his work on screen and behind it.
- Birthplace: India, Thiruvananthapuram
- Arundhati Roy is an actress and writer who appeared in "Global Haywire: A Short History of Planet Malfunction," and "Massay Sahib."
- Birthplace: Shilong, India
Prashant Raj
Age: 42Prashant Raj (born 10 March 1982 in Bangalore) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Kannada cinema. He made his directorial debut with Love Guru in 2009.- Birthplace: Bangalore, India
Campbell Christie
Dec. at 70 (1893-1963)Campbell Christie was an Indian-born British playwright and screenwriter who frequently collaborated with his wife Dorothy Christie on plays such as Carrington V.C. and Someone at the Door.- Birthplace: Murree, Pakistan
- P. Samuthirakani (born 26 April 1973) is an Indian film actor and director who predominantly works in the Tamil film industry besides appearing in a number of Malayalam films. He worked as an assistant to director K Balachander. His 2009 directorial Naadodigal was a runaway hit, which was later remade in three languages. He has acted in several films as well and is best known for his performances in Subramaniapuram, Easan (both directed by M Sasikumar), Saattai and Oppam. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2016 for Visaranai. He currently resides at Tivoli Gardens, Saligramam, Chennai.
- Birthplace: India, Rajapalayam
- Suresh Krissna is an Indian film director known for his works in South Indian cinema and Bollywood. His first Tamil film was Sathya (1988) starring Kamal Haasan. He found success with Kavithalaya's Annamalai, starring Rajinikanth. Since then, he has directed Veera, Baashha and Baba with Rajinikanth in the lead. He has also worked with leading stars like Mohanlal, Salman Khan, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Venkatesh and Vishnuvardhan. He wrote a book called My Days with Baasha about his experiences working with Rajinikanth. In 1989 he received the Nandi Award for Best Director for Prema. yes it is
- Birthplace: India, Mumbai
- Jandhyala (born Jandhyala Veera Venkata Durga Siva Subrahmanya Sastry) (14 January 1951 – 19 June 2001), popularly known as Haasya Brahma, was an Indian film screenwriter, director and actor known for his works in Telugu cinema. Known for his contributions to the comedy film genre, He has garnered four state Nandi Awards and one Filmfare Award. In 1983, he directed Ananda Bhairavi, premiered at International Film Festival of India.
- Birthplace: India, Narsapur
- Balachandra Menon (born 11 January 1954) is an Indian film actor, director and script writer. He made a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s. He has directed 40 films and has acted in over 100 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as station master Ismail the 1998 film Samaantharangal, which was also directed by him. He has also worked as distributor, editor, composer, singer and producer in the Malayalam film industry. He has found space in the Limca Book of Records for the maximum number of films directed, scripted and acted in. Menon has introduced many actors into the Malayalam film industry. Actors who made their debut in his films include Shobhana in April 18, Parvathy in Vivahithare Ithile Ithile, Maniyan Pillai Raju in Maniyan Pillai Athava Maniyan Pillai, Karthika in Manicheppu Thurannappol, Annie in Ammayane Sathyam, and Nandini in April 19.
- Birthplace: India, Ambalappuzha
Trivikram Srinivas
Age: 53Trivikram Srinivas (Akella Naga Srinivasa Sarma) is an Indian film screenwriter, dialogue writer, advertising and film director known for his works exclusively in Telugu cinema. In the year 2000, he wrote dialogues for Nuvve Kavali, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for that year. He is known as the మాటల మాంత్రికుడు(meaning 'The Wizard of Words') in Telugu Film Industry. Trivikram's craft is known for its high dose of comedy, fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and comedy thriller plot lines involving action, emotion, courtship, family and marriage. He got immense fame and break-through for his writing in the youth love story Nuvve Kavali in the year 2000 which became a Blockbuster and broke many records in its run. In the year 2002, his debut directorial Nuvve Nuvve has garnered the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (silver). His subsequent writing and directorial works include, box office hits such as Samudram (1999 film), Chiru Navvutho (2000), Nuvvu Naaku Nachav (2001), Manmadhudu (2002), Malliswari (2004), Jai Chiranjeeva (2004), Athadu (2005), Jalsa (2008), Khaleja (2010), Julai (2012), Attarintiki Daredi (2013), S/O Satyamurthy (2015), A Aa (2016), Agnyaathavaasi (2018) and Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava (2018). Srinivas has garnered seven State Nandi Awards, and two Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu awards for directing Athadu and Attarintiki Daredi.- Birthplace: Bhimavaram, India
- Madampu Sankaran Namboothiri, popularly known as Madampu Kunjukuttan, is a Malayalam author and a screenplay writer. He is one of the most prolific and versatile writers in modern Malayalam literature. His novels, short stories and screenplays speaks more about the Kerala society. He has won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay in the year 2000 for the Malayalam film Karunam, directed by Jayaraj. In 2003, he won the Ashdod International Film Award for Best Screenplay for the film Parinamam (The Change) directed by P.Venu. He received Sanjayan Award in 2014.
- Birthplace: Kiralur
- Venu Nagavally (16 April 1949 – 9 September 2010) was an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director worked in Malayalam cinema. He directed 12 films. Son of writer, commentator, and broadcaster Nagavally R. S. Kurup, Venu has acted in about fifty films, directed films such as Sukhamo Devi (1986), Sarvakalashala (1987), Lal Salam (1990), and Aye Auto (1990), and scripted the commercially successful Kilukkam (1991). Venu Nagavally died at Thiruvananthapuram on 9 September 2010. He is survived by his wife Meera and son Vivek.
- Birthplace: Ramankary
- Inder Sen Johar (16 February 1920 – 10 March 1984), better known as I. S. Johar, was an Indian actor, writer, producer and director.
- Birthplace: Talagang, Pakistan
Vetrimaaran
Age: 49Vetri Maaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. As of 2016, he has won four National Film Awards and one Filmfare Award. Vetri Maaran made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Polladhavan (2007). His second feature film Aadukalam (2011) won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to Academy Awards.- Birthplace: India, Cuddalore
- Roopa Iyer is an award-winning socially conscientious film director, actor (TV and Film), dancer, choreographer, model, business executive, humanitarian, a philanthropist, and a philosopher. She has been involved with over a dozen movies from acting to direction, and has orchestrated, organized and performed in numerous musical and dance events in over tens of countries around the world to support HIV infected children through ICA. Her film “MUKHAPUTA – The Cover Page”, produced by Narayan Hosmane, about a child suffering from HIV/AIDS through India Classic Arts (ICA) has won worldwide accolades. Iyer is the recipient of multiple awards for her artistic achievement in film. She's known for her selfless contribution to society and indulging in creating awareness about HIV/AIDS among the people through her company ICA.
- Birthplace: Belakavadi
