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Who’s Who in Bollywood:

New Directors

By Ekta R. Garg

August 30, 2010 - They are the new generation of film directors in Bollywood, making films targeted to specific audience niches and in a variety of genres. Bollywood has changed and now has room for all kinds of films and the directors who want to make them. And these directors are ready to deliver—they have created some of the most memorable films in cinematic history, and they’ve also dared to tackle subjects and ideas their esteemed predecessors wouldn’t touch. The new directors of Bollywood also are the most digitally connected to their audiences; they are on Facebook and Twitter and maintain Web sites about their respective companies and films. They know that part of the success for their movies lies in word of mouth, and they know the best word-of-mouth vehicle in today’s age may just be the Internet.

Following, then, is a list of directors who are of the current younger generation and they’re directing films for that generation. Here is Bollywood’s future.

Son of acclaimed film writer Javed Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar dropped out of college and began working as a film assistant at the age of 17. He eventually launched his own production company in 1999 with his childhood friend Ritesh Sidwani, and under their banner, Excel Entertainment, Akhtar released his first film as director. Dil Chahta Hai hit theater screens in 2001, and Akhtar’s unique style of making movies found an instant fan base. Dil Chahta Hai marked a significant turning point in the career of Saif Ali Khan, one of the film’s three lead actors, and Akhtar was hailed as a director with mettle. 

He won numerous awards for Dil Chahta Hai, but he didn’t let the success go to his head. He took his time planning his next film, and in 2004, Lakshya, starring Hrithik Roshan, released. Lakshya didn’t reach the same level of success as Akhtar’s first film, but people appreciated his work and his ability to draw out a stellar performance from Roshan.

For his third film, Akhtar decided to go back to the classics—he remade the 1978 hit film Don with Shahrukh Khan in the title role. Many criticized Akhtar’s choice to tamper with the iconic film, but his cool locales and modern take on the gangster thriller were appreciated by fans. A twist at the end of the film not in the original left room for more story to be told, and currently Akhtar is shooting his sequel called Don: The Chase Continues.

Akhtar produced the semi-successful Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. and made his acting debut in Rock On!! For Rock On!!, Akhtar sang several songs, adding playback singer to his list of accomplishments, and his singing was generally well-received. He starred in his sister’s film, Luck By Chance, as well as Karthik Calling Karthik and is set to star in his sister’s next film as well as two others.

Aside from his famous father and sister, Akhtar’s stepmother is critically-acclaimed actress Shabana Azmi, and his cousin is choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan.

Twin sister of Farhan Akhtar, Akhtar recently made her directorial debut, Luck By Chance (2009), starring her brother in the lead as a young guy who comes to Mumbai to become an actor. She has been an assistant on several films since the late 1990s including her brother’s first two movies as director (Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya). Currently, Akhtar is shooting her second film, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif along with her brother Farhan and Abhay Deol. Projected to release in 2011, the movie is being shot in Spain.

As one of only two female directors currently active in Bollywood, Akhtar truly is in a select group. Her first film has some similarities to her brother’s style of making movies; the twins both get their father’s help in writing their scripts, and both have an astute sense of what today’s generation wants to see in its movies. The writing talent flows strong—their mother is Honey Irani, an accomplished script writer of many Bollywood hits.

Imtiaz Ali has only directed four films so far, but he’s already a much sought-after director by Bollywood stars and fans alike. Brought up in Jamshedpur in the Indian state of Jharkhand, he almost literally grew up at the movies—his relatives own several movie theaters in his hometown. His connection to the performing arts became stronger when he enrolled at Hindu College in New Delhi and joined a college theater group.

Ali reportedly wanted to go into directing from the start, but he knew breaking into the business would be hard. He decided to take courses in marketing and advertising at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, where he joined a television studio and started his promising career by labeling videotapes. Eventually his persistence at the studio paid off when he was given the chance to direct episodes of television serials for the Indian television channels Zee TV and Star Plus. He directed television shows for about seven years before finally making the cut in Bollywood.

Armed with a script and the grit and determination to get it made, Ali cast Abhay Deol, cousin to Bollywood superstar Sunny Deol, and the young, spunky Ayesha Takia in his 2005 film Socha Na Tha. The movie didn’t earn a high financial return, but Ali’s storytelling style and the performances he extracted from the lead pair were highly praised.

It was with his second film that Ali experienced his first major success. In 2007, Ali released Jab We Met starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor; the one-time real-life couple actually split up during the making of Jab We Met, but that didn’t deter the box-office results. Ali’s casting of Shahid as serious young businessman resonated with audiences as did Kareena’s bubbly talkative character. Suddenly, Ali was a director to watch.

He made good on that promise in 2009 with Love Aaj Kal starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. Once again he presented audiences with a love story settled firmly in reality, and once again audiences responded very favorably.

His next film is Rockstar, starring Ranbir Kapoor and a new leading lady, Diana Penty, slated to release in December 2010.

Shaad Ali’s father is Muzaffar Ali, a famous director—Muzaffar Ali produced and directed the 1981 Indian classic Umrao Jaan (starring Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, and Raj Babbar), among other films. So it’s no surprise that Shaad Ali wanted to direct films, too. He began as an assistant director to Mani Ratnam on the latter’s first Hindi-language film, Dil Se, and that experience provided a close link between the two men.

In 2002, he was given his first opportunity to direct his own film, and that too under one of the most prestigious banners of the Hindi film industry, Yash Raj. With Ratnam writing the script, Ali made Saathiya, a remake of Ratnam’s 2000 Tamil film, Alaipayuthey. As with the original film, Saathiya, starring Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi, was a huge success. The film told the story of a young couple who get married in secret (defying their parents’ wishes) and move away from home, only to discover that the headiness of romance is very different from the experience of married life.

Saathiya also provided Ali with a unique opportunity; Yash Raj Films agreed to produce his next venture but Ali took his time to make it. Once again, he directed Rani Mukerji, this time opposite Abhishek Bachchan, in the 2005 smash hit Bunty Aur Babli. Aside from the story, audiences were charmed to see Amitabh Bachchan also play a pivotal role in Bunty Aur Babli, the first time he and his real-life son acted in a film together. The senior Bachchan played a cop tracking two young con artists (Mukherji and the younger Bachchan) who elude every attempt at capture, Bonnie-and-Clyde style.

Ali’s third film, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, (2007), starred Abhishek with Lara Dutta, Preity Zinta, and Bobby Deol. Another Yash Raj Films production, the film failed miserably at the box office. Early reports soon after the film released indicated that Ali was to make a fourth film for the company, but he deferred his plans to assist his mentor Ratnam on the latter’s multilingual film, Raavan, which released in June 2010.

Shimit Amin

For Shimit Amin, Bollywood wasn’t exactly on the radar. Growing up in Florida, he went to Los Angeles after college and began working on independent films when a friend told him about a film editing opportunity in Bollywood. Ram Gopal Varma enlisted Amin to edit Bhoot, and Amin proved he had the chops: he won the Filmfare Award for Best Editing for it. When Varma moved on to his next project, he gave Amin the opportunity to direct it. Amin took on Ab Tak Chappan (2004), starring Nana Patekar, and actor and director alike received much critical acclaim for their work.

Amin’s work was noticed by many, including the highest members of Yash Raj Films. Despite the naysayers who said that by joining the company he’d be stuck making candyfloss no-brainers, Amit directed Chak De! India (2007). Chak De! India starred Shahrukh Khan in the role of a disgraced field hockey player who is given the chance to redeem himself by coaching the women’s national field hockey team.

Once again Amin’s directing style and filmmaking approach were highly praised, and he got the added bonus of his film being a huge commercial success as well. Even with no love interest for his leading man (an almost unheard-of move for Khan), Amin proved he could make a good film with his passion evident throughout.

His latest release, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009), fared moderately well in terms of box-office returns, but the praise for Amin continues in his ability to extract the best performances from his actors. The film stars current “it” boy, Ranbir Kapoor, in one of his most understated roles to date.

Sooraj Barjatya

Sooraj Barjatya was born into a film family. His grandfather founded Rajshri Productions in 1947, a film production company committed to making wholesome family films. The company had the privilege of introducing Bollywood stalwarts Anupam Kher and Madhuri Dixit to cinema.

When Barjatya was 24, his grandfather encouraged him to get into the family business, and Sooraj directed Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), starring Salman Khan. This was Khan’s second film; it established him as a major star and set in motion Barjatya’s directing career. It also created a long-lasting association between Barjatya and Khan; the two worked together in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), a blockbuster film at a time when television was threatening Bollywood’s existence. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun often is credited with giving the Hindi film industry the boost it desperately needed to begin surviving and thriving again, and it was one of the first films to be screened in theaters in countries other than India.

Barjatya’s third film, Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), included an all-star cast—Khan, along with Mohnish Behl (another favorite Barjatya actor), Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre, and Tabu. This story of three brothers and a sister created waves again for Barjatya.

Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003) was Barjatya’s first and only failure to date. The film starred then-hot picks Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Kareena Kapoor, but the three couldn’t salvage its fate. In 2006, Barjatya created magic with Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao in Vivah.

In all of Barjatya’s films, weddings and/or a marriage proposal often are pivotal plot points. Barjatya’s films reflect his soft-spoken nature; most of his main actors play subdued parts and speak in quiet tones to one another. Also, Barjatya always names his leading man “Prem” (in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan even shared the name!) And pets always have a key role to play in Barjatya’s films.

Most notably, in a day and age when heroines are seen strutting in tiny skirts and heroes are called upon to be macho, Barjatya makes films without these elements and focuses on family relationships.

Anurag Basu

Basu’s first movie released in 2003; Ekta Kapoor produced the thriller, Kucch To Hai, which starred her brother, Tusshar Kapoor and Esha Deol. Despite Ekta Kapoor’s clout in the television world, that track record couldn’t salvage the film’s dismal fate. Basu then joined Mahesh Bhatt’s production team and directed several films under Bhatt’s Vishesh Films banner. Saaya (2003) is said to have been inspired by the Kevin Costner film, Dragonfly. John Abraham and Tara Sharma starred in Saaya about a doctor who tries to communicate with his dead wife, but the mystery/drama didn’t appeal to critics or audiences. 

Murder (2004) proved that third time was a charm for Basu. This movie, similar to the Richard Gere-Diane Lane film Unfaithful, became a critical and commercial success despite the “Adult” rating by the Indian censor board. Murder also boosted the popularity of its stars Mallika Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi. Basu continued with Gangster (2006), launching the career of character actress Kangna Ranaut. Basu has since cast Ranaut in all his films and has called the actress his lucky mascot.

Basu’s next film Life…in a Metro (2007) competed in several awards functions with some big-name films and garnered several accolades as well as critical and commercial success. Metro also caught the eye of seasoned director Rakesh Roshan, who was in the process of planning two scripts at the time; Roshan enlisted Basu to direct Kites starring Roshan’s son, star Hrithik, in a bilingual, bi-cultural love story between an Indian man and a Mexican woman. Kites released in 2010, but despite the extensive media coverage and publicity, the film failed and is considered one of the biggest flops of the year.

Basu was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004 and at one point was told he didn’t have much time to live. He underwent chemotherapy and is said to be controlling his condition with medication. He is reportedly working on his next film, called Silence, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Madhur Bhadarkar strives to show the dark side of life. He began his association with Bollywood as an employee in a video-cassette library in Mumbai. Eventually, Bhandarkar ventured into film production and became assistant director to Ram Gopal Varma. Bhandarkar tried to break into the television market by filming a pilot episode of a series, but he found no takers. So he turned next to the big screen with Trishakti (1999). The film didn’t make much of a mark, but Bhandarkar persevered.

His second film, Chandni Bar (2001), catapulted him and his filmmaking style to fame. Starring critically acclaimed actress Tabu, Chandni Bar tells the heartbreaking story of a girl forced to dance in Mumbai’s beer bars to make a living. Bhandarkar won a National Award for Chandni Bar, and he has shown he doesn’t believe in glossing over life. He doesn’t hesitate to show the gritty details of the worst human traits, and his films usually don’t have happy endings.

Bhandarkar’s next two films—Satta (2003) and Aan: Men At Work (2004)—were appreciated by critics but ignored by the public. Satta explored the inner workings of Mumbai politics, while Aan: Men At Work delved into Mumbai’s crime world and how officers and the CBI (India’s CIA equivalent) fight it. But when Bhandarkar released Page 3 (2005,) starring Konkona Sen Sharma, he found popularity once again. The creative expose on the media was widely appreciated.

A string of creative “disclosures” followed: Corporate (2006) explored the underside of executive leadership; Traffic Signal (2007) examines the lives of beggars, street urchins, and prostitutes who spend their lives around the title location; Fashion (2008) shows there is more to the modeling world than cattiness; Jail (2009) sheds light on the dark corners of the home of prisoners.

However, Bhandarkar has been accused of getting stuck in a rut, of always focusing on the negative and exploiting the worst. Bhandarkar is said to be working on his next project, Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji, set to release in January 2011.

Bhansali began his career as assistant to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and was involved with Chopra’s Parinda and 1942: A Love Story. He also contributed to Kareeb, but the two parted ways when Chopra wanted Bhansali to direct Kareeb and Bhansali declined. Instead, Bhansali made Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), starring Manisha Koirala and Salman Khan. Koirala plays the hearing daughter of deaf parents.

Despite some wonderful music, critical praise of Khamoshi didn’t translate into box-office revenue. But Bhansali found the resources to make his next film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) with an all-star cast and a rich color palette. Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgan, and Salman Khan starred in this love triangle, and Bhansali’s tender treatment of the complexity of their relationships made him an instant star.

Bhansali’s third project was his most ambitious: he made his cinematic version of Devdas (2002), based on the classic Bengali novella, which has been tackled several times throughout Bollywood’s history. The most famous adaptation released in 1955, and many of Bhansali’s detractors said his film wouldn’t measure up. But by adding his own trademarks, the result was appreciated by critics and fans.

In a striking departure, Bhansali released Black (2005), which had shades of its title throughout the entire movie. Bhansali saw a lifelong dream come true when he directed Amitabh Bachchan in Black, best described as an Indian adaptation of the Helen Keller story; Bachchan played tutor to Rani Mukerji’s deaf, mute, and blind character. The film won 11 Filmfare Awards, an unbroken record to date.

Bhansali’s last release, Saawariya (2007) launched two stars—current heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor (no relation to one another). Both of these young actors had assisted Bhansali on Black, but despite that exposure to the director’s working style and their own inherent talent, Saawariya failed miserably. Bhansali had his first flop.

Bhansali’s next film, Guzaarish, is scheduled to release in 2010. The film stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as nurse to Hrithik Roshan as quadriplegic patient.

Bhansali dedicates every film to his late father, and it is said he completes the planning for every film in complete isolation. Also, unlike most directors, Bhansali plans and records the music of his movies before he begins shooting and production. His indelible sense of music guarantees all of his soundtracks are major hits regardless of the films’ outcomes.

With a poet/lyricist for a father, it’s no wonder that Vishal Bhardwaj’s came to Mumbai to compose for films. It’s said he began directing movies to compose for them. His career had a humble start: playing the harmonium (an Indian classical instrument similar to an accordion) in accompaniment with amateur ghazal singers in New Delhi food festivals. Through his work, he got in touch with a music company and soon thereafter was recommended to acclaimed Bollywood film lyricist and dialogue writer Gulzar.

Gulzar and Bhardwaj collaborated on several television projects, and in 1996, Bhardwaj composed the music for Gulzar’s directorial project, Maachis. The soundtrack as well as the film both garnered success. Thereafter, Gulzar trusted Bhardwaj with all his film compositions.

After attending a film festival in Kerala, India, Bhardwaj became interested in direction. His first film, Makdee (2002), was a children’s movie that did incredibly well, a rarity in Bollywood. Bhardwaj cast Shabana Azmi as a witch who inhabits a mansion and who supposedly turns stray visitors into animals.

He decided to give Shakespeare a Bollywood booster by adapting Macbeth for his 2003 film, Maqbool, starring Tabu and Irrfan Khan. The film received high praise, and Bhardwaj became known as a man who could extract powerful (and sometimes career-changing) performances from his actors.

Bhardwaj released The Blue Umbrella (2005), another children’s film that was well-received. The year 2006 brought a second Shakespearean adaptation; this time it was the Hindi version of Othello as Omkara, a movie many say gave Saif Ali Khan a new career dimension.

His biggest film to date, however, has been the 2009 release, Kaminey, starring Shahid Kapoor (in a double role as twins) and Priyanka Chopra. If people were sitting up and taking notice of Bhardwaj before, they have stood up to applaud him after this release. Kaminey has elevated the careers of its two main stars and the director to a new level, and much is expected of all three in its wake.

Bhardwaj has continued to compose for movies, and his film scores have largely been liked by all. His next film, called Saat Khoon Maaf, stars Priyanka Chopra as a black widow; she gets married seven times and kills all seven husbands. The movie, based on a Russian short story called “Susanna’s Seven Husbands,” spans several decades and reportedly will release in January 2011.

Aditya Chopra

Aditya Chopra is the son of one of the most celebrated Hindi film directors of all time. He grew up under the tutelage of his father, Yash Chopra. At the age of 18, Aditya began his formal film education—he assisted his father on the elder Chopra’s blockbuster release, Chandni.  He extended his training by assisting his father on the next two Yash Raj Releases—Lamhe and Darr. Finally, Aditya decided he was ready to direct, and he got the best star pair to make his directorial mark—Shahrukh Khan and Kajol starred in the international phenomenon, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), which till date is still playing in matinee shows in Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir Theater. The film catapulted its lead pair and director to a level of fame as yet unmatched in Bollywood.

Next, Aditya wrote the story and dialogues for his father’s next movie, Dil To Pagal Hai, for which Aditya won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue. After completing his work on the musical hit, Aditya began planning his next movie. 

Mohabbatein released in 2000, once again starring Shahrukh Khan, this time as a music teacher. Mohabbatein also starred Amitabh Bachchan in a crucial point in the elder actor’s career. The roles he had been doing were a farce compared to his previous heydays, and Bachchan went to Chopra (once a major force in making Bachchan a star) and asked for a job. Aditya got the chance of a lifetime to work with Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan in the same film, pitting their characters against one another in Mohabbatein, which was received favorably.

Fans clamored for Aditya Chopra’s next film, but Yash Raj Films as a company was expanding and needed more attention. The media-shy Aditya became a tour de force in running the firm, producing many hit films by new directors, and so fans had to wait until 2008 for his next directorial venture—Rab Ne Bana De Jodi starred Aditya’s lucky charm, Shahrukh Khan, with newcomer Anushka Sharma, and became the highest-grossing film of all time for Yash Raj Films and Khan, according to the company’s website.

Yash Raj Films has now launched its own television programming, and Aditya is overseeing that portion of the company’s productions.

Ken Ghosh

Before introducing current heartthrob Shahid Kapoor to Bollywood, Ken Ghosh worked for many years as a dancer and then a dance director. When he was planning his first film, he took a chance on the then-unknown Shahid to work in his teeny bopper flick Ishq Vishk. The film released in 2003 and was an instant hit with younger audiences who fell in love with Kapoor’s chocolate-boy image.

On the heels of his first hit, within a year Ghosh released his second film, Fida (2004), which once again starred his young protégé—Shahid Kapoor—along with Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. It is said Kareena and Shahid began dating during the shooting of this movie, which did average business at the box office. Despite its box-office standing, critics and audiences appreciated the performance Ghosh extracted from his young star.

Fans of Ghosh’s filmmaking had to wait six years for his next flick, the bubblegum Chance Pe Dance (2010), which was panned by critics. Shahid was dancing better than ever, they said, but the film’s weak storyline and too-easy conflict resolution were laughable at best.

In the last decade, Bollywood directors have tried to make crossover films due to one man’s movie. Ashutosh Gowariker is the man behind Lagaan (2001), which made the world take notice of Bollywood as a movie industry with clout. But like many of his contemporaries, Gowariker paid his dues before minting gold with the Aamir Khan film.

Gowariker entered the industry as an actor after developing his passion in college by doing theater. Post-college, he acted in commercials and landed a leading role in the 1984 film Holi. This break led to other movie and television roles, but eventually Gowariker was bitten by the directing bug and made his first film, Pehla Nasha (1993), a murder mystery starring character actor Deepak Tijori.

The film was a box-office failure, but Gowariker’s style was appreciated. In 1995, Gowariker released Baazi, starring Aamir Khan as a police officer. Baazi only reaped average returns, but it was instrumental in forging a relationship between Gowariker and Khan. This friendship would serve as the crux for Gowariker’s most ambitious film to that point.

Gowariker began developing Lagaan in 1996, but it took five years to fill in the details and convince Khan about the idea as well as actually execute the shooting of the film. Lagaan was released in 2001 and was an instant Indian and worldwide hit. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film, Lagaan made people take notice of Bollywood and Gowariker alike.

His next film, Swades (2004), starred Shahrukh Khan in the role of a NASA scientist who comes home to India and reconnects with his roots. While Swades didn’t reach the heights of Lagaan, it allowed Gowariker to play producer for the first time. He created Ashutosh Gowariker Productions and released Swades as a home production.

Jodhaa Akbar (2008) came next, an extravagant period film starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan. The extravagance of the film was evident in the sets and costumes as well as its budget, but the multitude of accolades made the indulgence worth it. Next, Gowariker quickly shot and released What’s Your Raashee? (2009), but it was snubbed by critics and fans alike, although Priyanka Chopra’s portrayal of 12 different characters was appreciated.

Gowariker’s next release, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, is scheduled to release in 2010.

Rajkumar Hirani

Rajkumar Hirani began his road to Bollywood with the map of an actor in front of him; when that route closed, he took a detour to make his film dreams come true, and Bollywood is all the better for it.

After completing an editing course in 1987 at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, he began doing small editing jobs. He joined Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s team and edited the promos and trailers of two of Chopra’s films (1942: A Love Story and Kareeb) and Chopra took a chance on this young assistant and let him edit Mission Kashmir in 2000. The choice was a good one; Hirani won awards for his editing work in Chopra’s film, and the recognition forged a bond between the two. When Hirani decided to take the directing plunge himself, Chopra footed the bill as producer.

Hirani tackled an unheard-of plot: a gangster enrolling in medical school to prove he could become a doctor to his righteous father. But Hirani gave the storyline a twist, making it a comedy with a lot of heart, and Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), starring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, became an instant hit with critics and fans alike. Hirani wrote and directed the story, but he stayed with his roots and also edited the movie.

Then Hirani did something no one had ever done before: he built the successful Munna Bhai story into an equally successful franchise, following up with Lage Raho Munna Bhai in 2006. Munna and his sidekick, Circuit, were back in a brand new story, and the film met and (in some cases) exceeded the success of its predecessor. Hirani stated soon thereafter that a third Munna Bhai film would follow and even released trailers in 2007 to pique the curiosity of fans, but shooting was delayed for one reason or another.

In the meantime, Hirani didn’t let the setback keep him from making movies. His third film, 3 Idiots (2009), starring Aamir Khan, is the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. Hirani’s trademark smart comedy, by now familiar to all his fans, has helped catapult his three films to overarching success thus far. And recently, an announcement was made that the third Munna Bhai film, entitled Munnabhai Chale Amrika, is finally moving forward again.

Karan Johar is the only son of the late Yash Johar, famous producer and head of Dharma Productions. Karan’s childhood was spent among Bollywood’s future stars; he attended childhood birthday parties for Hrithik Roshan, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and Aditya Chopra, to name a few. While Johar harbored an intense passion for films, he couldn’t admit to his non-film friends that his father was a producer, saying instead his father was a businessman.

In college, Johar revived his dormant friendship with Aditya Chopra, and Chopra enlisted Johar as an assistant director for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, even giving Johar a small role in the movie. During the Switzerland shooting schedule of DDLJ, Johar developed a friendship with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, and the story goes that both promised they would work in Johar’s first film.

Both superstars appeared in Johar’s debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). The movie was a box-office smash. Johar’s next movie, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), brought together three generations of Bollywood stalwarts: Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh and Kajol, and Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. While many critics panned the film, fans once again appeared in droves.

In 2004, Johar began focusing on two new business ventures: the first was expanding his father’s company, and the first movie with the Dharma Productions name behind it was the successful Kal Ho Naa Ho.

Johar’s other new venture was hosting a celebrity chat television program called “Koffee with Karan,” an instant hit. After the first season, Johar began focusing on his next movie, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006), and the movie was his first flop. He went back to producing films and also returned to “Koffee with Karan” in 2007.

In 2010, Johar joined the Yash Raj Films team as host of the charity television program, “Lift Kara De,” and he released his fourth film, My Name Is Khan. Once again starring his favorite on-screen couple, My Name Is Khan restored the public’s faith in Johar by turning out in high numbers to watch the movie. Johar is running Dharma Productions in the wake of his father’s death in 2004 and has been tapped countless times to host several prominent awards shows as well as other programs in India. 

A student of film from his young days, Anurag Kashyap got involved with the performing arts as a college student by joining a theater group. After attending a film festival in New Delhi, he decided he just had to join the world of films himself and went to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood.

He slowly made associations in the Hindi film industry that were valuable, and eventually he connected with actor Manoj Bajpai, who got Kashyap in touch with Ram Gopal Varma. Varma was impressed with Kashyap’s writing and hired him to write the script for the groundbreaking film, Satya. The commercial and critical acclaim the film received opened doors for Kashyap who continued to work with Varma and also wrote for Mani Ratnam. Eventually he turned to directing, but his work has been mired in controversy. The first film he directed, Paanch, hasn’t released yet because the Indian censor board doesn’t deem it appropriate for audiences there, despite it being made almost a decade ago.

Kashyap managed to get the censors to release Black Friday (2004) about the Mumbai bombings of 1993, but the film’s sensitive topic stirred up a lot of discussion. He released No Smoking (2007), starring John Abraham, but many filmgoers didn’t understand the premise, and it flopped. Kashyap’s Dev D (2009) finally garnered success and acclaim for the director; this modern-day adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's classic Bengali novella Devdas, starring Abhay Deol made the cash registers ring.

Gulaal (2009) was less well-known—bad publicity didn’t do much to help movie lovers find it despite praise by critics. But Kashyap has kept on working and is getting ready to release his latest film, That Girl in Yellow Boots, starring his girlfriend, Kalki Koechlin, who also co-wrote the movie. That Girl in Yellow Boots releases in fall 2010.

Farah Khan is one of only two active female directors in Bollywood and began her career as a choreographer. Khan was in college in Mumbai when Michael Jackson’s Thriller was released, and the video impressed her so much she decided she had to make dance her career. Said to be self-taught, Khan set up her own dance troupe and slowly made her way into the film industry as an assistant choreographer. When esteemed choreographer Saroj Khan (no relation) walked out of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Khan became a principal choreographer for the first time in her career.

The movie was a turning point for Khan, and she quickly became a main choreographer in her own right. She worked with all the big stars in some of their biggest films; it was Khan’s moves that Hrithik Roshan interpreted in his debut film Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, making his teenybopper fans go wild.

Through her dance career, Khan formed some key friendships. One of these was with the Baadshah of Bollywood himself—Shahrukh Khan. When Farah decided to go from being a dance director to being a film director, Shahrukh agreed to foot the bill and made sure his friend had everything needed to make Main Hoon Na (2004) a hit, including him in the movie.

A hit it was; she previously had proven herself to be an incredibly competent choreographer, able to come up with a variety of dance moves to fit any situation. Her grasp of what makes a good Bollywood film arguably excels over even her dancing. Shahrukh found a contemporary director to keep his star status flying high, and the two worked together again in Farah’s Om Shanti Om (2007). This tongue-in-cheek look at the film industry poked fun at everyone and everything Bollywood and also clicked at the box office.

In late 2004, Khan got married, and in 2008, she welcomed triplets into her family. With her family obligations and stints as a judge on several reality shows, Khan hasn’t been able to focus full force on movies again until recently. Her third film, Tees Mar Khan, starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, is due to be released around Christmas 2010, and this movie, like the others, is rumored to be retro.

In addition to her work in Bollywood, Khan co-choreographed the Broadway musical “Bombay Dreams,” for which she received a Tony Award nomination in 2004.

Kunal Kohli

A popular television host for years, Kunal Kohli developed a no-holds-barred approach to his film critiques. He didn’t mince words in stating his exact opinion—good or bad—and he didn’t hesitate to call down even the biggest stars if he felt the need to do so. Eventually his work as host turned to the field of directing when he began directing music videos for various Indian television channels, winning awards and recognition in the process.

In 2002, Kohli got the opportunity of a lifetime when he cast then-new stars Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan alongside the charming Rani Mukerji to star in his first film entitled Mujhse Dosti Karoge. Despite the lilting music, strong performances, and the Yash Raj Films stamp, the film failed to do well in India although it succeeded in the foreign markets. Kohli didn’t let the weak response keep him down. Two years later, he released Hum Tum (2004) with Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan and once again backed by Yash Raj Films. The film proved to be a watershed moment in Khan’s career that was slowly beginning to come back from a major slump.

The strong performances from the lead pair gave Kohli his first theatrical success, which he followed two years later with his third Yash Raj production, Fanaa (2006), starring Kajol and Aamir Khan in their first film together. While the film received mixed reviews, critics and fans alike all appreciated the lead pair’s performances.

For his next film, Kohli once again called on his hit lead pair of Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan for his desi adaptation of Mary Poppins in Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic (2008). Barring some positive remarks, fans and critics shunned the movie. He has since launched his own production company, Kunal Kohli Productions, and his first film as sole producer is Break Ke Baad starring current sensations Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone set to release in November 2010. There is word that Kohli will return to directing with a project to star Saif Ali Khan.

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