Ancient are those times when only males were directors in B-Town
while females had to tag along as mere choreographers. Long gone are the
days when women were considered good only for the kitchens. The shift
in the century also saw a shift in the mentality of people and today
females are sprawled across all spheres and success reads the same for
them as so for the males. So, on the month celebrating women,
BollyCurry gives you an overview of the most successful female
directors of Bollywood.
Farah KhanThis
lady has not just acclaimed success in India but left her mark across
the globe as well. From cinematography to storyline, casting to
direction, everything in her movies talks grandeur. Low-budget is not a
term that exists in her dictionary. While Farah believes in making it
large at work, her personal life is no less with adorable triplets at
home who demand mama's attention all the time. Despite that, she knows
how to strike that perfect balance between life and work while
continuing to give blockbusters such as
Om Shanti Om. Farah has also directed
Main Hoon Na along with
Tees Maar Khan and is currently working on
Happy New Year.
Zoya AkhtarZoya Akhtar, daughter of the famous lyricist Javed Akhtar, entered the directors list by debuting with
Luck By Chance
in 2009. Though the movie did not sit as well with the audience as
expected, Zoya was not one to be let down by it and in 2011, she made a
rocking comeback with her movie
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. This
time Zoya had the support of not just her father but brother, Farhan
Akhtar, as well. Her great sense of humor earned her a star-studded cast
comprising
Hrithik Roshan,
Katrina Kaif and
Abhay Deol, who
wholeheartedly accepted her offer. With her behind-the-lens talent
coupled with her successive scripting,
Zoya Akhtar will definitely prove
her mettle in the near future.
Reema KagtiReema made her debut in Bollywood with the movie
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd back in 2006. She has been known for her acting, screenplay writing, story writing and now, direction. Recently, her film
Talaash
with perfectionist
Aamir Khan and the lovely ladies,
Kareena Kapoor and
Rani Mukherjee, was complimented and her hard work definitely seemed to
have paid off. Reema, who is criticized for making only dark films,
doesn't hesitate to acknowledge the fact, rather proudly accepts it.
Deepa MehtaDeepa Mehta is very well known for her
Elements Trilogy, movies based on the three elements:
Earth,
Fire and
Water.
Some of Deepa's acclaimed works include projects with B-Town biggies
such as
John Abraham,
Aamir Khan and also
Shabana Azmi. She may be
criticized for raising taboo issues but in her defense, she claims she
only works for the betterment of the country to bring about awareness.
While she lives in Toronto, her high sense of patriotism for her
ethnicity is commendable. Her next project, based on a novel
Midnight's Children, again centers on an issue common in India that needs to be fanned.
Gauri Shinde A recent addition to the list is
Gauri Shinde who debuted as a director with the heart-warming release,
English Vinglish.
While her husband has been a director for a while, Gauri ensured she
was tough competition to him as she broke all his records of excellence
by winning not one or two but five awards! Gauri has definitely been one
promising debut as a director in Bollywood.
Mira NairAn Indian director based in New York, Mira Nair is well known worldwide for movies such as
Salaam Bombay! and
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.
Though controversial and explicit, Mira has not hesitated to direct
stories that may be banned at the time of screening. Leaving behind the
controversies, Mira has been declared one of the best directors of
Indian Cinema and has received nominations from Filmfare, BAFTA, Golden
Globes and Academy Awards as well. She is a woman who stands out from
the rest of the crowd.
Other established female directors include Kiran Rao (Dhobi Ghat), Leena Yadav (Shabd and Teen Patti), Pooja Bhatt (Paap, Holiday, Dhokha, Kajrare and Jism 2) and Gurinder Chadda (Bride and Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices and It's a Wonderful Afterlife). This was our two cents to celebrating
the month of Women. As always, we would love to hear what you think of
the female directors of the film industry.
Writer: Saraa K.
Editors: Tia and Jenifer Y.
Graphics: Amna.
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