He has won a number of awards in his career, including a Padma Shri, twelve Filmfare Awards and seven National Film Awards.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali shot to fame for his two critically and commercially successful movies, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas. Shetty is also a television personality and hosted the famous reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi.
Rohit Shetty’s breakthrough was the 2006 comedy movie Golmaal.
His grandeur and storytelling in period dramas have earned him several National and Filmfare Awards.
.
He followed it up with many more hits like Lage Raho Munnabhai, 3 Idiots, PK and Sanju.
3. Karan Johar
Karan Johar is a prominent film director and producer in Hindi cinema or Bollywood.
Ratnam is a recipient of six Filmfare Awards South, four Filmfare Awards and seven National Film Awards.
Mani Ratnam’s breakthrough movie was the 1986 Tamil romantic drama named Mouna Ragam. His contributions span decades and languages, leaving a lasting imprint on Indian storytelling and visual direction
6: Rohit Shetty
Date of Birth: March 14, 1974, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Best Works:
Chennai Express
Zameen
Golmaal: Fun Unlimited
All the Best: Fun Begins
Singham
Accolades:
Indian Television Academy Award
Stardust Award
Dainik Bhaskar Bollywood Web Award
Lions Gold Award
Zee Cine Award
Career Journey
Rohit Shetty began his career at just 17, assisting on Phool Aur Kaante (1991).
Rajamouli began his career as an apprentice editor under Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao and later directed TV serials.
It is the responsibility of a director to set the tone, style and atmosphere of a movie. He worked in advertising and gained early recognition in commercials like Fevicol and Kinetic Luna. S. Rajamouli is best known for the Baahubali series and RRR (2022), which became global blockbusters. His unique ability to blend action, emotion, and humor continues to draw massive audiences across India.
Read Also: Top 10 British Movie Directors
5: Rajkumar Hirani
Date of Birth: November 20, 1962, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Best Works:
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Lage Raho Munna Bhai
3 Idiots
PK
Sanju
Accolades:
Apsara Award
Bollywood Movie Award
National Film Award
Filmfare Award
IIFA Award
Career Journey
Originally aspiring to be an actor, Hirani shifted to editing after joining FTII Pune.
His masterpiece, Baahubali 2, became the first Indian film to gross over Rs. 1,000 crore, and RRR further cemented his status as a cinematic genius.
Read Also: Top 10 Bollywood Movie Directors
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1: Satyajit Ray
Date of Birth: May 2, 1921, Calcutta, India
Date of Death: April 23, 1992, Calcutta, India
Best Works:
Pather Panchali
Aparajito
Apur Sansar
Charulata
Mahanagar
Accolades:
Padma Shri Award
Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Award
Filmfare Award
National Film Award
Career Journey
Satyajit Ray began as a commercial illustrator and transitioned to cinema after being inspired by European neorealism.
His recent epics, Ponniyin Selvan: I and II, not only revived a literary masterpiece but also became global Tamil blockbusters.
Filmmaking Style
Ratnam’s style is marked by lush visuals, innovative lighting, and poignant narratives that explore themes of identity, politics, love, and conflict. Some of his other notable films are Dev.
D, Gangs of Wasseypur, Ugly and Gulaal.
9. His films often revolve around themes of family, sacrifice, and destiny, wrapped in accessible, mainstream formats.
Superhero Revolution
With Koi… Mil Gaya and the Krrish series, Roshan introduced India’s first successful homegrown superhero franchise.
Thereafter, his reputation soared on the back of multiple hit movies like Black, Gooliyon Ki Raas Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat.
4. Some of his other high grossing movies are Maghadheera, Sye, Eega, Modern Masters and Chatrapathi.
2. His production house, Rajkumar Hirani Films, continues to back impactful, thought-provoking stories.
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4: Prashanth Neel
Date of Birth: June 4, 1980, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Best Works:
Ugramm
KGF: Chapter 1
KGF: Chapter 2
Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire
Accolades:
National Film Award
South Indian International Movie Award
Career Journey
Prashanth Neel entered filmmaking out of financial necessity but soon found his passion after completing a film course.
His breakthrough came with Ugramm (2014), a film inspired by his observations of actor Sriimurali.
Neel cemented his place in Indian cinema with the massively successful KGF series (2018–2022), with KGF: Chapter 2 becoming the highest-grossing Kannada film of all time.
Directorial Style and Themes
Known for intense action dramas, Neel’s films feature emotionally driven characters.
From emotional depth to visual mastery, these directors shape Indian cinema’s identity through bold narratives, iconic characters, and powerful cultural impact.
Whether it’s choosing the perfect frame or guiding actors through raw, real performances, these filmmakers don’t just entertain—they leave a lasting mark.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the most iconic directors in Indian cinema, their best works, awards won, and what makes their work truly legendary.
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List of Best Indian Movie Directors
10: Rakesh Roshan
Date of Birth: September 6, 1949, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Best Works:
Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai
Koi… Mil Gaya
Krrish
Accolades:
Bollywood Award
Filmfare Award
IIFA Award
Zee Cine Award
National Film Award
Career Journey
Rakesh Roshan began his career in the film industry as an assistant director under Mohan Kumar, contributing to projects like Anjaana (1969).
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is a film director who has made movies primarily in Hindi and Malayalam. His consistent ability to evolve with audience preferences while maintaining his emotional core makes him a revered name in Indian cinema.
Read Also: Top 10 Asian American Directors
9: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Date of Birth: February 24, 1963, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Best Works:
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
Devdas
Bajirao Mastani
Padmaavat
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Accolades:
Padma Shri Award
National Film Awards
Filmfare Awards
Screen Awards
Career Journey
Bhansali began his cinematic journey assisting Vidhu Vinod Chopra before debuting as a director with Khamoshi: The Musical.
Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam is a film director who primarily works in Tamil cinema but has also made movies in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages. The name of his production company is Dharma Productions.
Karan Johar debuted in the year 1998 with the superhit romantic comedy drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Some of his other commercially successful movies are Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, My Name is Khan, Shershah, Student of the Year and Raazi.