Top genre-disrupting directorial debuts in Indian cinema

Bollywood is known for its song and dances masala films. And the audience loves them. However, every now and then the industry has brought to the fore a few directors who swoon over the audience and critics with their kind of different film, the ones that don’t adhere to a particular genre yet are very Indian at their heart. The treatment of the film defies the ordinary and that is why people still remember them. Here are some directors who with their debuts defied the ordinary and played with narratives to disrupt different genres. 

Rahi Anil Barve: Rahil Anil Barve is the man behind Tumbbad released in 2018, and was lauded by critics and viewers for excellent storytelling, visual representation and a theme that was unimaginable. Tumbadd is a mythical tale describing a goddess who made the universe. The conflict centres on what happens when people construct a temple for her first-born. The director has two projects under production -Gulkanda Tales and Mayasabha and both of them sound exciting.

Puneet Sharma: Chintaa Mani, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, is Puneet’s debut film as a director wherein he tells the tale of three friends who discover a mysterious Mani, or precious stone, that has the power to foretell the future. Future is sacrosanct, so one shouldn't attempt to alter it, which is exactly what these three do when they don't like what they see, and eventually find themselves in trouble. Puneet directorial debut is a rarely-seen blend of multiple genres and sub-genres such as sci-fiction, horror, comedy and thriller. The director is currently shooting his next feature film, expected to be a psychological thriller with a star cast including Sudhanshu Rai, Hiten Tejwani, Sourabh Raaj Jain and Shobhit Sujay.

Ritesh Batra: In 2013, he debuted as a director with the Irrfan Khan starrer The Lunchbox. It is the story of co-incidences where Ila’s tiffin for her husband reaches Saajan. It starts an unusual friendship. The director used the metaphor of food in the lunchbox as a symbol of love between two strangers who exchange notes about their life, longings and love. He went to direct an English language film- The Sense of an Ending. Our Souls at Night on Netflix was another work of his. Batra’s latest work- Photograph came out in 2019 and we are still waiting for more from this brilliant director. 

Vikramaditya Motwane: Vikram’s debut film as a director in 2010 was the much-loved and critically acclaimed Udaan. It was the story of Rohan who was expelled from school and had to return home to a strict father and a half-brother. The father forces him to work at his factory while the son wants to write and fly away from the shackles of this world. His next films- Lootera, trapped, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, AK Vs AK had a fan following of its own. The popular series on OTT- Sacred Games was also co-directed by him and he is currently working on Jubilee.

Rajkumar Hirani: Hailed as a genius and a brave man by his contemporaries for the films he makes, his debut film as a director was the much-popular Munna Bhai MBBS. It is a film about Munna who is a local goon and goes out to fulfil his father’s dream of becoming a doctor. Not just the protagonist, but the supporting actor-Circuit played by Arshad Warsi also became popular. The director, is a producer, writer as well as editor. He has won three National Film Awards and several Filmfare awards. He has also directed films like Lage RahoMunna Bhai, 3 Idiots, PK and Sanju and is currently shooting Dunki, with Shah Rukh Khan. 

Farhan Akhtar: He made his debut in 2001 with DilChahta Hai, a coming-of-age comedy-drama of three friends. The film was contrary to the love stories doing the rounds in that year and instead focused in the transition in the lives of these college friends. Akhtar, son of famous lyricist and film writer Javed Akhtar, is an actor, a playback singer, a dialogue writer as well as a producer. He has helmed the director’s hat for films like Lakshya, Don The Chase Begins, Positive, Don 2- the King is back and Toofan. Jee Le Zaraa is his next directorial venture that is currently under production. 

Anurag Kashyap: This name needs no introduction, in fact he is renowned for working on very different films with different themes that never adhere to any genre. His debut film as a director -Paanch was a crime thriller that could never be released due to the depiction of drugs, violence and bad language. The film went on to win many awards and critical acclaim in international circuit. His next, Black Friday, which was based on the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts also got into controversy and was released much later. His filmography as a director consists of No Smoking, Return of Hanuman, Dev.D, Gulaal, Mumbai Cutting, Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2 and the recently releasedDobaara. Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat and One 2 One are his two films under production.  

Abhishek Chaubey: His debut film in 2010- Ishqiya starring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi was a black comedy that took the audience by surprise. It is the story of two rogues who fell in love with the widow of their friend. Little did they know that this woman was using them for her selfish goals. The director went on to make films like Dedh Ishqiya, Udta Punjab, Sonchiriya, and a segment - "Hungama Hai KyonBarpa" in Ray.

Konkana Sen Sharma: The Mr. and Mrs. Iyer actor had already established herself as an actor. She paved the way for a brilliant acting career, and both the audience and the reviewers consistently praised each of her performances. With the help of the short film Naamkoron, she tried her hand at scripting. The end result had given her the confidence to write a feature film- A Death In The Gunj. The thriller, which she also directed, received a tonne of praise from critics in 2016. However, the audience is still waiting for her next work.

Dibakar Banerjee: This film director, screenwriter, ad film maker and producer debuted as a director with Khosla Ka Ghosla which was a funny take on land grabbing by local thugs. Khosla’s son and friends come together with a clever plan to fool the fraudster. He went on to make films like OyeLucky! Lucky Oye!, Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Shanghai, Bombay Talkies, Detective Byomkesh Bakshi!, Lust Stories, Ghost Stories, Sandeep aur PinkyFaraar.