1. Arin Paul (1980)

Indian Film Director

Bengali director of acclaimed films 10:10, Nripen Ganguly, and Jyanto Durga.

2. Nitin Bose (1897)

Indian Film Director

Director who made the first use of playback singing in Indian cinema. He was best known for films like Ganga Jamuna and Dhoop Chhaon.

3. Madhur Bhandarkar (1968)

Indian Film Director

Director who has won much acclaim in India with such films as Chandni Bar (2001), Fashion (2008) and Calendar Girls (2015). He is a multiple-time National Film Award winner, having taken home...

4. Abhishek Kapoor (1971)

Indian Film Director

Bollywood film director who is widely known for having directed the successful films Kai Po Che and Rock On!! He also founded the Indian film production company Guy in the...

5. Mrinal Sen (1923)

Indian Film Director

One of the greatest Indian filmmakers in contemporary history who won his seventh National Film Award in 1984.

6. Tapan Sinha (1924)

Indian Film Director

One of the great Indian directors of his time. He was known for films like Kabuliwala, Louha-Kapat, Sagina Mahato, and Safed Haathi.

7. Ritwik Ghatak (1925)

Indian Film Director

One of the best filmmakers and screenwriters in Bangladesh's history. He won a Best Story award for his film Jukti Takko Aar Gappo.

8. Nasir Hussain (1926)

Indian Film Director

Indian director known for films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Zabardast, and Love in Tokyo.

9. Basu Chatterjee (1930)

Indian Film Director

Indian director who won six Filmfare Awards and was a member of the jury at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.

10. Yash Chopra (1932)

Indian Film Director

An Indian film director, scriptwriter, and film producer, mostly working in Hindi Cinema.

11. Ismail Merchant (1936)

Indian Film Director

Indian producer and director who worked for Merchant Ivory Productions.

12. Adoor Gopalakrishnan (1941)

Indian Film Director

Considered one of India's finest filmmakers. He was the winner of multiple National Film Awards and director of 1981's Elippathayam.

13. Shekhar Kapur (1945)

Indian Film Director

Indian director of the internationally recognized film Elizabeth and its sequel The Golden Age.

14. Subhash Ghai (1945)

Indian Film Director

Director of epic films such as Karma, Pardes, and Saudagar, the latter of which earned him the Filmfare Best Director Award.

15. Mahesh Bhatt (1948)

Indian Film Director

Indian director, actor, producer and screenwriter who initially gained fame for his directorial work on acclaimed films like 1982's Arth, 1984's Saaransh and 1985's Janam. He is the winner of...

16. Jay Chandrasekhar (1968)

Indian Film Director

A member of the comedy group Broken Lizard, he directed and starred in the films Beerfest, Super Troopers and Club Dread.

17. Prakash Jha (1952)

Indian Film Director

Famous for directing and producing the hit Hindi political thriller Raajneeti (2010) and the National Film Award-winning crime movie Apaharan (2005), he is also notable for his work on the...

18. Mani Ratnam (1956)

Indian Film Director

One of the most prominent directors in Indian cinema. He was known for award-winning films like Mouna Ragam, Geethanjali, and Roja.

19. M. Night Shyamalan (1970)

Indian Film Director

Filmmaker and actor who rose to fame for his 1999 suspense film The Sixth Sense. He then went on to direct the films Unbreakable, The Visit, The Village, Signs, and The Happening. Known...

20. Mira Nair (1957)

Indian Film Director

Versatile director of films like The Namesake, Vanity Fair, and Monsoon Wedding.

21. Kamal Haasan (1954)

Indian Film Director

One of India's greatest film artists of all time who acted, produced and directed popular titles for over 50 years. TIME magazine called his 1987 film, Nayagan, one of the...

22. Manoj Sharma (1973)

Indian Film Director

Indian director of Hindi and Bhojpuri films who is best known for films like 1995's Policewala Gunda and 2013's Bin Phere Free Me Ttere. He also directed many music videos...

23. Meghna Gulzar (1973)

Indian Film Director

Hindi writer and film director most well known for 2015's Guilty and 2002's Filhaal. She also wrote and directed Dus Kahaniyaan and Just Married: Marriage Was Only the Beginning!

24. Revathi (1966)

Indian Film Director

Indian actress most famous for her performances in Tamil films like 1998's Thalaimurai and Malayalam films like 2012's Molly Aunty Rocks! She is one of the most heavily-awarded Indian actresses...

25. Mohit Suri (1981)

Indian Film Director

Indian director best known for directing sequels like 'Murder 2' and 'Aashiqui 2'. He previously worked as an assistant director for Indian filmmaker Vikram Bhatt on films including 'Kasoor'.

26. Gurinder Chadha (1960)

Indian Film Director

Sikh Indian director of the sleeper hit Bend It Like Beckham as well as Bride and Prejudice.

27. Kiran Rao (1973)

Indian Film Director

Indian director of the 2011 movie Mumbai Diaries (Dhobi Ghat). She also served as an assistant director on the Oscar-nominated film Swades: We, the People and on the popular Hindi...

28. Farah Khan (1965)

Indian Film Director

Indian film director, actress, and choreographer most known for her work in films like Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair.

29. Vikram Bhatt (1969)

Indian Film Director

Indian filmmaker known for directing more than two dozen films, including 1998's "Ghulam". He was nominated for Filmfare Awards for Best Director for "Ghulam" and "Raaz".

30. Shirish Kunder (1973)

Indian Film Director

Filmmaker who began his career as an editor for films like Champion and Aankhen. He then went on to make his writing and directorial debut with the 2006 film Jaan-E-Mann....

31. Adivi Sesh (1985)

Indian Film Director

Adivi Sesh is an actor director writer lyricist and singer who is known for his roles in Karma and Panjaa. He is the cousin of Sai Kiran Adivi who is...

32. Chandrakant Singh (1974)

Indian Film Director

Chandrakant Singh is an Indian director and producer who has directed Hindi films such as Rama Rama Kya Hai Dramaaa. and Bin Bulaye Baraati. As of 2010 his most recent...

33. Gauri Shinde (1974)

Indian Film Director

Gauri Shinde is an Indian ad-film and feature film director. Shinde has made her directional debut with the highly acclaimed English Vinglish which marked the comeback of actress Sridevi. Shinde...

34. Rhea Kewalramani (1990)

Indian Film Director

Rhea Kewalramani lives in Mumbai India. She graduated from Smith College Northampton Massachusetts as a film student and has written and directed three films - Mr. Sir Female to Male...

35. M. Rajesh (1985)

Indian Film Director

M. Rajesh is a Tamil film director and screenwriter working primarily in the Tamil film industry based in Nagercoil Tamil Nadu and Known for making full-length comedy entertainers he made...

36. Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan (1975)

Indian Film Director

Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who is most known for his award winning and internationally acclaimed film Lahore. He won the Indira Gandhi Award...

37. Vetrimaaran (1975)

Indian Film Director

Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director working in the Tamil film industry. He made his directorial debut with the critically acclaimed Polladhavan. His second feature film Aadukalam won five National...

38. Shrikar Madiraju (1975)

Indian Film Director

Shrikar Madiraju is an Indian film director.

39. S. R. Prabhakaran (1970)

Indian Film Director

S. R. Prabhakaran is an Indian film director primarily working in Tamil cinema. He is best known for directing his debut film Sundarapandian. He is the former associate of M....

40. Anand Ranga (1975)

Indian Film Director

Anand Ranga Anand Ranga is a Telugu film director.

41. Prakash Kovelamudi (1975)

Indian Film Director

Prakash Rao Kovelamudi is an Indian actor screen writer and film director from Telugu cinema. He is the son of Tollywood director K. Raghavendra Rao and grandson of Kovelamudi Surya...

42. Nassar (1958)

Indian Film Director

Nassar is an Indian actor producer writer director lyricist. He appears predominantly in Tamil cinema as well as Telugu cinema. He is the founder of Adavu Centre for Tamil Arts...

43. V. M. Vinu (1958)

Indian Film Director

V M Vinu is a well known Indian film director in Malayalam cinema.

44. K. Balachander (1930)

Indian Film Director

Kailasam Balachander is an Indian film director screenwriter and producer who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Well known for his distinct film-making style the south Indian film industry...

45. Suresh Bhardwaj (1955)

Indian Film Director

Suresh Bhardwaj is an Indian theatre film and television director as well as a lighting and scenic designer. He is the director of a Delhi based theatre group and...

46. Gulzar (1936)

Indian Film Director

Sampooran Singh Kalra known popularly by his pen name Gulzar is an Indian poet lyricist and film director. He was awarded Padma Bhushan Sahitya Akademi Award Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He...

47. Sai Paranjpye (1938)

Indian Film Director

Sai Parānjpye is a movie director and a screenwriter in India. She is the director of award-winning movies Sparsh Katha Chasme Buddoor and Disha. She has written and directed...

48. J. Mahendran (1939)

Indian Film Director

J. Mahendran is an Indian film director in the Tamil film industry who is best known for his true narration of screenplay and making. Though largely ignored during his times...

49. Manish Tiwary (1982)

Indian Film Director

Manish Tiwary is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He has directed and written films like Issaq and Dil Dosti Etc. After IssaqManish is also working on his next gangster...

50. P. Bharathiraja (1941)

Indian Film Director

P. Bharathiraja is a South Indian filmmaker who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Bharathiraja displayed a story-teller's potential from an early age. He is known for his realistic...