Bollywood Actors Who Became Directors

Published: Friday, June 6, 2014, 18:52 [IST]

The journey from acting to director is not easy. You need to know the industry as well as business from scratch so that you last and also stay popular with hit films in the kitty. There are many Bollywood celebrities who have started their career with acting, but then gradually became directors once they felt they have talent and knowledge to direct a movie.

An actor needs to be multi-talented to last in the industry. Some of them have proved their worth by becoming directors. For example, Farhan Akhtar is one of the Indian film actors who became a director. The actor started with Dil Chahta Hai in 2001 which changed the perception and the trend completely. His other directed movies are Don, Don 2 and Lakshya.

Another notable yesteryear actress who became a director is, Aparna Sen. Aparna Sen who is the mother of Konkona Sen Sharma is one of the most celebrated Bengali actress-directors at present. She has directed 10 movies out of which 6 won National Film Awards.

The shift from acting to direction is becoming more popular today. While some actors and actresses are becoming full fledged directors, there are some who played assistant directors in movies. For example, Anil Kapoor's daughter, Sonam Kapoor was the assistant director in Black.

So, here is a list of Bollywood celebrities who became directors.

Bollywood Celebrities Who Became Directors:

Farhan Akhtar

The versatile celebrity is not just an actor and singer, but a director as well. The actor started with Dil Chahta Hai in 2001 which changed the perception and the trend completely. His other directed movies are Don, Don 2 and Lakshya.

Sonam Kapoor

At the age of 18, Sonam Kapoor while working as an assistant director in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black.

Aamir Khan

The Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood is also a director. This Bollywood actor turned director in Taare Zameen Par and is also directing his upcoming film, Peekay (P.K.).

Aparna Sen

Aparna Sen who is the mother of Konkona Sen Sharma is one of the most celebrated Bengali actress-directors at present. She has directed 10 movies out of which 6 won National Film Awards.

Revathi

Revathi who was last seen in 2 States is also a Bollywood actress who became a director. Her debut movie ‘Mitr, My Friend' won the National Award in 2002. After than, the multilingual actress directed 4 more movies out of which one again won a National Award.

Nandhita Das

The talented actress who has acted in many cult Bollywood movies is also a proclaimed director both in India and abroad. Her directorial debut Firaaq won awards at both national and international levels.

Pooja Bhatt

After acting in about 30 movies for 2 decades, Pooja Bhatt became a director with Paap in 2003. After making 5 films, Pooja is working on a biopic of serial killer Charles Sobhraj.