A film is a visual representation of a story, often filled with drama and emotions. Movies and television shows come in various genres, catering to different preferences and interests of the audience. One of the reasons why genres are successful is that they provide an escape from reality, serving as a source of comfort during challenging times. People have diverse tastes when it comes to movies; some enjoy romantic comedies, while others are drawn to thrilling and suspenseful films. Understanding different movie genres is essential as it helps in selecting the right films for oneself and friends.
1. S.S. Rajamouli
In 2001, SS Rajamouli got married to Rama Rajamouli, a fashion designer who has worked on most of his films. Rama and Rajamouli welcomed their son, Karthikeya, into their lives and later adopted a girl named SS Mayookha. SS Karthikeya, Rajamouli’s son, is married to Pooja Prasad, who happens to be Jagapathi Babu’s niece. Despite being agnostic, SS Rajamouli has used Bhakti (devotion) as a narrative device in his films. In May 2017, Rajamouli and his family visited Mantralayam, a pilgrimage site in Andhra Pradesh, where he reportedly prayed to the local goddess, Manchalamma, and sought the blessings of Raghavendra Swamy.
2. Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap, born on 10 September 1972, hails from a Rajput family in Gorakhpur, UP. During his early education, he attended Green School Dehradun and later joined the Scindia School of Gwalior from the age of eight onwards. The film “Gangs of Wasseypur” draws inspiration from some locations that are reminiscent of Anurag Kashyap’s childhood home, where he lived with his parents, sister Anubhuti Kashyap, and brother Abhinav Kashyap. Initially aspiring to become a scientist, Anurag Kashyap moved to Delhi for his higher education and enrolled in a zoology program at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, from where he graduated in 1993. Later, he decided to join the street theatrical troupe, Jana Natya Manch, and actively participated in various street plays.
3. Prashanth Neel
Prashanth Neelakantapuram, born on June 4, 1980, comes from a Telugu family in Karnataka. His parents, Subhash and Bharathi, belong to the village of Neelakantapuram near Madakasira in Andhra Pradesh and have settled in Bangalore. In 2010, Prashanth Neelakantapuram tied the knot with Likhitha, and they have a daughter and a son together. Neel’s sister is married to Sriimurali, a Kannada actor who made his appearance in Prashanth Neelakantapuram’s directorial debut film “Ugramm.” Aadarsh Balakrishna, a Telugu cinema star, is Neel’s cousin, and he also has ties to Raghu Veera Reddy, a former state minister of Andhra Pradesh.
4. Rajkumar Hirani
Hirani, born on November 20, 1962, belongs to a Sindhi family and was raised in Nagpur. He completed his schooling at St. Francis De’Sales High School in Maharashtra. While his parents wanted him to become an engineer, Hirani’s interest was inclined towards theatre and movies. During his college days, he actively participated in Hindi theatre. Hirani’s father suggested he enroll in the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he couldn’t join the acting program and had slim chances of getting into the directing course due to high competition. Instead, Hirani opted for the film editing program and received a scholarship, embarking on his journey to pursue his dreams.
5. Yash Chopra
Yash Raj Chopra, an Indian movie director and producer, was prominent in Hindi cinema. He was born on September 27th, 1932, in Lahore, Punjab Province, British India, into a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family. His father worked as an accountant in the PWD section of the British Punjab government, and he had renowned filmmaker B. R. Chopra as one of his siblings. During his upbringing, Yash Raj Chopra primarily lived with his second brother, B. R. Chopra, who was a film reporter in Lahore. He later moved to Jalandhar in 1945 to continue his studies, initially aspiring to pursue a career in engineering. Following the partition of India, Yash Raj Chopra relocated to Ludhiana, East Punjab. Driven by his passion for filmmaking, he eventually moved to Mumbai (then Bombay) and gained experience as an assistant director to I. S. Johar and his brother B. R. Chopra, who was a director-producer, while another brother, Dharam Chopra, worked as his cinematographer.
6. Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray, a Bengali motion-picture director, screenwriter, and illustrator, was born in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India on May 2, 1921. He passed away on April 23, 1992, in Kolkata. Ray was the only child, and his father died in 1923. His grandfather was a writer and artist, while his father, Sukumar Ray, was a writer and illustrator of Bengali nonsensical literature. Raised in Kolkata, Ray was cared for by his mother. He attended a public school and later studied at Presidency Institution, one of Calcutta’s finest colleges. By the time he graduated in 1940, he was proficient in both English and Bengali languages. In 1940, he enrolled in an art institution at Santiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore’s rural university near Calcutta. There, Ray was exposed to Eastern and Indian art, which expanded his understanding of both Eastern and Western cultures. Satyajit Ray directed a total of 36 movies, including feature films, documentaries, and short films.
7. Karan Johar
Karan Johar, informally known as KJo in the Hindi film industry, was born as Rahul Kumar Johar on May 25, 1972. He is an Indian filmmaker, director, and TV personality, primarily working in Hindi movies. Through his production company Dharma Productions, Johar has launched the careers of numerous talented actors. He has been honored with several awards, including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards. In 2020, the Government of India bestowed upon him the “Padma Shri,” the country’s fourth-highest civilian award. Johar’s directorial debut was the blockbuster film “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,” a romantic comedy-drama released in 1998. The film earned him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film for Providing Wholesome Enjoyment, as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
8. Rohit Shetty
hit Shetty’s breakthrough came with the release of the blockbuster hit “Golmaal” in 2006, the first film in the comedy series starring Ajay Devgn and Arshad Warsi. The success of “Golmaal” led to the creation of the Golmaal franchise, which continued with successful films like “Golmaal Returns” (2008) and “Golmaal 3,” becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. After eight years since his action thriller “Zameen,” Shetty returned to the action genre with another hit, “Singham” in 2011, featuring Ajay Devgn in the lead role. “Singham” became one of the top earners of the year and paved the way for the expansion of the Cop Universe series with profitable films like “Singham Returns” (2014), “Simmba” (2018), and “Sooryavanshi” (2021), all following similar themes. Shetty also achieved significant success with films like “Bol Bachchan” (2012) and “Chennai Express” (2013), starring Shah Rukh Khan, which surpassed the box office success of “3 Idiots” at the time. “Dilwale” (2015) also became the highest-grossing Hindi film.
9. Mani Ratnam
Mani Ratnam, born on June 2, 1956, is a renowned director, scriptwriter, and producer in the Indian film industry. He primarily works in Tamil cinema, with some contributions to Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu films. Ratnam has received numerous accolades, including 6 National Film Awards, 4 Filmfare Awards, and 6 South Filmfare Awards. In recognition of his contributions to cinema, he was honored with the Padma Shri award by the Indian government in 2002. Despite coming from a family of filmmakers, Mani Ratnam initially did not show much interest in movies and pursued a postgraduate degree in management. His entry into the film industry came with the Kannada film “Pallavi Anu Pallavi” in 1983. The success of his sixth film as a director, “Mouna Ragam” in 1986, established him as a prominent figure in Tamil cinema.
10. Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan, born on January 30, 1979, is a scriptwriter and movie director known for his work in Malayalam and Hindi cinema. In his early career, he revolutionized Malayalam films by introducing beautiful color grading, crystal-clear sound, and high-quality dubbing. Priyadarshan began working in Malayalam movies in the 1980s and continued until the 1990s. He then shifted his focus to Bollywood in the early 2000s and remained active in the Hindi film industry throughout the decade. In 2013, he returned to Malayalam cinema and announced that “Rangrezz” would be his final Hindi movie for a while. Some of his well-known works include Chandralekha, Chithram, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Kilukkam, Thalavattam, Vellanakalude Nadu, Vandanam, Abhimanyu, Mithunam, Thenmavin Kombath, and Kala Pani.
