indian film directors

India has many regional film centres: Bollywood, the largest, in Mumbai, producing films in the Hindi language; Kolkata, for films in Bengali; Chennai, for films in Tamil, etc. Most Indian film directors are known for their work with one regional industry. Star directors can get funding to film in any language. Hence directors may be listed more than once.

Directors of parallel or independent cinema

Parallel cinema is otherwise known as New Indian Cinema, Indian New Wave, Indian Neo-Realism, or by the man/woman in the street, "art films". In the 1960s and 1970s, the Indian government financed a number of such films, on Indian themes. Many of the directors were graduates of the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), in Pune. Ritwik Ghatak was a professor at the institute and a well-known director in his own right. The best-known Indian "neo-realist" is Satyajit Ray. As government funding for cinema has declined, cinematic experimentation has migrated to the small-budget "independent" film. Mira Nair may be the best-known example of this trend -- and also of the current tendency for successful independent film-makers to be tapped for commercial projects. After a string of well-reviewed but not particularly commercially successful projects, her Monsoon Wedding (made on a shoe-string) struck the public fancy. After that success, her big-budget Vanity Fair, 2004, was funded by Miramax, the maverick Hollywood film company.

Directors filming in several languages

John Abraham (English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil)
Basu Bhattacharya (Bengali, Hindi)
Bharathan (Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu)
Mani Ratnam (Tamil, Telugu, Hindi)
Bimal Roy (Bengali, Hindi)
shaji Karun ( Malayalam, Hindi)

Bengali film directors

Bollywood film directors

Shyam Benegal
Guru Dutt Padukone - Aar Paar, Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Subhash Ghai -- Taal, Yaadein
Karan Johar - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Raj Kapoor - Awaara, Sangam, Shri 420, Mera Naam Joker
Shekhar Kapur - Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen
Mani Ratnam - Anjali, Roja, Bombay, Dil Se,Yuva
Shakti Samanta - Aradhana, Anuraag
Ram Gopal Varma - Rangeela, Satya, Company, Naach

Malayalam film directors

John Abraham
Sathyan Anthikkad
G. Aravindan - (Uttarayanam, Kanchana Seeta, Oridathu, Vasthuhara)
P. A. Backer
Bharathan - (Praayaanam, Rathinirvedham, Lorry, Kaathodu kaathoram, Oru minnaaminungintaey nurunguvettam, Thevar magan, Devaraagam)
Shaji Karun - ( 'Piravi', 'Swaham', 'Vanaprastham', 'Nishad')
T. V. Chandran
K. G. George
Adoor Gopalakrishanan
Hariharan
K. P. Kumaran
Balachandra Menon
P. N. Menon
Mohan
K. R. Mohanan
P. Padmarajan - (Peruvazhiyambalam, Oridaththoru phayalvaan, Nammukku paarkkaan munthiri thoppukal, Thoovaanaththumbikal, Moonnaampakkam)
Lenin Rajendran
Rajivnath
I. V. Sasi
K. S. Sethumadhavan
Sreenivasan
A. Vincent