Bollywood filmmakers bitten by the acting bug

A new trend shows popular Hindi directors showing great interest in facing the camera

Anil Kapoor plays Ranbir Kapoor’s father in Sandeep Vanga Reddy’s ‘Animal’. Interestingly, in Luv Ranjan’s diametrically-opposite untitled film, his brother and established producer Boney Kapoor, plays Ranbir’s father too!

Boney played a small cameo as himself in ‘AK vs AK’, the super-gimmicky film released on Netflix last year. We all get bitten by the acting bug. But what has not been so common in Bollywood is directors and producers showing interest to face the camera.

The most memorable cameos seen in recent years are Prakash Jha’s two performances among his few assignments as actor: the cop in his own ‘Jai Gangaajal’ (2016) and the family head who disregards women as worthy of attention in ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ (2019). Jha, known for his socio-political films since the 1980s, brought in the much-needed subtle repulsion in the roles.

The legendary Mahesh Bhatt has a mixed record. He was a child artiste who turned writer-director with ‘Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain’ (1974). However, beginning with the unreleased ‘Sheeshay Ka Ghar’ in 1984, he also acted in over 10 films, among which were ‘Deshwasi’ (1991) and ‘Haque’ (1991).

Besides some negligible acting cameos, choreographer Farah Khan too decided to face the camera after her maiden film ‘Main Hoon Na’ (2004). She played the lead in ‘Shirin Farhad Ki To Nikal Padi’ (2012).

Farhan Akhtar, after a landmark start as writer-director in ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ (2001), cast himself as a rock singer protagonist in his production ‘Rock On!!’ (2008).

Dharma Productions’ Karan Johar, who dons multiple roles as a host, maker of web series and live anchor, made a simple but solid debut as writer-director with the bumper hit ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ (1998). Apart from assisting friend Aditya Chopra in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, Karan was seen in a small comic role in the iconic romantic-drama.

Though he had done a small role in a TV series in 1989, Karan’s first full-fledged role came in ‘Bombay Velvet’ (2015) as the hamming villain Kaizad Khambata.

In 1997, Salman Khan’s brother Sohail turned writer-director with ‘Auzaar’ (1997). It took him five years to turn hero in his own film ‘Maine Dill Tujhko Diya’ (2002).

Around four decades after he made his directorial debut, the smash-hit ‘Professor’ (1962) featuring Shammi Kapoor, the late Lekh Tandon faced the camera for a memorable and important role in Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘Swades’ (2004), starring Shah Rukh Khan.

Probably the oldest example is Chetan Anand, who made the commercially
unsung but critically-appreciated ‘Neecha Nagar’ (1946), winner of the Grand Prize of the International Film Festival of Cannes 1946. He made his acting debut in ‘Humsafar’ (1953).

Hailed for starting a fresh movement in Bollywood, directors Tigmanshu Dhulia, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anurag Kashyap and the late Nishikant Kamat are redoubtable actors. But technically, they faced the camera first!

Analysts refuse to attribute any specific reason for this tendency as the decision is either personal or circumstantial. One is thing for sure is that directors do make terrific actors. And that’s how a captain of a ship must be!