Ashutosh Gowariker
His passion for cinema immediately draws your attention, making you realize that Ashutosh Gowariker would not have been anywhere except behind the camera, however tempting the choice. An actor who took to film direction after almost a decade in front of the camera, Ashutosh has acted in Hindi films, Marathi films, television serials and commercials and although the transition from acting to direction was difficult, it was destined.
His diverse exposure as an actor whetted his appetite to helm a project, taking on the directorial reign for the first time with Pehla Nasha (First Love), a murder mystery in 1993. Though the film did not do very well at the box office, it helped Ashutosh find firm ground as a director. He followed this up with Baazi (The Game), a thriller, in 1995, which enjoyed average success, but led Ashutosh on a journey in search of a better script.
First born in Ashutosh’s mind in 1996, Lagaan was nurtured into a final seventh shooting draft over a period of four years. With Lagaan, which released in 2001, Ashutosh veered away from most norms in the making of a mainstream commercial Hindi film – a period drama, set in rural India; it’s language a dialect; most of its characters were dressed in loincloths; it included a British cast; it was a musical, and a sports film put together! Lagaan was nominated at the Academy Awards in the Best Film in a Foreign Language category for 2001 and earned plaudits worldwide for its meticulous execution and evocative performances.
As a director, Ashutosh’s first ever series of five commercials for Coca-Cola proved an instant success, sweeping Campaign of the Year honours and winning accolades at advertising awards functions across India.
His fourth feature film, Swades, was actually conceived even before he wrote and directed Lagaan, yet Ashutosh decided to realize the idea on film only post Lagaan. Swades, Ashutosh’s maiden home production, was written, produced and directed by him, starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film released worldwide in 2004 to critical acclaim and attained huge success at the international box office.
Jodhaa Akbar is Ashutosh’s most ambitious project, bringing together two of the industry’s most respected actors, Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
1993 Pehla Nasha (First Love)
1995 Baazi (The Game)
2001 Lagaan (Agricultural Tax)
2004 Swades (Our Country)
2008 Jodhaa Akbar (A Rajput Princess and a Mughal Emperor)