Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vishal Bhardwaj, Zoya Akhtar: Filmmakers who turned to streaming shows before Karan Johar
From Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Zoya Akhtar, several filmmakers from Bollywood have directed series for the OTT space. How many have you watched?
Karan Johar is the latest director from Bollywood to go the OTT route. The filmmaker is all set to direct a big-budget series for Netflix. Details about the project are still under wraps, but it is set to have a star-studded cast. Check out the list of several other filmmakers from Bollywood who have directed shows for OTT platforms in the last couple of years. (Also read: Karan Johar to direct big-budget web series for Netflix; details inside)
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap went on to direct an OTT show years before any other director took a chance on streaming platforms. The Gangs of Wasseypur director made Sacred Games way back in 2018, along with Vikramaditya Motwane, for Netflix. The neo-noir crime thriller television series based on Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel starred Saif Ali Khan, Radhika Apte, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Also read: Do you know Vijay Varma was dropped from Sacred Games? Actor breaks his silence
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali made his much-awaited OTT show with Heeramandi: The Diamond Baazar. The show released on Netflix on May 1. The show is set in the backdrop of the Indian independence revolution. The series showcases the clash between the courtesans of the red-light district of Heeramandi in Lahore and the officials during the British Raj. It starred an ensemble cast which included Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. A second season was announced a few months ago.
Zoya Akhtar
Zoya Akhtar ventured into the OTT space with the Prime Video show Made in Heaven. The show revolved around Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur's characters who work as wedding planners. Kalki Koechlin, Jim Sarbh, Shashank Arora and Shivangi Rastogi also star. The second season of the show was released last year, and introduced fresh characters, played by Mona Singh, Ishwak Singh and Trinetra.
Also read: Meet Made in Heaven season 2 brides: Mrunal Thakur, Radhika Apte and more
Vishal Bhardwaj
Vishal Bhardwaj adapted Agatha Christie's The Sittaford Mystery for his debut OTT show. He directed Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley. Set in the snow-capped mountains of Himachal Pradesh, the series follows the journey of Charlie Chopra and her quest to uncover a deep mystery. It stars Wamiqa Gabbi, Naseeruddin Shah, Priyanshu Painyuli, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Paoli Dam.
(Also read: Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley review: Vishal Bhardwaj's whodunit ensemble is pulpy and perceptive)
Anubhav Sinha
Anubhav Sinha directed the Netflix show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian aircraft by Pakistani terrorists. It stars Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, Manoj Pahwa, and Naseeruddin Shah, among others.
The show courted controversy after its release on August 29. The show has been accused of ‘whitewashing’ the events leading to the hijack. Netflix agreed to update the series' disclaimer to mention the real names of the hijackers after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry met them over the allegations of misrepresentation of facts.
(Also read: Anubhav Sinha claps back when asked about IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack issue: ‘Aapne series dekhi hain?’)
Reema Kagti
Reema Kagti made her streaming debut with the police procedural show Dahaad. It released on Prime Video in 2023. Sonakshi Sinha starred as a cop, figuring out to connect the dots as several women die by suicide one by one in a small village in the state of Rajasthan. Vijay Varma played the antagonist.
(Also read: Dahaad review: Sonakshi Sinha's engaging police procedural undone by an undercooked finale)
Raj & DK
Raj & DK burst into the OTT space with their Prime Video show The Family Man, which released in 2019. It became an instant hit, with season 2 releasing a two years later in 2021. Talking about making an OTT show over films, Raj told PTI, "It's exactly the same number of films we gave up to do the series. We said no we should focus on a series. We've been wanting to make the long format for a while because that's what you're consuming, that's what everybody is consuming."
(Also read: Jaideep Ahlawat joins Manoj Bajpayee's The Family Man season 3? Here's what we know)