Rajkumar Santoshi is a renowned Indian filmmaker, celebrated for his remarkable contributions to the Hindi film industry. Throughout his illustrious career, he has garnered numerous accolades, including three National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards, solidifying his position as one of the most successful filmmakers in the industry.
Santoshi began his directorial journey with the crime thriller Ghayal in 1990, which earned him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and the Filmfare Award for Best Director. He subsequently directed the gripping thrillers Damini in 1993 and Ghatak: Lethal in 1996, both of which starred Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, and Meenakshi Seshadri. The latter film garnered him a second Filmfare Best Director Award and the Filmfare Best Screenplay Award, as well as a Filmfare Best Director Award nomination.
During this period, Santoshi also received widespread acclaim for directing the comedy Andaz Apna Apna in 1994, which, although a box office flop, has since attained cult status. He also directed the major box-office hit Barsaat in 1995, which marked the film debut of Bobby Deol and Twinkle Khanna.
In 2000, Santoshi wrote the dialogues for the average-earning film Pukar, which earned him the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He went on to direct two moderate commercial successes: the biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh in 2002 and the action thriller Khakee in 2004, both of which earned him Best Director nominations at the Filmfare.
Santoshi's highest-grossing film release came in 2009 with the romantic comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, in which he also appeared in a cameo role. Most recently, he has completed filming his next directional venture, Badboy.
