While trends in entertainment come and go, a good tale always works. More than ever, effective storytelling is becoming more important than formulaic tales. In an era where content is more varied than ever, the following innovative storytellers have redefined entertainment and deepened its significance in ways never seen before:
Shailja Kejriwal
Shailja Kejriwal has changed the game when it comes to entertainment on the small screen, big screen, and stage. She introduced artists like Imtiaz Ali, Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Kashyap, Hansal Mehta, and Sriram Raghavan in the 2000s via Star Bestsellers. Notable motion pictures like Madaari and Qarib Qarib Single have also been created by her.
In her capacity as Zee Entertainment Enterprises’ Chief Creative Officer for Special Projects, she launched Zindagi, which launched more than 50 acquired shows across the border, including Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. She also created original shows, including Churrails, Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, Barzakh, and The Pink Shirt.
purchased foreign productions such as The Sound of Music Live and anthologies such as Koi Baat Chale and Yaar Julahay.
Anurag Kashyap
This French recipient of the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, first gained recognition as a co-writer of the cult classic Satya by Ram Gopal Varma.His following film, Black Friday, signaled the arrival of a new voice in cinema, but his first film, Paanch, was never released.Dev.D solidified his standing as an unconventional director.
His desire to forge his own route as an independent maker has stayed constant throughout his career’s highs and lows. He stays loyal to his peculiar vision even amid the failures of Bombay Velvet and Gangs of Wasseypur-1 and 2. Kennedy, his most recent movie, is a neo-noir thriller that was well praised at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
Vishal Bharadwaj
If not for a thumb injury and a family tragedy, Vishal Bharadwaj might have pursued a career in cricket. His love of music ultimately led him to pursue a career in film, which was his true calling.
His breakthrough role as a composer was in Gulzar’s moving masterpiece Maachis. He also dabbled in filmmaking, directing a variety of projects including the critically praised trilogy Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider, as well as the children’s picture Makdee and the crime thriller Kammey.
He has won numerous awards, such as a Filmfare Award and eight National Film Awards, and is renowned for his ability to develop characters that are both realistic and complicated.
Meghna Gulzar
A sensation has been created by the teaser for Sam Bahadur, a biographical war drama based on the life of Sam Manekshaw, the first field marshal of India. Even though her first two movies, Filhaal and Just Married, dealt with odd topics like incompatibility and surrogacy, they did not perform well.
After proving her mettle in the gut-wrenching investigative thriller Talvar, she went on to star in the hugely successful spy drama Raazi, starring Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt. Along with bringing in over ₹1.96 billion globally, it also won her the esteemed Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Her attention to detail, delicate interpretation of a wide variety of characters, and empathy—all of which are on display in the Deepika Padukone film Chapaak—are what really make her stand out.
Zoya Akhtar
In addition, Zoya Akhtar, along with her longtime partner Reema Kagti, is the head of the thriving production company Tiger Baby Pictures. Her current news focus is on the upcoming release of the nostalgic film The Archies.
Her storytelling abilities were remarkable, whether it was in the contemplative tone of her first film Luck By Chance, the themes of self-realization and intricate human connections in popular films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Dhadakne Do, or the realistic depiction of Mumbai’s underground hip-hop scene in Gully Boy (India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars).
Her two seasons of the television series Made in Heaven have also established her as a maker who seeks out subtleties in even the most traditional of events, like the great Indian wedding.
