Anurag Basu | |
|---|---|
 Basu in 2012 | |
| Born | 8 May 1974 (1974-05-08) (age 51) Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
Anurag Basu(born 8 May 1970) is an Indian director, screenwriter, cinematographer, producer, and actor inHindi cinema. He is best known for films that tackle bold themes of passion, envy, and adultery.
After initial setbacks, he achieved his breakthrough with the erotic thrillerMurder (2004), and gained prominence with the musical romantic thrillerGangster: A Love Story (2006) and the ensemble urban dramaLife in a... Metro (2007), the latter of which earned him theFilmfare Award for Best Screenplay, in addition to his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Director.[1]
His highest grosser came with the widely acclaimed romantic comedy-dramaBarfi! (2012), which earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. He next directed the much-delayed musical adventure comedy-dramaJagga Jasoos (2017), which earned mixed reviews and wascommercially unsuccessful, and theNetflix black comedy crime filmLudo (2020), in which he also made his debut as a cinematographer. The latter film also earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Basu was born into an upper-middle-classBengali Hindu family inBhilai, Madhya Pradesh (now inChhattisgarh). His parents, Subrato Bose and Deepshikha Bose [ex-executives in SAIL Bhilai Steel Plant in Cokeovens and Education department (Organic Chemistry) respectively], were award-winning theatrical artists and Basu grew up watching them performing in his father's theatre company (Abhiyaan). He attended BSP Senior Secondary School, Sector-IV (SSS-IV) in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh (then Madhya Pradesh).[2][3] He received a BSc degree in Physics honours from theUniversity of Mumbai, intending to study cinematography atFTII, Pune; however, during his college years inMumbai he had an opportunity to assist on a number of levels in TV and film projects. After trying to remain involved with filmmaking, Basu became an assistant director to Raman Kumar onTara.[4]
Basu began his television career as an assistant director onTara in mid 1994. After six months, he was given full responsibility for directing about 712 episodes.[5] He directed television serials, trying genres ranging from daily soaps to thrillers such asSaturday Suspense andAjeeb Dastaan, and horror (X-Zone). Basu's most successful work during this period was theBalaji Telefilms soapKoshish ...Ek Aashaa in 2000 and he made pilot episodes of Indian television shows includingKyun ki saans bhi kabhi bahu thi,Kahani ghar ghar ki andKasouti zindagi ki[6] in 2001 and 2002. He began his own company and initially he produced TV serials for Zee TV and Sony channel. The popular shows of his company wereManzilien Apni Apni,Miit,Thriller at Ten, andHorror Shows on Zee. He himself directed the TV seriesMiit (based on the novelNoukadubi byRabindranath Tagore),Manzilien Apni Apni and all his other series.[7] Basu has directed many television shows. In 2000 he received a RAPA Award for Best Director Award from the Radio and TV Advertisers Practitioners Association, followed by an Aashirwad Award for Best Director two years later. Basu returned to television in 2007 to produce and direct the college dramaLove Story and hosted the Bengali reality showKe Hobe Biggest Fan (Who Will Be the Biggest Fan) forZee Bangla in 2010. Basu started his own film production house, Ishana Movies, in 2007 and the first film of his production company was the 2007musical drama filmLife in a... Metro with co-producer UTV. Currently his seriesStories by Rabindranath Tagore is airing on Netflix[8] andEPIC Channel. Basu will be judging the upcoming TV show 'Super Dancer Chapter 4', along withShilpa Shetty andGeeta Kapoor.[9]
Basu made his film debut as an extra in the action dramaDalaal (1993).[10] He made his directorial debut with theBalaji Motion Pictures-produced horror slasher filmKucch To Hai (2003), followed by theVishesh Films-produced supernatural fantasy romantic thrillerSaaya (2003). Both films received highly negative reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as commercial disasters at the box-office.[11][12]
Basu achieved his breakthrough with the erotic thrillerMurder (2004) starringEmraan Hashmi andMallika Sherawat in lead roles. Based on the American filmUnfaithful (2002), It is the first instalment of theMurderfilm series. The film told the story of an unhappily married woman's extramarital affair with her former flame. Due to its erotic subject and sex scenes, which was unusual for Indian cinema at the time, it received anA certificate from theCentral Board of Film Certification. It received mixed reviews from critics upon release, but emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, ranking as theeighth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[13]
The same year, he helmed the musical romanceTumsa Nahin Dekha: A Love Story, again starring Hashmi alongsideDia Mirza. Halfway through the film, Basu was diagnosed withacute leukemia. He was immediately hospitalised, directing parts of the film from his hospital bed. He gave instructions bydictaphone for camera angles and script changes, withMahesh Bhatt andMohit Suri completing the film while the director underwentchemotherapy.[14] The film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a commercial disaster at the box-office.[15]
Basu's next directorial venture was the musical romantic thrillerGangster: A Love Story (2006), which starred debutanteKangana Ranaut alongside Hashmi andShiney Ahuja in lead roles. The film revolves around the complex love triangle between a bar singer, her mysterious lover, and a gangster, exploring themes of love, betrayal, and the criminal underworld. It received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its screenplay, soundtrack, cinematography and performances of the cast. The film emerged as a commercial success at the box-office.[16][17]
He next screenwrote and directed the ensemble urban dramaLife in a... Metro (2007). The film narrates the stories of nine people living inMumbai and tackles themes such as extramarital affairs, sanctity of marriage, commitment phobia and love. It received widespread critical acclaim upon release, with high praise for its novel concept, story, screenplay, dialogues, soundtrack and performances of the ensemble cast. The film emerged as asurprise commercial success at the box-office.[18]Life in a... Metro won Basu theFilmfare Award for Best Screenplay, in addition to his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Director.
His next film was the romantic action thrillerKites (2010) starringHrithik Roshan, deutanteBárbara Mori andKangana Ranaut in lead roles. Filmed in Hindi, English and Spanish, the film follows the tumultuous love story between a dance teacher stuck in agreen card marriage, and a woman on the run. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release, with sharp criticism for its multilingual narrative that featured the majority of dialogue in English and Spanish. Despite pre-release hype due to its starcast, the film emerged as a below-average grosser at the box-office.[19]
Basu's next directorial and screenwriting venture was the romantic comedy-dramaBarfi! (2012) starringRanbir Kapoor,Priyanka Chopra andIleana D'Cruz in lead roles. Set in 1970s, the film revolves around the love triangle between adeaf-mute young man, anautistic girl, and a wistful young woman. It opened to widespread critical acclaim, with high praise for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, soundtrack, performances of the cast, and the portrayal of physically disabled people. The film emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, grossing ₹1.75 billion worldwide, ranking as thesixth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.[20]Barfi! earned Basu his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Barfi! was screened at several film festivals such asBusan,Marrakech andTaipei, and won the prestigious Grand Jury Award at theOkinawa International Movie Festival in Japan.[21][22] The film made the shortlist forIndia's official entry for theAcademy Award for Best International Feature Film at the85th Academy Awards, but failed to receive a nomination.[23] However, its choice as the country's entry was criticized after Basu was accused of plagiarizing several Hollywood films.[24] Since its release,Barfi! has achieved acult status for its refreshing story, soundtrack, performances of the cast, and feel-good factor.[25]
After a 5-year directorial hiatus, he made his comeback with the musical adventure comedy-dramaJagga Jasoos (2017) starring Kapoor alongsideKatrina Kaif. Originally planned for a release in 2014, schedule conflicts set back release.[26] The film was produced by Basu and Kapoor's new production company, Picture Shuru Entertainment, in association withDisney Studios. It tells the story of a teenage detective and an accident-prone journalist who join forces to search for his missing father. The film received mixed reviews upon release, with praise for its innovative storytelling style, cinematography, soundtrack and cast performances, but criticism for its plot, runtime and pacing. Despite hype prior to release, it emerged as a commercial disaster at the box-office.[27]
He next venture was theNetflix black comedy crime filmLudo (2020), in which he also made his debut as a cinematographer. Starring an ensemble cast, the plot of the film interweaves the lives of four characters—a determined young woman, a cunning conman, a troubled teenager, and a righteous police officer—through a series of interconnected stories. It received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, soundtrack and performances of the cast. The film earned Basu his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Film, and his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
He is currently directingMetro... In Dino, the sequel toLife in a... Metro, which stars a new ensemble cast.[28][29]
He is next set to direct the musical sequel toMohit Suri’sAashiqui 2 titled,Aashiqui 3 starringKartik Aaryan oppositeSreeleela.[30]
Basu is married to Tani Basu and has two daughters, Ishana (b. 2004) and Ahana (b. 2007).[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Screenplay | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Saaya | Yes | No | No | No |
| 2004 | Murder | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tumsa Nahin Dekha: A Love Story | Yes | No | No | No | |
| 2006 | Gangster: A Love Story | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2007 | Life in a... Metro | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2010 | Kites | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| 2012 | Barfi! | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | Jagga Jasoos | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | Ludo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Metro... In Dino | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2026 | Untitled Romantic Musical† | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Artists | Saaya (2003) | Murder (2004) | Tumsa Nahi Dekha (2004) | Gangster: A Love Story (2006) | Life in a... Metro (2007) | Kites (2011) | Barfi! (2012) | Jagga Jasoos (2017) | Ludo (2020) | Metro... In Dino (2025) |
| Aditya Roy Kapur |  | | ||||||||
| Emraan Hashmi | | | | |||||||
| Fatima Sana Shaikh | | | ||||||||
| Kangana Ranaut | | | | |||||||
| KK | | | | | ||||||
| Konkona Sen Sharma | | | ||||||||
| Pankaj Tripathi | | | ||||||||
| Pritam | | | | | | | ||||
| Ranbir Kapoor | | | ||||||||
| Sayeed Quadri | | | | | | | ||||
| Shiney Ahuja | | |
| Year | Award | Film | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Filmfare Awards | Life in a... Metro | Best Director | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay | Won | |||
| 2013 | Barfi! | Best Director | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Ludo | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Nominated | |||
| 2005 | IIFA Awards | Murder | Best Story | Nominated |
| 2007 | Gangster: A Love Story | Best Screenplay | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Life in a... Metro | Best Director | Nominated | |
| Best Story | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Won | |||
| 2013 | Barfi! | Best Director | Won | |
| Best Story | Won | |||
| 2018 | Jagga Jasoos | Best Director | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Producers Guild Film Awards | Life in a... Metro | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2013 | Barfi! | Best Story | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
| 2008 | Screen Awards | Life in a... Metro | Best Director | Nominated |
| 2013 | Barfi! | Won | ||
| 2013 | Zee Cine Awards | Best Director | Won | |
| Best Screenplay | Won | |||
| Power Club – Box Office Award | Won | |||
| 2013 | Times of India Film Awards | Best Director | Won | |
| Bollywood Hungama Surfers' Choice Movie Awards | Best Director | Won | ||
| Okinawa International Movie Festival | Grand Jury Award | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
