- Rajkumar Santoshi is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter of Hindi films. Counted as one of the most successful filmmakers in the Hindi film industry, he has received several accolades,including three National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards.
Santoshi made his directorial debut with the crime film Ghayal (1990), which won him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Director. He next directed the thrillers Damini (1993) and Ghatak: Lethal (1996). All these three financially successful films starred Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri and Meenakshi Seshadri; the second of these garnered him a second Filmfare Best Director Award and the latter fetched him the Filmfare Best Screenplay Award as well as a Filmfare Best Director Award nomination. During this period, Santoshi also received praise for directing the comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994), which though a box office flop has attained cult status, and the major box-office hit Barsaat (1995), that marked the film debut of Bobby Deol and Twinkle Khanna. In 2000, he wrote dialogues of the average-earning film Pukar which garnered him the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He followed it by directing two moderate commercial successes-the biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002) and the action thriller Khakee (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.
Rajkumar Santoshi has finished filming his next directional Badboy.
- IMDb mini biography by: Madhu Anand Chandhock
- SpouseManila Santoshi(? - present) (2 children)
- Children
- Parents
- In depth character development.
- The central characters of his films have a unique theme score suiting their role in the movie.
- Wide range of themes covered in his directorials including revenge, redemption, social justice, women's rights, patriotism, crime.
- Frequently casts actors Anjan Srivastava, Harish Patel, Tinnu Anand, Danny Dengzongpa and used to cast the late actors Viju Khote, Om Puri and Amrish Puri in most films.
- Extensively collaborates with K.K. Raina for writing dialogues.
- In 1979, a producer offered Santoshi the opportunity to direct a film if he could get Rishi Kapoor to agree to do the film. Santoshi was yet to learn about film direction and declined the offer.
- Sister named Padmini who married Sunil Srivastav in December of 1992.
- Was engaged to actress Tanushree Kaushal. When she couldn't get a good break she moved to the south film industry .
- Elder brother named Anand Santoshi . He was born from Pyarelal Santoshi's first marriage. He is 17 years elder than Rajkumar Santoshi. Anand worked as a assistant director and Cheif Sound Recordist at Radiowani.
- Was a assistant to director Zafar Hai. Zafar offered Santoshi the chance to direct The Perfect Murder. Santoshi decided it was best not to chase money and write his own script, Ghayal.
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