Bollywood Stars Who Turned Directors And Their Box Office Report Cards
From Riteish Deshmukh to Ajay Devgn and Kangana Ranaut, here’s a look at Bollywood stars who turned directors and how their movies performed at the box office.
Bollywood has always loved multi-hyphenates, but acting and directing are two very different beasts. Some stars have moved behind the camera to tell deeply personal stories, some have used direction to launch family members, some have reinvented franchises, and some have discovered the hard way that star power does not automatically translate into filmmaking success. With Riteish Deshmukh currently in the spotlight for his ambitious directorial ‘Raja Shivaji’, the conversation around Bollywood actors stepping behind the camera feels relevant all over again. Riteish, who built a strong Hindi-film career with films like ‘Masti’, ‘Dhamaal’, ‘Housefull’, ‘Ek Villain’ and ‘Raid 2’, first proved himself as a director with the Marathi blockbuster ‘Ved’ in 2022.
ALSO READ | Box Office Nightmares: 15 Big-Budget Bollywood Movies That Turned Out To Be Flops
He has now followed it up with ‘Raja Shivaji’, a Marathi-Hindi historical spectacle based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. But Riteish is hardly alone. Over the years, several Bollywood actors have moved behind the camera. The results have been wildly different. A few actor-directors delivered blockbusters, some made acclaimed cult films, and others discovered that directing can be far more unforgiving than acting.
ALSO READ | Bollywood Actors Who Started As Models Before Becoming Film Stars
Here is a deep dive into Bollywood actors who took up the director’s baton and how their films performed globally:
1. Riteish Deshmukh
Riteish Deshmukh is one of the most relevant recent names in the actor-turned-director space. After years as a popular Hindi-film actor, he made his directorial debut with the Marathi romantic drama ‘Ved,’ released on December 30, 2022. The film starred Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Jiya Shankar and Ashok Saraf, and was produced by Genelia. A remake of the Telugu film ‘Majili’, ‘Ved’ revolved around love, heartbreak, alcoholism and emotional healing. It became a huge Marathi box-office success, with reported worldwide collections around Rs 73 crore. Riteish has now followed that success with ‘Raja Shivaji’, directed by and starring him. Released on May 1, 2026, in Marathi and Hindi, the film features a large ensemble including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Boman Irani, Fardeen Khan, Genelia Deshmukh and a special appearance by Salman Khan. The film reportedly crossed Rs 50 crore worldwide in five days.
2. Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan made his credited directorial debut with ‘Taare Zameen Par’, released on December 21, 2007. Starring Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma, the film told the story of Ishaan, a dyslexic child misunderstood by his family and school until an art teacher helps him rediscover his confidence. Unlike many star directorial debuts, this was not a vanity project; it was intimate, emotional and deeply empathetic. The film became both a commercial and critical success. The movie minted Rs 98.50 crore worldwide, with Rs 62.95 crore India net against a reported budget of Rs 12 crore. Winning a National Film Award, Aamir Khan’s sole directorial venture remains a defining cinematic masterpiece and proved that Aamir’s sensitivity toward scripts extended behind the camera as well.
3. Ajay Devgn
Ajay Devgn stands out as one of the most persistent actor-directors in the Hindi film industry, continually stepping behind the camera for visually ambitious projects. He made his directorial debut with the Alzheimer's-themed drama ‘U Me Aur Hum’ (April 11, 2008), co-starring Kajol, which met with an underwhelming box office fate, making Rs 39.62 crore worldwide against a Rs 25 crore budget. He later pivoted to high-octane action with ‘Shivaay’ (October 28, 2016), minting Rs 147.29 crore worldwide against a reported Rs 100 crore budget, as per Sacnilk. Ajay then directed ‘Runway 34’ in 2022, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, Boman Irani and himself, which collected Rs 50.7 crore worldwide. In 2023, he directed and starred in ‘Bholaa’, which made Rs 123 crore gross worldwide. Ajay’s directorial career shows ambition, scale and technical polish, even if the commercial results have not always matched the effort.
4. Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut entered direction in high-visibility fashion with ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’, on which she shared directorial credit with Krish Jagarlamudi. Released on January 25, 2019, the historical drama starred Kangana as Rani Lakshmi Bai, alongside Jisshu Sengupta, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Danny Denzongpa and Ankita Lokhande. ‘Manikarnika’ minted Rs 142 crore worldwide, with Rs 98.02 crore India net against a reported budget of Rs 101 crore. Kangana later directed ‘Emergency’, released on January 17, 2025, in which she played former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The film also starred Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Chaudhry, Milind Soman and Satish Kaushik. Sacnilk listed ‘Emergency’ at Rs 23.81 crore worldwide, meaning her solo directorial effort struggled at the box office. While the film was declared a commercial failure, it managed to recover its financial losses via the digital streaming market after Netflix acquired the OTT rights for a staggering Rs 80 crore.
5. R. Madhavan
R Madhavan turned director with ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, released on July 1, 2022. The biographical drama starred Madhavan as former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, with Simran in a key role and cameo appearances by Shah Rukh Khan (Hindi/English versions) and Suriya (Tamil version). The film traced Narayanan’s scientific work, the false espionage case against him and his long fight for justice. Commercially, ‘Rocketry’ was not a blockbuster, but it performed respectably for a serious biographical drama. Sacnilk reported that the film scored over Rs 45 crore gross at the worldwide box office. Its bigger victory came later, when it won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, giving Madhavan’s directorial debut a strong legacy beyond pure box-office numbers.
6. Sunny Deol
Sunny Deol made his directorial debut with ‘Dillagi’, released in 1999, starring himself, Bobby Deol and Urmila Matondkar. The romantic drama was notable for bringing the Deol brothers together on screen, but his better-documented directorial box-office performance came later with ‘Ghayal Once Again’. Released on February 5, 2016, the action drama starred Sunny Deol, Om Puri, Soha Ali Khan, Narendra Jha and a younger ensemble cast. Sacnilk listed ‘Ghayal Once Again’ at Rs 57.60 crore worldwide, against a reported budget of Rs 50 crore. Sunny later directed ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’ in 2019 to launch his son Karan Deol opposite Sahher Bambba, but that film too failed to make a strong theatrical impact. His direction has often been emotional and personal, but commercially, it has not matched his acting legacy.
7. Kunal Kemmu
Kunal Kemmu became one of the most successful recent actor-directors with ‘Madgaon Express’. After starting out as a child actor and later building a Hindi-film career through movies like ‘Kalyug’, ‘Golmaal 3’, ‘Go Goa Gone’, ‘Lootcase’ and ‘Malang’, Kunal made his directorial debut with this 2024 comedy. Released on March 22, 2024, ‘Madgaon Express’ starred Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi, Avinash Tiwary, Nora Fatehi, Upendra Limaye and Chhaya Kadam. The film followed three childhood friends whose long-awaited Goa trip spirals into chaos involving drugs, criminals and a lot of bad decisions. The film did not open like a giant, but strong word of mouth helped it grow into a sleeper success. Sacnilk listed its worldwide gross at Rs 46.90 crore after an extended theatrical run. Its sequel is now in development, with Divyenndu recently confirming that Kunal is working on the script.
8. Arbaaz Khan
Arbaaz Khan’s directorial debut came with a ready-made franchise advantage. He directed ‘Dabangg 2’, released on December 21, 2012, the sequel to the Salman Khan blockbuster ‘Dabangg’. The film starred Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Arbaaz Khan, Prakash Raj, Vinod Khanna and Mahie Gill. Commercially, the film worked very well. It made Rs 265 crore worldwide, with Rs 155 crore India net and a reported Rs 84 crore budget, with a blockbuster verdict. It remains one of the most successful actor-turned-director films in mainstream Bollywood.
9. Shreyas Talpade
Known for his impeccable comic timing, actor Shreyas Talpade took his skills behind the camera for ‘Poster Boys’, an official Hindi remake of his own critically acclaimed Marathi production. Released on September 8, 2017, the comedy featured a stellar cast consisting of Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, and Shreyas himself. The plot hilariously tackled the taboo subject of vasectomy, following three men whose photos accidentally end up on a government sterilization poster. While the film received decent reviews for its earnest messaging and situational humour, it failed to translate that goodwill into massive box office numbers. Facing stiff competition, ‘Poster Boys’ ended its theatrical run with Rs 14.81 worldwide gross against an estimated budget of Rs 18 crore, classifying it as a commercial failure.
10. Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher tried his hand at direction with ‘Om Jai Jagadish’, released on July 19, 2002. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani, the family drama featured a large ensemble including Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahima Chaudhry, Urmila Matondkar and Tara Sharma. The story revolved around a mother and her three sons, each dealing with ambition, responsibility and family conflict. Despite the star cast, the film did not work. Box Office India listed its worldwide gross at Rs 13.74 crore against a Rs 13 crore budget.
11. Sonu Sood
Sonu Sood joined the actor-director club with ‘Fateh’, released on January 10, 2025. Known for his work in films like ‘Yuva’, ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Dabangg’, ‘Simmba’ and several South Indian films, Sonu directed and starred in this Hindi action thriller. The film also featured Jacqueline Fernandez, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Raaz and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. Built around cybercrime and digital fraud, ‘Fateh’ positioned Sonu as an action hero fighting a dangerous racket. Despite the subject and heavy action packaging, the film did not create a major box-office splash. Sacnilk listed ‘Fateh’ at Rs 19.06 crore worldwide, with Rs 13.36 crore India net.
12. Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut ‘A Death In The Gunj’ is a reminder that box office is not the only way to measure an actor’s success behind the camera. Released in Indian theatres on June 2, 2017, the English-language drama starred Vikrant Massey, Tillotama Shome, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Gulshan Devaiah, Jim Sarbh, Om Puri and Tanuja. Commercially, the film had a limited theatrical run and earned around Rs 1 crore, but critically, it was a major win. It received multiple Filmfare nominations and won Konkona the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director. Her case is important because it shows the other side of actor-directors: not everyone is chasing a blockbuster; some are building acclaimed cinema that lasts beyond opening-weekend numbers.
13. Hema Malini
Hema Malini, one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic actresses, also moved into direction with ‘Dil Aashna Hai’. Released in 1992, the film starred Divya Bharti, Shah Rukh Khan, Jeetendra, Mithun Chakraborty, Dimple Kapadia, Amrita Singh and Sonu Walia. It is often remembered for being one of Shah Rukh Khan’s earliest signed films, although ‘Deewana’ released before it. Years later, Hema directed and produced ‘Tell Me O Kkhuda’, released in 2011, starring Esha Deol, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Farooq Sheikh, Hema Malini and Arjan Bajwa. The film did not perform well at the box office.
14. Rakesh Roshan
Rakesh Roshan began as an actor before becoming one of Bollywood’s most successful actor-turned-directors. His directorial journey includes films like ‘Khudgarz’, ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’, ‘Karan Arjun’, ‘Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai’, ‘Koi... Mil Gaya’ and the ‘Krrish’ franchise. His biggest achievement behind the camera was turning Hrithik Roshan into an overnight sensation with ‘Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai’ in 2000 and then building a superhero universe around him. His biggest directorial grosser remains ‘Krrish 3’, released on November 1, 2013. Starring Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut, the film became a major blockbuster. The movie minted Rs 374 crore worldwide, including Rs 313 crore India gross.
15. Raj Kapoor
No list of actors who turned directors can be complete without Raj Kapoor. One of Hindi cinema’s greatest actor-filmmakers, he made his directorial debut with ‘Aag’ in 1948 and went on to shape post-Independence Bollywood through R.K. Films. While ‘Aag’ was praised by critics but was not commercially successful, ‘Barsaat’ became the studio’s first hit and helped establish the Raj Kapoor-Nargis screen pairing. Raj Kapoor’s directorial legacy later expanded with films like ‘Awaara’, ‘Shree 420’, ‘Sangam’, ‘Mera Naam Joker’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, ‘Prem Rog’ and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’. Britannica notes that several R.K. productions were commercial as well as critical successes.
16. Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar is another major actor-director who deserves a firm place in this article. Already a successful actor, he turned filmmaker with a strong nationalist and social voice, eventually earning the image of ‘Bharat Kumar’. Box Office India described his directorial run as “blockbuster after blockbuster,” highlighting films like ‘Upkar’, ‘Purab Aur Pachhim’, ‘Shor’, ‘Roti Kapada Aur Makaan’ and ‘Kranti’. His most iconic directorial ventures were deeply tied to Indian identity, patriotism, rural values, unemployment, sacrifice and social struggle. Several of the films he directed reportedly sold 40-50 million tickets in India alone, showing the scale of his mass reach.
17. Dev Anand
Dev Anand was already one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved leading men before he moved into direction. His directorial debut was ‘Prem Pujari’ in 1970, a film built around pacifism and war, but it did not work at the box office. The failure, however, did not stop him. His next major directorial effort, ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, became a runaway hit and introduced Zeenat Aman to Hindi cinema in a role that turned her into an overnight sensation. Released in December 1971, ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ starred Dev Anand, Zeenat Aman, Mumtaz and Prem Chopra, and tackled hippie culture, drugs, family breakdown and Westernisation. The film’s music, especially ‘Dum Maro Dum’, became iconic, and Dev Anand proved that he could handle acting, producing, writing and directing within the same film. He later directed several more films under the Navketan banner.
18. Feroz Khan
Feroz Khan’s biggest directorial triumph was ‘Qurbani’, released in June 1980. Produced, directed and headlined by Feroz Khan, the film also starred Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Amjad Khan, Amrish Puri, Aruna Irani and Shakti Kapoor. It mixed action, romance, crime, glamour and music. ‘Qurbani’ became a blockbuster and one of the biggest Hindi films of 1980. Reported figures place its budget at around Rs 2.5 crore and its worldwide gross at approximately Rs 25.8 crore. Songs like ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ and ‘Laila O Laila’ gave the film a pop-culture afterlife.
The history of Bollywood actors turning directors is full of extremes. Some, like Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Rakesh Roshan, Feroz Khan, Aamir Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Kunal Kemmu, delivered major commercial or cultural wins behind the camera. Others, like Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, Sunny Deol and Sonu Sood, showed ambition and scale but received mixed box-office results.
Of course, this is still not an exhaustive list. Apart from these stars, several other actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Satish Kaushik, Pooja Bhatt, Shashi Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Revathi, along with golden-era multi-hyphenates like Guru Dutt, Kishore Kumar and Mehmood have directed films. But what this list proves is simple: acting success can open the door to direction, but it cannot guarantee box-office glory.
