Rajkumar Santoshi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rajkumar Santoshi
Santoshi in 2015
Born	(1956-07-17) 17 July 1956 (age 68) Madras, Madras State, India
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Raj Santoshi
Occupation	Film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1982–present
Notable work	Ghayal Damini Andaz Apna Apna Ghatak: Lethal China Gate The Legend of Bhagat Singh Khakee Family: Ties of Blood Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Shaheed Bhagat Singh

Rajkumar Santoshi is a famous Indian filmmaker. He is a director, producer, and writer for Hindi movies. He has won many awards, including three National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards.

His first movie as a director was the action drama Ghayal (1990). This film, starring Sunny Deol, was a big hit and made Santoshi well-known in the film world. He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Director for Ghayal.

He also directed the crime drama Damini (1993), which was another big success. He is also known for the comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994), which stars Aamir Khan and Salman Khan. Even though it didn't make much money at first, it became a favorite movie for many people over time. His most successful film in terms of money was the romantic comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009).

About Rajkumar Santoshi

Rajkumar Santoshi was born in Chennai, India. His father was also a film producer and director. Rajkumar Santoshi lives with his family.

His Journey in Films

Starting Out (1982-1999)

Rajkumar Santoshi began his film career in 1982. He worked as an assistant director on films like Vijeta (1982) and Ardh Satya (1983). This means he helped the main director with many tasks.

His first movie as a director was Ghayal (1990). This action drama starred Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Seshadri. The story is about a person looking for his missing brother. The movie was very popular and was one of the highest-earning Hindi films that year. Ghayal won Santoshi his first Filmfare Award for Best Director.

Next, he directed Damini (1993), a crime drama. This film talked about important ideas, like how women are treated in society. It starred Meenakshi Seshadri, Sunny Deol, Rishi Kapoor, and Amrish Puri. The movie was highly praised and was also a big hit at the box office. Santoshi won his second Filmfare Award for Best Director for Damini. This made him the only director to win this award for his first two films! Many people now see Damini as an important film for showing strong women.

After making two serious films, Santoshi decided to make a funnier one. He wrote and directed the comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994). This movie had many stars, including Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, and Karisma Kapoor. At first, the movie didn't make much money. However, over the years, it became a very popular comedy and a favorite for many.

Santoshi then directed the action romance Barsaat (1995). This film was the first movie for actors Bobby Deol and Twinkle Khanna. It was a successful movie at the box office.

In 1996, Santoshi wrote and directed the action drama Ghatak: Lethal. This was his third time working with Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Seshadri. The movie was well-liked by critics and was a big success. Santoshi won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for this film.

His next film was the action movie China Gate (1998). This movie was inspired by the famous Japanese film Seven Samurai. It tells the story of a village that hires a group of old soldiers to fight bandits. The movie had mixed reviews but did okay at the box office. Santoshi won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue for China Gate.

Later Films (2000-Present)

In 2000, Santoshi wrote and directed the action thriller Pukar. It starred Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. The film won Santoshi the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.

He then directed Lajja (2001), a social drama about four Indian women. The film talked about issues like unfair treatment of women. It had many famous actors like Rekha, Manisha Koirala, and Madhuri Dixit. The movie didn't do well in India but was successful in other countries.

Santoshi with Sunny Deol and Aamir Khan in 2023.

His next big project was The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002). This movie was about the life of the freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, played by Ajay Devgn. Critics really liked the film, praising its direction and story. Even though another film about Bhagat Singh came out at the same time, Santoshi's film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Many people now consider The Legend of Bhagat Singh one of Santoshi's best works.

In 2004, Santoshi wrote and directed the crime thriller Khakee. This film had a big cast, including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Aishwarya Rai. It was about a group of police officers caught in a mystery. The movie was highly praised and was a big success at the box office.

His film Family – Ties of Blood (2006) did not do well. He then wrote and directed Halla Bol (2008), a social drama based on the life of an activist. This film also did not do well with critics or at the box office.

Santoshi's career got better with the romantic comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009). This film starred Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. It received good reviews and was a huge commercial success, making a lot of money worldwide. It is currently the highest-grossing film of Santoshi's career.

After a break, Santoshi returned with the action comedy Phata Poster Nikhla Hero (2013), which did not perform well. After another long break, he made three different films in 2023: Gandhi Godse – Ek Yudh, Aalay Mazya Rashila, and Bad Boy. These films also had mixed reviews and were not very successful.

Films by Rajkumar Santoshi

Awards and Nominations

Rajkumar Santoshi has won many awards for his work in films. Here are some of them: