Rajkumar Santoshi is an Indian screenwriter, dialogue writer, producer and director of Bollywood films, who has written and directed many superhit films like Ghayal, Ghatak and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. He has won many awards for his films and is considered one of the best directors of Bollywood.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Rajkumar Santoshi was born on Tuesday, 17 July 1956 (age 66 years; as in 2022) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He came to Mumbai at the age of 5 when his father returned to Mumbai. He left his studies after the 11th grade and worked as an unpaid assistant to his father until his father’s death in 1978. After that, he took the responsibility of his family and started working more seriously.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 8″
Weight (Approx): 75 kg
Hair Colour: Black (Half Bald)
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
His father’s name is Pyarelal Santoshi alias PL Santoshi and his mother was of Tamil origin. His father was a famous writer and director of Bollywood films, known for Khirki and Barsaat Ki Raat and died due to kidney failure on 7 September 1978 at KEM Government Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra. His mother was PL Santoshi’s second wife and died due to cancer in 2010. He has an elder half-brother, Anand Santoshi, who worked as an assistant director and chief sound recordist at Radiovani. He has 2 younger sisters and one of his sisters named Padmini married Sunil Srivastava in December 1992.
PL Santoshi, father of Rajkumar Santoshi
wife and children
His wife’s name is Manila Santoshi. They have a son named Ram Kumar Santoshi and a daughter named Tanisha Santoshi, who made her Bollywood debut in 2023 with Raj’s film Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh.
Rajkumar Santoshi with his wife Manila Santoshi
Rajkumar Santoshi’s daughter Tanisha Santoshi
livelihood
Assistant Director
He assisted film director Ravindra Dharmaraj in the film Chakra. Later, he started helping Indian producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra with production work; However, he did not like the work and left the job. After this, he worked in 5 films with film director Govind Nihalani and due to his fine work, his name spread in Bollywood. He left his job as chief assistant to work independently.
Screenwriter, Screenwriter, Producer and Director
After leaving the job of chief assistant, he struggled for a year. Then he met his father’s friend P Subbarao, who was a producer in the South film industry. Subbarao agreed to produce a film for Rajkumar. Raj had already written Ghayal and convinced Indian actor Sunny Deol to star in the film; However, Subbarao backed out and Sunny’s father and Indian actor Dharmendra produced Raj’s first film as a writer and director, Ghayal, which tells the story of a man whose brother goes missing, and how he returns to his brother. sets out on a mission to find. Ghayal also starred Indian actress Meenakshi Sheshadri and Indian actor Amrish Puri and became very popular after its release in 1990. Rajkumar won several awards for Ghayal. She wrote and directed her second film Damini, on the issue of the status of women in Indian society, starring Sunny Deol, Meenakshi Sheshadri and Indian actor Rishi Kapoor. Damini became very popular after its release in 1993 and she won many awards for this film. In 1994, he wrote and directed the comedy film Andaz Apna Apna starring Indian actors Aamir Khan and Salman Khan and Indian actresses Karisma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon. In 1995, he wrote and directed the romantic action drama film Barsaat, which marked the debut of Indian actor and Sunny Deol’s brother, Bobby Deol, and Indian actress and daughter of Indian actor Rajesh Khanna, Twinkle Khanna. In 1996, he wrote the story and screenplay and produced and directed the action film Ghatak, starring Sunny Deol and Meenakshi Sheshadri. In 1998, he wrote the story and screenplay and produced and directed the action film China Gate, which featured the famous item song Chamma Chamma. In 1998, he also wrote the action film Vinashak starring Indian actor Sunil Shetty and directed by Indian director Ravi Dewan. In 1999, he wrote the script for the romance film ‘Janam Samjha Karo’ starring Salman Khan. In 2000, he wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues and directed the film Pukar starring Indian actor Anil Kapoor and Indian actress Madhuri Dixit, based on the Indian Army and a court martial. In 2001, she wrote and directed the gender equality film Lajja starring Indian actresses Manisha Koirala, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Mahima Chaudhary. The film was a box office failure in India; However, it was successful overseas. In 2002, he wrote and directed The Legend of Bhagat Singh, a biopic of Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, starring Indian actor Ajay Devgan in the lead role of Bhagat Singh. In 2004, he wrote and directed the action thriller film Khaki, starring Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar and Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. In 2006, he wrote and directed the action thriller film Family, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, which was a box office flop. In 2008, he wrote and directed the film Halla Bol, a biopic of social activist Safdar Hashmi starring Ajay Devgan and Indian actress Vidya Balan. In 2009, he wrote and directed the romantic comedy film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani starring Indian actor and son of Rishi Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Indian actress Katrina Kaif. In 2013, he wrote and directed the action comedy film Phata Poster Nikhla Hero starring Indian actor Shahid Kapoor and Indian actress Ileana D’Cruz. In 2020, he announced that he was directing the romantic comedy film Bad Boy starring Indian actor Namashi Chakraborty and Indian actress Amreen Qureshi; However, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and was scheduled to release in 2023. In 2023, he wrote and directed Gandhi Godse, a war film which depicts a fictional story of Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi’s survival from an assassination attempt by Nathuram Godse. In the film, Indian actor Deepak Antani plays the role of Mahatma Gandhi and Chinmay Mandlekar plays the role of Nathuram Godse. This is also the debut film of his daughter Tanisha Santoshi.
A collage of Rajkumar Santoshi’s movie posters
controversies
Mamta Kulkarni accused of casting couch
Indian actress Mamta Kulkarni, who starred in Raj’s 1998 film China Gate, gave an interview after the film’s release and accused Raj of demanding sex from her during the shooting of the film. She alleged that when she objected to Raj’s sexual advances, he cut off her screen time in the film.
Mamta Kulkarni
fight with firoz nadiadwala
In August 2013, she filed a police complaint against Indian film producer Firoz Nadiadwala for trespassing into his house. He also accused Firoz of threatening to kill him and sued Firoz for Rs 10.24 crore. Raj said that he signed a 3-film deal with Firoz for Power, Babajaan and an untitled film for Rs 45 crore and received Rs. Rs 4.25 crore for electricity. 91.5 lakh for Babajaan and Rs. 25 lakhs for an untitled film. He claimed that he had evidence that the project was abandoned because of Firoz.
One year jail sentence for check bounce
On 31 March 2022, he was sentenced to 1 year in jail and asked to pay Rs 22.5 lakh within 60 days, otherwise the jail time would be extended by 1 more year. He had taken some money from the complainant Anil Jethani for the development of his business. For repayment, he gave 3 checks amounting to Rs 22.50 lakh to Anil which later bounced due to insufficient funds in the account. Anil sent a legal notice to Raj through his lawyer; However, when no response was received, Anil filed two complaints against her in the Rajkot court under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act for Rs 17.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. The case was heard in the court of Rajkot Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate N.H.Wasweliya. Rajkumar alleged that he had already paid the money and said that he was paying the price of being a celebrity. Addressing the situation in an interview he said,
I am paying the price of being a celebrity. We are easy targets. I have faith in the judiciary and we are filing further appeal in the court. We will get justice.”
Gandhi Godse protest by a war party
In May 2022, some members of the crew of his film Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh protested in Mumbai against non-payment of dues. He assured the employees that he would pay them in a few days.
Film crew member protesting against Rajkumar Santoshi with poster
award
- 1991: Won the Filmfare Award for Best Story for the film Ghayal
- 1991: Won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for the film Ghayal
- 1994: Won the Filmfare Award for Best Director for the film Damini
- 1995: Nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director for Andaz Apna Apna
- 1997: Won the Filmfare Award for Best Screenwriter for the film Ghatak
- 1997: Nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director for Ghatak
- 1999: Won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue Writer for the film China Gate
- 2000: Won Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for the film Pukar
- 2003: Won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for The Legend of Bhagat Singh
- 2003: Won Zee Cine Award for Best Dialogue Writer for the film The Legend of Bhagat Singh
- 2005: Nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director for the film Khaki
- 2005: Nominated for Zee Cine Award for Best Dialogue Writer for the film Khaki
- 2005: Nominated for Zee Cine Award for Best Screenplay Writer for the film Khaki
- 2009: Won ITA Scroll of Honor (Entertainment) Award for the film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
- 2009: Nominated for Dream Director at the Stardust Awards for the film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
- 2009: Nominated for Best Dialogue Writer at the Producers Guild Film Awards for the film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
Facts/General Knowledge
- The initial producer of his film Ghayal, P. Subbarao, suggested Indian actor Sanjay Dutt for his first directorial film Ghayal; However, Rajkumar wanted only Kamal Haasan or Sunny Deol to act in the film. Later, he decided to cast Sunny and thought of asking Sunny’s father and Indian actor, Dharmendra; However, he later decided to approach Sunny Deol through Sunny’s assistant Jatin Rajguru.
- Sunny Deol asked for 18 lakhs for the film Ghayal; However, producer P Subbarao agreed to give only Rs 12 lakh and Rs 6 lakh if the film had a silver jubilee. Rajkumar assured Sunny that the film Silver Jubilee would be made and he agreed to work in the film.
- He has worked in only one film as an actor, the 1996 Indian film Hello.
- His film China Gate was made in 1998 on a budget of Rs 20 crore, which was the most expensive film at that time.
- The prince was in love with Indian actress Meenakshi Sheshadri and wanted to marry her; However, his proposal was rejected by him.
Meenakshi Seshadri
- He got engaged to Indian actress Tanushree Kaushal; However, after not getting any good work in Bollywood, she moved to the South Film Industry.
- His real surname is Srivastava and Santoshi was his father’s surname, which he adopted from his father.
- In January 2015, a producer named Jain snatched Rajkumar’s Mercedes car along with its driver. Raj owed Jain Rs 15 lakh and Jain went to Raj’s Juhu office to collect the money. When he did not find Raj in the office, he asked Raj’s driver to drop him to Andheri and later switched seats with the driver. When Raj realized that his car was missing, he went to the police, who found the car with the driver and Raj made a deal with Jain to return the money.
- In December 2020, he announced that he would open a film academy in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn