From the front of the camera to behind it: What makes actors turn filmmakers?

Time of India

27-05-2025

We have seen actors going to great lengths to transform for a character; however, in this ever-evolving landscape of Bollywood, some of the most amazing and captivating transformations are not the ones that happen behind the camera.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
One such notable trend is the transition of actors to filmmakers.
Sometimes fueled by passion, sometimes by the desire to control the narratives, the yearning for freedom, this shift represents a transformation that is both personal and professional. However, what prompts a well-known and accomplished star, who has already enjoyed success in front of the camera, to embrace the challenging responsibilities of filmmaking?
From veterans like Guru Dutt and
to contemporary stars like Kangana Ranaut, Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, and
, the list of actor-filmmakers is growing steadily.
Kangana Ranaut - The queen, both front and behind the camera
One of Bollywood's most loved and versatile stars, Kangana Ranaut, put on the director's hat for her movie 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi.' It all began with her first being the co-pilot, and well, when it had its fair share of controversies around it. Speaking about the same in an old interview with us, Kangana shared, 'There was no controversy even when I took it as a director. I took over sometime in June-July 2018, there was no controversy.
There were several articles when the producer clarified that the director is busy with another film. No controversy at all. It's only when the film became a huge success, it had a weekend, even big heroes don't have sometimes of Rs. 45 cr. Then on a Monday, the director started to go all out, and with him, many people joined in. Everybody seemed to want more than they got or what they deserved. It just became so weird that just when everybody thought that the film was in the dumps, nobody wanted to touch it or nobody wanted to be associated with it.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
When we all worked on it and made it a glorious film, which is one of the best-reviewed films of 2019, everybody just went for me that I snatched the film and whatnot. That's where the controversy started.'
Kangana Ranaut's multiple looks from 'Manikarnika'
Further, while weighing on the fact why she took the role of a director, Kangana Ranaut shared, 'I think as a director, I wanted to be doing something which I do from scratch. It is very difficult to fit into somebody's vision and especially when you have committed to all the budget has gone into taking all the wide shots, and the money shots have been taken, and you are doing 60-70% of the work.
But still, everything is committed from the look of the film to visual language, clothes, everything is done.
I would like to believe that when I come with my solo director film, people would say that I have a great sense of aesthetics. Whether you see my houses or fashion sense, I am one of those people who have been yield by her sense of aesthetics. The idea was to do justice to the Manikarnika story, and even with a lot of obstacles, I still had a lot of people on my side.'
Kangana on being a producer
After being the co-director, Kangana stepped into the world of production as well. Her recent movie as a director and producer was Emergency, and while promoting the same, Kangana very gracefully shared how she no longer identifies herself as three separate entities—an actor, director, and producer—but rather as a cohesive whole.
"I never became a producer to earn money. In my 20 years of career, I've seen that producers often put undue pressure on directors.
Sometimes there's animosity, sometimes they become friends with them, and both situations can be harmful. Either you completely lose your mind, or you're caught in a dilemma," she said.
Kangana Ranaut UNCENSORED Interview I Real Reason Why She Wore PRODUCER Hat | EMERGENCY
She continued, 'I became a producer so that I can give myself wings to fly when I direct. It wasn't about the money at all. For me, it is a beautiful dance between every element that surrounds me—light, fabrics, colors, combinations, people, expressions, stories, fantasy, life, paradox, catharsis, subtext."
She sees filmmaking as encompassing "poetry, beauty, humanity, destiny, and even God." She described it as an addiction.
"I was always a filmmaker. I don't know how much justice I did to each role," concluded the actress-turned-filmmaker.
Ritiesh Deshmukh - The actor who acknowledged being a filmmaker is no cake walk
The 'Houseful 5' fame Ritesh Deshmukh turned director with the Marathi film Ved, and during one of our conversations, he shared, 'The most difficult decision for an actor is to decide he wants to direct.'
'You always end up dilly-dallying. Stepping out of your comfort zone and moving behind the camera isn't easy. On top of that, I am not a film student; I've learnt everything on the job. Working with different directors reshaped my perspective on cinema,' he continued.
In addition to direction, Ritiesh dipped his toes in production as well. Talking about it, he said, 'Once you turn producer, you definitely have more respect for producers because you realise production is a thankless job.
It's like puraani filmon mein main ladki ka baap hoon and you ask others ki aap bataao main kya kar sakta hoon (laughs!). You have to manage everything, be cordial with everyone, and ensure the work gets done.
'
'As an actor, you can own a part of the film with your performance, but as a producer or a director, you own the film in totality,' he concluded.
Farhan Akhtar - The artist who feels 'lucky' to be a filmmaker
Farhan Akhtar is one of the actors turned filmmakers who knows how to turn stories into cinematic gems.
His debut directorial 'Dil Chahta Hai' starring him, Akshaye Khanna, and Aamir Khan helped him earn a National Award. Since then, he has never looked back, and as a filmmaker, he has films like Lakshya, Don, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dil Dhadakne Do, and more under his belt.
Bring different tales to the big screen brings him joy and expressing the same in a social media post, Farhan wrote, "Every once in a while I stop and think about how lucky we film makers are ..
to think up a story and then connect with like minded dreamers to bring that story to life .. to get to share what once lived just in the mind with the world and hopefully .. hopefully.. elicit the intended emotional response."
He added, "There's no other place I'd rather be. Behind a camera or in front of a camera. Doesn't matter. As long as it's telling stories. See you at the movies."
In conclusion…
The journey from being in front of the camera to stepping behind it as a director or producer represents a profound evolution for many actors in Bollywood. As more actors embrace the dual roles of filmmaker and performer, they enrich the industry with fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, ultimately contributing to the vibrant tapestry of cinema.