Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Anubhav Sinha, Vishal Furia: Bollywood directors who have become masters of their genres

Over time, the Bollywood industry has allowed us to immerse ourselves into the world and viewpoints of characters, with the help of cinema and stories, thanks to the directors and filmmakers who craft these pieces with authenticity. From thriller to period drama, female-centric films to social dramas, there are directors whose names are now synonymous with these kinds of films. Listed below are some of the most-watched genres in Bollywood and the directors who have excelled in them.

Time again, filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava has brought stories that highlight the sides of women never showcased on screen. Projects like ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, ‘Bombay Begums’ are successful attempts on her part. Women and womanhood and their many sides seem to be her forte and she has carved a name for herself in this regard.

From 'Maqbool' to 'Omkara' and 'Haider', Vishal Bhardwaj’s stories have been beautifully crafted and threaded for the screen with his own Indian touch to them. Known for bringing alive many books of Shakespeare, cinephiles regard him as a storyteller like none other.

Dramatic and stylised frames, boasting deep colours and aesthetics, which come with an intriguing storyline, are the way Sanjay Leela Bhansali perceives his cinematic world. Period dramas are his forte and everyone till date has only been a celebration on screen. From 'Padmavati' to 'Bajirao Mastani', 'Devdas' to the soon-to-be-released 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', each one brings to life an era unseen.

Vishal Furia has created his own space in the genre of horror films. From the much-acclaimed Marathi film 'Lapachhapi' to its Hindi remake 'Chhorri', Vishal has used new, unseen ways to scare the hell out of people. His films have come to be regarded as the kind that scare people, that's his USP and he has spent quite a lot of his time to carve this niche for himself.

From 'Black Friday' to 'Gangs of Wasseypur', Anurag Kashyap has shown a side of India from its very core. Be it the rawness of rural India, or the over-controlling gangs that shoot around, Anurag makes sure to provide depth and detailing to the core. His dark thrillers have created a new kind of genre in Bollywood and garnered a kind of audience that looks forward to his work on-screen or online.

When it comes to educating and entertaining at the same time, Anubhav Sinha’s social dramas are worth looking out for. The filmmaker has highlighted various issues impregnating the country through his films. From highlighting a woman's rights in 'Thappad' to bringing out the aspect of communal cohabitation through 'Mulk', to highlighting the plight of Dalits through 'Article 15', Anubhav has educated the country through cinema.

One can say Meghna Gulzar’s films have come to symbolise awakening and inner reflection in society. Real-life stories, things that are happening around us are her forte. From 'Hu Tu Tu' to 'Chhapaak' and 'Raazi', each one of her films portrays the being of an everyday citizen in India and the issues they must deal with in their lives. She is known to be the voice of millions of souls unheard through her storytelling.