Anil Sharma (director)

Indian film director and producer

Anil Sharma

Sharma in 2019

Born|  (1958-03-07) 7 March 1958 (age 66)

Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India

Nationality| Indian
Occupations|

* Film director
* Film producer

Years active| 1980–present
Organization| Anil Sharma Productions
Known for| Hukumat (1987)
Tahalka (1992)
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001)
Apne (2007)
Gadar 2 (2023)
Apne 2 (2026)
Gadar 3 (2026)
Spouse|

Suman Sharma

(m. 1992)​

Children| Utkarsh Sharma (son)

Anil Sharma is an Indian film director and producer. He is known for films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and Gadar 2 (2023) and Gadar 3 (2026).

## Biography

[edit]

Sharma was born and brought up in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. His grandfather, Pt. Dalchand, was an astrologer. He later moved to Mumbai and did his B.Sc. at Khalsa College.[1]

He got his first break in the Hindi film industry at the age of 18 as an assistant director. He assisted Baldev Raj Chopra on Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978), The Burning Train (1980), and Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980).[1]

In 1980, at the age of 21, he debuted as a director with Shradhanjali, starring Raakhee.[2] In 1983, he directed Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka, and followed it up with Hukumat (1987) and Tahalka (1992). After the success of Tahalka, Sharma took a break from filmmaking for a few years and dedicated himself to open a studio in Mumbai on the lines of Universal Studios in Los Angeles. However, it did not materialize and Sharma returned to filmmaking with Maharaja.[3]

In 2001, Sharma directed Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, starring Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel. It was a huge commercial success and went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema and the most successful film of the 2000s.[4] He subsequently directed The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003), starring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. At that point, It was considered to be the most expensive film ever made in Hindi at that time and went on to become the third highest grosser of the year.[5]

Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo was his next directorial. It is remembered for its patriotic fervor.[6] Apne(2007), his next film, was critically praised for its depiction of family emotions and values. It garnered Anil critical and box office success, and was the first film starring all three Deols- Dharmendra, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.[7]

In 2010, his next Veer, starring Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff and Zarine Khan. The movie was much talked-about for its massive scale and depiction of the Indian Rajputana's war with the British.[8][9] After this, he made Singh Saab The Great with Sunny Deol and Prakash Raj. In Genius (2018), he introduced his son Utkarsh Sharma as the lead, though he had already introduced him as a child artist in Gadar. For the first time in his career he shot in his hometown, Mathura.[10] Upon release, it received overwhelmingly negative reviews from both the critics and audience, alike. It became a huge disaster at the box-office.

Five years later in 2023, he made a huge career comeback with Gadar 2, the sequel to Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. He reunited with Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma. Though it received mixed reviews, it had a tremendous opening weekend and became the sixth highest-grossing Hindi film of all-time.

## Filmography

[edit]

Key  †  | Denotes films that have not yet been released

|

Year  | Film  | Credited as  | Notes

|
|
|

Director  | Producer  | Writer
1981 | Shradhanjali | Yes | Yes | Yes | [2]
1983 | Bandhan Kuchchey Dhaagon Ka | Yes | Yes | Yes | [2]
1987 | Hukumat | Yes | Yes | Yes | [2]
1989 | Elaan-E-Jung | Yes | Yes | Yes | [2]
1991 | Farishtay | Yes |  | Yes | [2]
1992 | Tahalka | Yes | Yes | Yes | [2]
Maa |  | Yes |  | [11]
1994 | Suhaag |  | Yes |  | [12]
1995 | Faisla Main Karungi |  | Yes |  |
1995 | Policewala Gunda |  | Yes |  |
1998 | Maharaja | Yes |  |  | [2]
2001 | Gadar: Ek Prem Katha | Yes |  |  | [2]
2003 | The Hero: Love Story of a Spy | Yes |  |  | [2]
2004 | Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo | Yes | Yes |  |
2007 | Apne | Yes |  |  |
2010 | Veer | Yes |  |  |
2013 | Singh Saab the Great | Yes | Yes |  |
2018 | Genius | Yes | Yes | Yes |
2023 | Gadar 2 | Yes |  |  | [13]
2024 | Vanvaas | Yes | Yes | Yes | [14]
2026 | Gadar 3 | Yes |  |  |
2026 | Apne 2 | Yes |  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Sunny sahab never entertains negative conversations about any other star: Anil Sharma". The Times of India. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "'The Hero is not James Bond'". Rediff.com.
3. ^ "Before Uri, Bollywood Learnt About Surgical Strikes From a 1992 Anil Sharma Film". 17 January 2019.
4. ^ "The genius behind Gadar Ek Prem Katha". Rediff.
5. ^ "Entertainment". Times of India.
6. ^ "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo". Bollywood Hungama.
7. ^ "Apne". Rediff.
8. ^ "Salman Khan turns scriptwriter for Anil Sharmas Veer". Hindustan Times. 3 January 2008.
9. ^ "Budget of 'Veer' isn't Rs. 100 crores: Anil Sharma - Express India". 31 January 2010. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010.
10. ^ "Director Anil Sharmas son Utkarsh Sharma debut Genius". Times of India.
11. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (13 December 1991). "Maa Cast List | Maa Movie Star Cast | Release Date | Movie Trailer | Review- Bollywood Hungama".
12. ^ "Suhaag - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com.
13. ^ "Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel make us nostalgic as Tara Singh, Sakeena at Gadar 2 muhurat". India Today. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
14. ^ "Nana Patekar and Utkarsh Sharma to star in Anil Sharma's Vanvaas; film to release on December 20, 2024; first poster out". Bollywood Hungama. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Anil Sharma at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Netherlands

Other|

* IdRef

*[m.]: married