Big films like Dhurandhar, Chhava and Kantara: Chapter 1 hit box office gold in 2025, and its directors, Aditya Dhar, Laxman Utekar and Rishab Shetty, have proved their worth.
But many other directors made an impact with their 2025 releases, in various languages.
Deepa Gahlot picks 10 directors whose films, released in Mumbai, made an impact this year.
Rohan Kanawade, Sabar Bonda
Rohan Kanawade's debut film has been steadily winning awards and audience appreciation. It is a tender gay romance, set in a village in Maharashtra, where two young men discover their love and embrace their sexuality in a still restrictive society.
Shazia Iqbal, Dhadak 2
Where to watch: Netflix
Shazia Iqbal's Hindi remake of Mari Selvaraj's Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal retained its fierce social commentary on caste differences, as two young students from different caste and class backgrounds fall in love and face the wrath of family and society.
Varsha Bharath, Bad Girl
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Varsha Bharath's film is quite a revolution in Tamil cinema, as it follows its rebellious heroine from adolescence to her early 30s, where she navigates romances, strict parents and societal disapproval in the quest for personal freedom.
Suman Ghosh, Puratawn
In a year that is noted for a revival of Bengali cinema, Suman Ghosh's calm, introspective film is about family bonds, in which a daughter returns to her ancestral home for her mother's 80th birthday only to find the elderly woman's (played by Sharmila Tagore) memory slipping.
Dominic Arun, Lokah Chapter One: Chandra
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Dominic Arun's terrific Malayalam superhero film is about a young woman, who discovers that she has super powers and uses them to fight an evil organ-trafficking mafia, operating with impunity as corrupt cops look away.
J P Thuminad, Su From So
Where to watch: JioHotstar
J P Thuminad's Kannada film is a boisterous comedy set in a small town about a man, who fakes being possessed by a spirit to escape punishment for being a peeping tom, and unleashes a hilarious chain of events.
Mari Selvaraj, Bison Kaalamaadan
Where to watch: Netflix
Mari Selvaraj's film is a powerful sports drama about a young man from a marginalised community, who seeks to escape oppression and caste violence by excelling in the game of kabaddi.
Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound
Where to watch: Netflix
Neeraj Ghaywan's moving story of friendship and aspiration with caste and religion as obstacles the two young protagonists have to overcome, is India's entry to the Academy Awards.
Aranya Sahay, Humans In The Loop
Where to watch: Netflix
Aranya Sahay's multiple award-winning film explores an aspect of rural India not seen too often on screen, from the point of view of a tribal woman coping with single motherhood and work in an AI data labelling centre, which seems like an alien environment.
Rahul Ravindran, The Girlfriend
Where to watch: Netflix
Rahul Ravindran directs this offbeat Telugu film about a timid college student, who falls in love but finds herself trapped in a suffocating, toxic relationship. She has to struggle to escape and regain her self-worth.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
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