New Faces, New Vision: 2025’s Filmmakers Making Their Directorial Debut

The year 2025 proved to be one of freshness and innovation for Indian cinema. Many debut directors entered the world of filmmaking with unique ideas and storytelling approaches. Whether newcomers or familiar faces taking on a new role, these filmmakers captured audience attention with original concepts and narratives.

Let’s take a look at the directors who made their debut in 2025.

Aryan Khan – The Bads of Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan stepped into the world of direction with his series The Bads of Bollywood. The show is a satire based on the Hindi film industry. With its sharp humor, viral moments, and surrounding controversies, Aryan Khan’s debut remained in the spotlight for a long time and became one of the most talked-about directorial debuts of the year.

Sonu Sood – Fateh

Sonu Sood entered the world of direction at the beginning of the year with the film Fateh. The movie follows the story of a former agent who abandons his peaceful life to take on an entire cyber mafia syndicate. Sonu Sood also played the lead role, while Jacqueline Fernandez appeared in an important part. Although the film didn’t perform exceptionally well at the box office, it marked a significant milestone in his career.

Boman Irani – The Mehta Boys

Boman Irani’s directorial debut The Mehta Boys explores the depth of a father–son relationship, a theme rarely examined so intimately in cinema. Avinash Tiwary played a key role alongside Irani. Before its global OTT release, the film was screened at several international film festivals and received a positive response from audiences after release.

Kussh S Sinha – Nikita Roy

Actor and MP Shatrughan Sinha’s son, and Sonakshi Sinha’s brother, Kussh S Sinha chose direction over acting and made his debut behind the camera with the thriller Nikita Roy. His sister Sonakshi Sinha starred in the lead role.

Ashwin Kumar – Mahavatar Narsimha

Ashwin Kumar created a major buzz with his debut directorial Mahavatar Narsimha. The film gave Indian animation a new direction and was widely praised for its technical excellence. It emerged as one of the biggest hits of the year.

Karan Singh Tyagi – Kesari Chapter 2

Former lawyer Karan Singh Tyagi entered the film industry through writing and made his directorial debut with Kesari Chapter 2. Starring Akshay Kumar and Ananya Panday, the film presents the Jallianwala Bagh massacre from the perspective of lawyer Sir C. Sankaran Nair. The film performed well at the box office.

Kayoze Irani – Sarzameen

Kayoze Irani directed his first feature film Sarzameen. The film starred Ibrahim Ali Khan, Kajol, and Prithviraj Sukumaran. It tells the story of an Indian child’s journey toward becoming a militant. Released on OTT, the film did not receive a strong audience response.

Anshuman Jha – Lord Curzon Ki Haveli

Actor-turned-director Anshuman Jha released his debut film Lord Curzon Ki Haveli this year. The film revolves around four people having dinner together, with events taking a dark turn as the night progresses. Arjun Mathur, Rasika Dugal, Paresh Pahuja, and Zoha Rahman played key roles.

Tisca Chopra – Saali Mohabbat

Actress Tisca Chopra made her directorial debut with Saali Mohabbat, starring Radhika Apte. The film tells the story of a quiet homemaker from a small town whose everyday life changes drastically after two unusual deaths. The film was released directly on OTT.

Chinmay Mandlekar – Inspector Zende

Well-known Marathi actor Chinmay Mandlekar stepped into direction with Inspector Zende. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh and is based on the real-life police officer who captured the infamous French serial killer Charles Sobhraj twice. Made with a comic touch, the film was released directly on OTT.

Inspector Zende movie cast | Sarzameen director Kayoze Irani debut | Mahavatar Narsimha budget | The Bads of Bollywood news