Do younger actors make better directors?

New Delhi: With the release of 'Yeh Dooriyan', another actor is donning the cap of the storyteller. Deepshikha Nagpal, better known for her versatility in Punjabi films, has directed Yeh Dooriyan, with herself and the newcomer Kaishav Arora in the lead. The film has 'Simmi', played by Deepshikha herself, in the center, who falls in love with a much younger model guy after her divorce. She runs a dance academy and does not want to get hitched again, unless and until the guy really loves her two children. The story showcases the struggle of a single mother and her tussle with the established social norms.

Deepshikha is a familiar face for the Hindi film industry also. However, over a decade's experience did not achieve her much except some badly written vamp characters and few revealing item numbers. The actor inside was itching for a good role, where she could utilize her potential to the optimum. Ultimately, when she found a good story, she did not take much time to turn it into an onscreen saga.

The desperation of being taken seriously inspired Deepshikha to direct a film of her choice. The trend of actors shifting to direction is not new. Shantaram, Guru Dutt, Sunil Dutt, Rakesh Raushan, Raj Kapoor, Devanand, Simi Garewal, Feroz Khan, Randhir kapoor, Rishi kapoor, Hema Malini, Sunny Deol, Nana Patekar, Kamal Hasan, Amol Palekar, and some others have done this in the past. Jugal Hansraj, Atul Agnihotri, Naseeruddin Shah, Permit Sethi, Pooja Bhatt, Deepak Tijori, Nandita Das, Ajay Devgn and Amir Khan are taking the baton forward from their predecessors.

In this journey, some have tasted success, while others understood the value of experience. It is striking how many of these actors were not appreciated by the audiences on their first go. For example, take Simi Garewal, who had written and directed Rukhsat. Groomed under the showman Raj Kapoor, Simi Garewal, did not kissed success at the box office but became critically acclaimed. She already had spent more than 25 years till Rukhsat. Similarly, Rakesh Raushan, Amir Khan, Sunny Deol, Pooja Bhatt, Kamal Hasan, Prabhu Deva and Rishi Kapoor had many years of invaluable experience, before they thought of telling a story in their own style. All of them made commercially successful directors.

On the other hand, Jugal Hansraj, Atul Agnihotri, Deepak Tijori, Hema Malini, Permit Sethi and Nandita Das are there too, who might have been cherished by certain quarters but on the whole, did not succeed, basically at the box office.

So, what does it show?

Does it indicate that one actor needs to have a good amount of experience, before directing a film?

Then some names pop up. The likes of Shantaram, Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Devanand, Feroz Khan, Nana Patekar and Ashutosh Gowariker, were into the business of direction since their early days in the industry, and they were successful in every sense. These people were directors and actors simultaneously. Basically, they did not take many years before taking command on the sets.

Therefore, the argument of having experience of many years to make a good commercially successful film is a bit problematic to buy.

Now, come to the second point.

Do actors have a better understanding of market that gets sharper with each passing day in the industry?

There is no doubt that actor turned director can fetch a better media coverage than just a director. Generally, just directors are not interviewed or focused. Their synergy with the contemporary media helps them reaching to the drawing rooms.

However, only good media coverage does not ensure the hit tag, especially in this multiplex and word of mouth age. The audiences have started to weigh each facet before pushing their hands inside the heavily priced ticket box.

Thus, the film may not recover its money even after initially ensured eyeballs.

The actors turned directors have some advantages also. Take Ajay Devgn for example, who used multiple camera set up for U, Me Aur Hum, just to avoid the problems encountered during the shooting of an emotional scene. Knowledge of the nuances of acting helps actors concentrate more on the plot line and emotional quotient, in a nutshell, on the style. The emergence of a new style assists the veterans in the longer run.

Quite often, lesser experienced actors come into direction for the sake of survival. This insecurity could be one of the reasons behind their hitch to experiment with stories. Their core area remains acting till the announcement of directional debut and therefore it becomes slightly difficult for them to adjust as per the demands, while veterans fit into the role of a director easily as they find it the right time to take the leap of faith. They don’t remain an insecure individual till direction happens and thus, they accept the opportunity with delight, but, as they say, there is not any single rule to play a game.

Whatever, it could be, new actors turned directors will keep scintillating on the scene, with same indomitable spirit. Pravin Dabas has shown it recently with 'Sahi Dhande Galat Bande' and Deepshikha is the next in line. Her portrayal of a divorced woman might win her the accolades, she had always desired. After all, Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar.