Lights, camera, action!

Mumbai: Karan Johar is poised to make a full-fledged Bollywood debut as an actor in Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet. It’s perhaps one of the most-awaited Bollywood debuts of all time. Many filmmakers have tried their hand at facing the camera. Farhan Akhtar is the only one who has been able to make the smoothest transition of all. Among the

others, some have been impressive, while others were promptly forgotten. Reena Kapoor takes a closer look...

The poster boy of indie cinema made a not-so-flattering screen appearance in a drag avatar in Farah Khan’s Happy New Year. Earlier he has been seen in films such as Luck By Chance (Zoya Akhtar) and I Am (Onir). He did complete justice to all these bit roles, but we are yet to see him do something more well fleshed out on camera.

Famous for being the “showman” of his era, Subhash Ghai has maintained that acting was his passion. The filmmaker who has given cult films like Karz, Saudagar and Karma, gave up his passion for acting after the disastrous fate of his films Taqdeer and Gumraah. Ghai had played the protagonist in both the films. But he too continues to make small appearance in all his directorial ventures. Something’s better than nothing, we guess.

Tigmanshu has several best director awards to his credit and his stint as an actor has not gone unnoticed either. After impressing the industry in Gangs of Wasseypur and even Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster earlier, the award-winning Paan Singh Tomar director was recently seen in a convincing performance in Tevar too.

The man who has helmed several 100-crore hits failed in his debut film as an actor. The film was Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate. Sajid, who started off as a TV anchor, had a fan following. But it was not enough to sustain his career as an actor. Now he only makes occasional guest appearances in his sister Farah Khan’s films. Case in point, Main Hoon Na and Happy New Year.

Screenwriter and director Gupte has acted in several films, his latest being Singham Returns. He has always excelled in playing grey shades, right from Kaminey to Stanley Ka Dabba and now Singham Returns. He was even nominated for the Best Negative Role award at IIFA for Kaminey.

Unlike her counterparts who seemed satisfied with bit roles, Farah took the plunge to play the leading lady in Shirin Farhad Ki Nikal Padi. But the amount of flak she received for her histrionics on screen, she may never attempt something similar again. But then she also likes surprising her audiences.