Mumbai – 2025
In a striking shift within Indian cinema, some of the country’s biggest on-screen names are now preparing toreshape narratives from behind the camera. Following global trends and personal creative hunger, leading actorsAlia BhattandVijay Deverakondahave announced their directorial debuts—marking a wave of transformation that’s as personal as it is cinematic.
Once defined by stardom, both actors are now looking towardauthorship—to build stories that don’t just feature them, butreflect their voice, their vision, and their evolving relationship with cinema itself.
Alia Bhatt: A Film Rooted in Silence
Alia Bhatt’s directorial debut, titledGhar, is being described as aminimalist psychological dramaset in post-partition Punjab. Co-written by Urmi Juvekar and set to feature a non-star cast, the film explores themes ofhaunted memory, feminine interiority, and land as a vessel of trauma.
Bhatt, who has long expressed admiration for the likes of Greta Gerwig and Zoya Akhtar, says the idea came from a recurring dream she journaled during lockdown.
“I didn’t want to act in this one. I wanted to listen. I wanted to build a film with silence.”
The project is being co-produced by her company Eternal Sunshine and A24’s South Asia wing, with an intimate theatrical release followed by global streaming.
Vijay Deverakonda: Masculinity, Rewritten
Meanwhile, Telugu star Vijay Deverakonda is set to directUlta, a gritty, satirical action-comedy thatinverts the alpha male tropehe’s often been associated with. The film reportedly follows a failing small-town bodybuilder who becomes an accidental feminist icon after a viral outburst.
Produced under his banner King of the Hill,Ultais expected to blend Deverakonda’s signature swagger withself-aware commentaryon gender, ambition, and toxic fame.
“The roles I’m known for weren’t wrong—but they were incomplete. This film laughs at all the things I once took too seriously,”he said in a recent interview.
Why This Movement Matters
1. Creative Ownership
Actors turning directors is not about control—it’s about voice. In a star-led industry often dictated by producers, this move signals a hunger forartistic agency.
2. From Persona to Perspective
Stars like Alia and Vijay have cultivated identities that were marketable—butdirection allows them to confront, deconstruct, or transcend those personas.
3. The Rise of Auteur Culture in India
Much like Bradley Cooper, Greta Gerwig, and Jordan Peele in Hollywood, Indian actors are following a path whereperformance leads to authorship, not retirement.
Other notable transitions:
- Dhanush, whose second directorial Raasi wrapped earlier this year
- Farhan Akhtar, returning to direction after a decade
- Nivin Pauly, prepping a Malayalam-Bengali bilingual historical drama
Industry Impact
Platforms like Netflix and Amazon are actively encouraging such transitions, offeringfirst-look deals and creative freedomin return for original vision. Studios see it as a win-win—the draw of stardom meets the sincerity of indie authorship.
Critics note that while some actor-director debuts may falter, the trend signals an industrymoving toward deeper storytelling and emotional complexity.
Final Word
When actors direct, they’re not just switching seats on the set—they’reredrawing the blueprint of Indian storytelling.
Because the next generation of cinema won’t just be about who’s in the frame.
It’ll be aboutwho holds the pen, who sets the tone, and who dares to change the story from the inside out.
