Top 10 Bollywood Actress - Director Jodi’s You Never Knew About
Posted On: 17 Jul 2023 | Last Updated : 17 Jul 2023 | Views : 876
Ever since Bollywood came into existence it has witnessed several examples of filmmakers working with selected actors, actresses, and technicians to deliver the best. There have been many instances where directors kept repeating their favourite actors, actresses, and technicians in film after film due to the successes they met with in the past. Where many actor-director duos were synonymous with delivering blockbusters and superhit films at the box office, there were also numerous successful actress-director combos of Bollywood who owed their success to each other for delivering multiple hits over the years. Call these actresses their director’s lucky mascot or a comfort level they shared professionally while working together in many films. Let’s check out the top 10 successful actress-director duos of Bollywood who collaborated the most times to drive the audiences crazy with their deadly combination.
(Note: There have been other famous director-actress pairs such as Nasir Husain - Asha Parekh, Chetan Anand - Priya Rajvansh, Shyam Benegal - Shabana Azmi, etc., who have seven (7) films each to their credit but we have considered pairs who have done a minimum of eight (8) films together. In case you know of any other Bollywood actress-director or director-actress pair who have collaborated on more than eight (8) films and not listed here please do let us know in the comment box below.)
1. Sapna Sappu - Kanti Shah (34)
Call them the most successful actress-director duo of Bollywood or top director-heroine jodi's of Bollywood, director Kanti Shah, and actress Sapna Sappu lead the list to have done the most films together. According to our research, the said pair together have done more than 34 films excluding Bhojpuri language films. Though their films may qualify as ‘C’ grade flicks but the fact is they hold the record for the most prolific actress-director pair in Bollywood. Some of their known films include - Munnibai (1999), Daku Ramkali (2000), Daku Ganga Jamuna (2000), Meri Jung Ka Elaan (2000), Badla Sherni Ka (2001), Qatil Chudail (2001), Aag Ke Sholay (2001), Jungle Ki Sherni (2001), Zaroorat (2001) and others.
2. Fearless Nadia - Homi Wadia (13)
Talk about the 10 best actress-director pairs of Bollywood and you have the deadly combo of Indian cinema’s stunt queen Fearless Nadia and maverick director Homi Wadia (who later married the former). Their outing most of the time guaranteed box office success while audiences went gaga over Fearless Nadia’s daredevil stunts on-screen. The duos combination led to the success of thirteen films including Hunterwali (1935), Miss Frontier Mail (1936), Lutaru Lalna (1938), Punjab Mail (1939), Diamond Queen (1940), Bambaiwali (1941), Jungle Princess (1942), Flying Prince (1946), Sher-E-Baghdad (1946), 11 O'Clock (1948), Dhoomketu (1949), Jungle Ka Jawahar (1953), and Khilari (1968).
3. Devika Rani - Franz Osten (12)
Initially, regarded as one of the 10 best Bollywood actress-director jodi's of the black and white era, Devika Rani who is known as the first lady of Indian cinema went on to do a record number of twelve (12) films with ace director Franz Osten. Most of these films produced by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani herself were hits co-starring the then superstar, Ashok Kumar. The combination of Franz Osten and Devika Rani delivered hits such as Jawani Ki Hawa (1935), Jeevan Naiya (1936), Janmabhoomi (1936), Achhut Kanya (1936), Miya Bibi (1936), Mamta (1936), Izzat (1937), Jeevan Prabhat (1937), Savitri (1937), Nirmala (1938), Vachan (1938), and Durga (1939)
4. Pooja Bhatt - Mahesh Bhatt (12)
Bollywood’s controversial director of the 80s and 90s Mahesh Bhatt subsequently launched his daughter Pooja Bhatt in Daddy (1991) which premiered on TV and also starred Anupam Kher, Zutshi, Manohar Singh and Neena Gupta. He thereafter cast her as the leading lady in most of his directorials including Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), Sadak (1991), Saatwan Aasman (1992), Junoon (1992), Sir (1993), Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993), Tadipaar (1993), Chaahat (1996), Tamanna (1998), Angaaray (1998), and Zakhm (1998).
5. Sandhya - V. Shantaram (10)
Another two names that make it to the top 10 actress-director jodi’s of Bollywood are that of actress Sandhya and legendary Marathi and Hindi director V. Shantaram. V. Shantaram’s contribution to Indian cinema has been immense since he started making films in the silent era. He discovered and launched actress Sandhya in Parchhain (1952), and later directed popular movies like Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Ankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1957), Stree (1961), Sehra (1963), Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966), Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli (1971), and Pinjra (1972).
6. Karisma Kapoor - David Dhawan (10)
Actress Karisma Kapoor and director David Dhawan would be unanimously included in the list of the top 10 most successful actress-director jodi’s in Bollywood of the 90s if there was one. Though David Dhawan is most remembered for his number of hits with Govinda but many forget that the former owes a lot of his success to Karisma Kapoor too. Their combo delivered successful films in a row such as Raja Babu (1994), Andaz (1994), Coolie No.1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Judwaa (1997), Hero No.1 (1997), Biwi No.1 (1999), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999), Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge (2000), and Chal Mere Bhai (2000).
7. Sharmila Tagore - Shakti Samanta (8)
If one rewinds back to the 60s and 70s then the pair of Sharmila Tagore and Shakti Samanta can surely be regarded as one of the top 10 most successful Bollywood actress-director jodi’s of all time. Every film of Shakti Samanta which featured the actress spelled success at the box office. The Bengali connection worked perfectly for the duo who delivered gems like - Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), Sawan Ki Ghata (1966), An Evening In Paris (1967), Aradhana (1969), Amar Prem (1972), Charitraheen (1974), Amanush (1975), and Anand Ashram (1977).
8. Rekha - T. Rama Rao (8)
Many may not have noticed but another top director-heroine jodi of Bollywood was that of actress Rekha and Telugu director T. Rama Rao who was making his mark in Hindi cinema in the 80s. T. Rama Rao who was well-known for his Hindi remakes along with Jeetendra and Rekha collaborated with the latter in a total number of eight films such as Maang Bharo Sajana (1980), Judaai (1980), Ek Hi Bhool (1981), Jeevan Dhaara (1982), Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye (1983), Sadaa Suhagan (1986), Sansar (1987), and Bulandi (2000).
9. Sridevi - K. Raghavendra Rao / K. Bapaiah (8)
Who can forget the 80s that introduced Sridevi along with South Indian directors K. Raghavendra Rao and K. Bapaiah which also became one of the most successful actress-director duos of Bollywood. The combination of Sridevi and K. Raghavendra Rao delivered eight flicks including Himmatwala (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Jaani Dost (1983), Tohfa (1984), Naya Kadam (1984), Masterji (1985), Dharm Adhikari (1986), and Suhagan (1986). The combination of Sridevi and director K. Bapaiah too gave us eight films including Mawaali (1983), Maqsad (1984), Aag Aur Shola (1986), Ghar Sansar (1986), Majaal (1987), Himmat Aur Mehanat (1987), Waqt Ki Awaz (1988), and Sone Pe Suhaaga (1988).
10. Urmila Matondkar - Ram Gopal Varma (8)
One of the best actress-director pairs of Bollywood in the 90s was that of Urmila Matondkar and Ram Gopal Varma. Many believed the actress to be his muse for most of the films he made featured her in the lead. Besides these eight RGV-directed films - Drohi (1992), Rangeela (1995), Daud (1997), Satya (1998), Kaun? (1999), Mast (1999), Jungle (2000), and Bhoot (2003), Urmila also played the female lead in RGV’s productions - Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001) and Ek Hasina Thi (2004) which were directed by Rajat Mukherji and Sriram Raghavan, respectively. She also appeared in cameos in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007) and Not A Love Story (2011).
