6 evergreen master storytellers of Indian cinema As Netflix drops the trailer for the upcoming documentary on the journey of the legendary filmmaker of Indian cinema, S. S. Rajamouli, titled 'Modern Masters: SS Rajamouli', we are looking at some of the iconic Indian filmmakers of all time who not only created magic on the 70mm screen with the power of storytelling but also made our presence felt globally and became the cultural icon of the nation

Whether you are an audience member or an active member of the Indian film industry, you look at our cinema as the pre- and post-release of Baahubali. The film, originally made in Telugu and released in multiple languages worldwide, changed everything about the image of Indian cinema. The man behind the two-part film was none other than S. S. Rajamouli, who took 10 years of his life to create the magic. Soon after, he made the film RRR, which went on to become a winner for the global audience, and the song of the film Naatu Naatu won the Oscar! As Netflix is coming up with a documentary on this modern-day genius, here we look at those who paved the way for the new-age filmmakers.

Raj Kapoor: Hardly there's any Indian movie watcher who hasn't heard or watched a film made by the legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor. His storytelling and performance on screen in films like Mera Naam Joker, Teesri Kasam, Sangam, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Prem Rog, and Bobby are the real treasures of Indian cinema. His on-screen and off-screen charisma was so magnetic that he was called the Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema. He represented the time between 1935 and 1988.

The legend, in his lifetime, won 26 awards nationally and internationally, and his films found a place in the hearts of people not only in India but also in various parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Russia. While walking the red carpet of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival is on the bucket list of every artist now, especially after the big win of this year, it was Raj Kapoor's Boot Polish and Awaara that were nominated for the Palme d'Or grand prize at Cannes.

Satyajit Ray: In the time between 1950 and 1991, in our country and worldwide, socio-politically, a huge transformation happened, and as cinema mirrors the society on the silver screen, Satyajit Ray, a highly educated young author and ad-filmmaker who came from an elite Bengali society in Kolkata, entered the world of cinema and presented an unnoticed side of visual storytelling. Even though his film had no similar visual references to the commercial films that the audience consumed from the Bengali and Hindi film industries, Ray was the favourite of the intellectual section of society. His films addressed the social cause and questioned traditional beliefs with films like Devi, the famous Apu trilogy, Mahanagar, and Parash Pathar, among others. On the other hand, it was interesting to notice that when female-centric films were not considered a mainstream genre, he made multiple films like Charulata, Ghare Baire, Teen Kanya, and Aranyer Din Ratri. On the other hand, he was one of those filmmakers who made a huge contribution to children's cinema with the Gupi-bagha series. Ray was the only Indian film director to get an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. He also won the Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1992.

Guru Dutt: In a short span of 16 years, as a director, Guru Dutt was one of those generous of Indian cinema who made eight films and never failed to leave his signature in each of them with close-up shots, artistic cinematography, and intensely captured human emotions, especially melancholy. Always misunderstood by the fraternity and film critics of his time, Guru Dutt is counted as one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema, whose work eventually became a cult classic. He was the director of Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa, C.I.D., Mr. and Mrs. '55, and Aar Paar, among others. He also acted in the film Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam for which he won multiple awards.

Yash Chopra: If there's any one filmmaker who defined the on-screen romance in Indian cinema, Yash Chopra is the only one who comes to mind across generations. The man who changed the image of Indian cinema and established the quentessinal image of heroines, beautiful song-dance sequences, the beautiful picturization of chiffon-clad actresses in snowcapped mountains, and more was only him. Of course, his son Aditya Chopra followed in his footsteps, adding his own signature, but Yash Chopra was the OG! He was the man behind cult films like Kabhi Kabhie, Kaala Patthar, Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe, Dil To Pagal Hai, Veer-Zaara, and his last directorial venture, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. He was also the man behind producing multiple successful films, including the iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Mani Ratnam: There are not many filmmakers from the south film industry who managed to crack the code to break the regional barriers and touch the cord of the pan-Indian audience, as the lovers of Hindi cinema are oddly consumed in their world. But there comes the icon, Mani Ratnam. A man who captured nature and human emotion, intimacy, and grandeur with equal ease. A man who encapsulates riots, communal disturbances, and love stories within the same canvas in films like Roja, Bombay, Dil Se... He is also the same maker who delivered the magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali: When it comes to capturing larger-than-life moments on the big screen, perhaps the list is incomplete without the mention of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is perhaps one of the few filmmakers in the present time who is still carrying forward the legacy of previous generations. Whether his recent work in the web series Heeramandi or films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ramleela, among others, the power of storytelling, music, and visual art is unmatchable!