Rahul Rawail is an Indian film director who primarily works for the Hindi film industry. He has directed some of the popular Bollywood flicks like Anjaam, Betaab, Love Story, Jo Bole So Nihaal and others. Rahul Rawail has played a significant role in launching the career of several Bollywood actors like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sunny Deol, Vijeta Pandit, Kumar Gaurav and Kajol. Rahul Rawail has received appreciations and Filmfare nominations for his directional ventures.
Early Life of Rahul Rawail
Rahul Rawail was born on 7th April 1951 in the city of Mumbai. He is the son of Harnam Singh Rawail, another noted film director who is known for famed films like Laila Majnu, Mehboob Ki Mehndi, Sunghursh and Mere Mehboob. Rahul has also paid tribute to his father`s 1968 film Sunghursh by giving the title Jeevan Ek Sanghursh to his 1990 film.
Career of Rahul Rawail
Rahul Rawail made his cinematic debut as a director in the year 1980 with the Bollywood flick Gunehgaar featuring Asha Parekh, Rajendra Kumar, Rishi Kapoor and Parveen Babi. His first two ventures as a director were unsuccessful. The turning point of his career arrived with the 1981 film Love Story starring two debutantes Kumar Gaurav and Vijeta Pandit. The movie depicted a musical love story and marked to be a commercial success. Following this, he directed several films and two television series namely Dharam Yuddh and Honee Ahonee. He often collaborated with the Bollywood actor Sunny Deol who featured in six of his films including his debut film Betaab in 1983 alongside Amrita Singh. Rawail received appreciation of his breezy treatment of the debutantes. He also launched Bollywood actresses Kajol and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with his film Bekhudi and Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya respectively, who later went on to become of the most successful actresses of the Hindi film industry. However both these films could not gain commercial success. Rahul Rawail received two Filmfare Best Director award nominations for his films Betaab and Arjun.
In the year 2010 Rahul Rawail launched his acting school in collaboration with the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, New York. But although the academy gained popularity and many Bollywood personalities like Sunny Deol enrolled their children into the same, it was shut down after 2 years in 2012.
Filmography of Rahul Rawail
Year | Film |
1980 | Gunehgaar |
1981 | Biwi O Biwi |
1981 | Love Story |
1983 | Betaab |
1985 | Arjun |
1986 | Samundar |
1987 | Dacait |
1990 | Jeevan Ek Sanghursh |
1991 | Mast Kalandar |
1991 | Yodha |
1992 | Bekhudi |
1994 | Anjaam |
1997 | Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya |
1999 | Arjun Pandit |
2001 | Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi |
2005 | Jo Bole So Nihaal |
2007 | Buddha Mar Gaya |