Raj Khosla was one of the best directors in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. Raj Khosla was born in 1925 and was popular as a "women`s director," because he showcased actresses at their best capabilities.

Film Career of Raj Khosla
Raj Khosla was initially trained to be a classical singer, but Dev Anand felt he had other talents and thus hired him to be Guru Dutt`s assistant for film making, and eventually he became director. The well-recognized films by Raj Khosla include C.I.D. (1956) (this film introduced Waheeda Rehman to Hindi audiences), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964) (This film featured Asha Parekh as a serious actress for the first time and won Simi Garewal the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Do Raaste(1969) made Mumtaz into a household name, while Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) won Nutan the Filmfare Best Actress Award at a mature age.

Raj Khosla was known for his excellent song picturisation, and the knowledge and the probable reason could be his advent from his musical background. Raj Khosla initially entered the film industry with great hopes of making it as a playback singer. However, he emerged as one of the great directors of Hindi Cinema. Initially he started his career as a director by assisting Guru Dutt and in 1954 got his first break with Milap, starring Dev Anand and Geeta Bali. The film failed to create uproar but Khosla`s second film produced for him by mentor Guru Dutt; C.I.D. (1956) propelled him into the big league. C.I.D. was a polished crime thriller that highlighted Raj Khosla`s stylish shot taking and innovative song picturisation, something passed down from Guru Dutt.

From here onwards even as he continued to make films, Raj Khosla altered his film`s styles at times and added his own touch to each of the genre. Never wanting to play safe Raj Khosla made some films, which were widely different. Raj Khosla explored a variety of styles be it crime thrillers like C.I.D., Kala Pani, musicals like Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, suspense thrillers like Woh Kaun Thi?, Mera Saaya, Anita, melodramas like Do Badan, Do Raaste and dacoit dramas like Mera Gaon Mera Desh.

Films like Prem Kahani (1975) featured the then hottest pair of the day Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz and later another smash hit film Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) made Raj Khosla one of the most revered directors of Bollywood. Khosla was a director who understood women and their sentiments very well. Raj Khosla worked with eminent actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman and Shatrughan Sinha. Raj Khosla expired in 1991. The last years of this director was not much attached to the Film industry.

Raj Khosla has been awarded the Filmfare Best Movie Award for the flick Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki in 1978

Selected Filmography of Raj Khosla

Year Movie
1984 Naqab
1984 Maati Maangey Khoon
1984 Meraa Dost Meraa Dushman
1984 Sunny
1982 Teri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon
1981 Daasi
1980 Dostana
1980 Do Premee
1978 Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
1976 Nehle Pe Dehla
1975 Prem Kahani
1973 Kuchhe Dhaage
1973 Shareef Budmaash
1971 Mera Gaon Mera Desh
1969 Do Raaste
1969 Chirag
1967 Anita
1966 Do Badan
1966 Mera Saaya
1964 Woh Kaun Thi?
1962 Ek Musafir Ek Hasina
1960 Bombai Ka Babu
1958 Kalapani
1958 Solva Saal
1956 C.I.D.
1955 Milap