Rajiv Rai

Summary

Rajiv Gulshan Rai (born 18 July 1955) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film editor. He is the son of the producer Gulshan Rai. He has directed many films under his father's production company Trimurti Films.

Rajiv Rai
Rajiv Rai (center) with Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra during the music launch of Asambhav (2004).
Born (1955-07-18) 18 July 1955 (age 68)
OccupationFilm director
Years active1982–2004, 2022-Present
Known forYudh (1985)
Tridev (1989)
Vishwatma (1992)
Mohra (1994)
Gupt (1997)
Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat(2001)
Asambhav(2004)
SpouseSonam (Divorced)
Children1
Parent

He made his debut as a director with the 1985 action film Yudh. He went on to write and direct several hit films in the action and thriller genres: Tridev (1989), Vishwatma (1992), Mohra (1994), and Gupt (1997). His films are also notable for their hit music composed by Kalyanji-Anandji (in Tridev) and Viju Shah in all his subsequent films.

He married Bollywood actress Sonam, whom he had directed in Tridev and Vishwatma in 1989 and 1992 respectively. He has one child with her. They divorced in 2016.[1] In 1997, he had to leave India with his family for the UK after a failed attempt to kill him by hitmen believed to be working for the Mumbai underworld leader Abu Salem.[2]

After a four-year hiatus from the Bollywood industry, he returned[3] to directing by introducing Arjun Rampal with his comeback venture Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001). This was an attempt by Rai at directing a romantic drama, a change from his previous action films. The film failed at the box office and Rai returned to the action genre with his next film Asambhav (2004), again starring Arjun Rampal, which also failed to do well. Shortly after the release of Asambhav his father died at the age of 80 of a prolonged illness.

Filmography edit

Year Film Notes
1985 Yudh Screenplay, Director
1989 Tridev Writer, Screenplay, Director
1992 Vishwatma Screenplay, Director
1994 Mohra Screenplay, Director
1997 Gupt Editor, Screenplay, Director, Nominated - Filmfare Award for Best Director
2001 Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat Editor, Screenplay, Producer, Director
2004 Asambhav Editor, Screenplay, Producer, Director

References edit

  1. ^ "15 साल से अलग रह रहे राजीव-सोनम का तलाक, 25 साल पहले हुई थी शादी". dainikbhaskar (in Hindi). 1 August 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Director Rajiv Rai shot at, escapes unhurt". Rediff. 31 July 1997. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  3. ^ "A complete change of scene". The Hindu. 17 August 2001. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2016.

External links edit

  • Rajiv Rai at IMDb
  • Rajiv Rai's Zora (Official Instagram handle for the film)