The year of the newcomers: 10 major Bollywood films that are helmed by debutante directors in 2019

The year 2019 has already started off with a bang. The film 'Uri: The Surgical Strike' has already been declared a blockbuster. Not only that, but there are a lot of promising films coming out this year and Bollywood's future looks bright. However, one interesting pattern has emerged when one takes a look at the films have released and that are yet to come- most of the directors helming these projects are newcomers in Bollywood. Don't believe us? Look at it for yourself:

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Aditya Dhar- Uri: The Surgical Strike

Although no one would guess by watching the film, the director of this action-packed film is a debutante. Aditya Dhar only had credits as a dialogue writer to his name before the film. However, thanks to extensive research and an attitude of no compromise, he proved to be a really competent captain of the ship. The Vicky Kaushal starrer is a blockbuster and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Vijay Ratnakar Gutte- The Accidental Prime Minister

Choosing such a politically charged topic for a first film requires a lot of guts and director Vijay Ratnakar Gutte has proven his merit with 'The Accidental Prime Minister'. Thanks to able performances of Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna, the film was a pretty good fare in general and in spite of mixed reviews, it has fared decently at the box office. 

Thackeray- Abhijit Panse

Again for a director Abhijit Panse making his Bollywood debut, Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer 'Thackeray' may be a heavy film to start a career with. However, there is no one who is better suited for this project than Mr Panse. He has been closely associated with the Thackeray family and it was his vision that has carried out such a big project on late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray to completion. 

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Laxman Utekar- Luka Chuppi

The Kartik Aryaan and Kriti Sanon starrer is again in the hands of director Laxman Utekar who is making his B-town debut in a directorial capacity. However, he is no stranger to the world of cinema for he has been a cinematographer for major Hindi films like 'Dear Zindagi', 'English Vinglish', 'Blue' among many others. Laxman has also directed a couple of Marathi films, so his entry in Bollywood was a long time coming. 

Akiv Ali- De De Pyaar De

Akiv Ali is also a name in the industry who is donning the director's cap for the first time with Ajay Devgn's 'De De Pyaar De'. However, he has worked as an editor in more than a dozen Hindi films and has some credit under his name in that department. Moreover, he has the backing of Luv Ranjan who is bankrolling the film as well as written the film's story. Hence, one can say that he is also a safe bet who can be expected to make a successful foray in direction. 

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Prakash Kovelamudi- Mental Hai Kya

'Mental Hai Kya' is another film that has been touted to be unconventional. The posters so far suggest that the Rajkummar Rao and Kangana Ranaut starrer will a quirky, crazy murder mystery. And who is helming such a promising project? Director Prakash Kovelamudi who is making an entry in Hindi cinema with the Ekta Kapoor produced film. To his credit, Prakash has helmed three films in Telugu cinema, including the acclaimed 'Size Zero' starring Anushka Shetty which was later remade in Hindi as 'Dum Lagake Haisha' with Bhumi Pednekar.  

Sandeep Vanga- Kabir Singh

Sandeep Vanga is someone who life has done a 180 in the past year. His debut film 'Arjun Reddy' catapulted him into the limelight on a national level. Such was the success of the Telugu film that he was also selected for the film's Hindi remake 'Kabir Singh', starring Shahid Kapoor. They say dreams do come true and no one can vouch for it better than this fresh face! 

Jagan Shakti- Mission Mangal

Jagan Shakti who is directing Akshay Kumar starrer 'Mission Mangal' couldn't have asked for a better film to start off with. After being an assistant director in a plethora of critically acclaimed films like 'Cheeni Kum', 'Paa' and 'English Vinglish', it was high time that he got his big shot. With famed director and adman R Balki backing him, there is little that can go wrong. 

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Mikhil Musale- Made In China

Other than uncovering plenty of gems from South, B-town has found a great talent in Gujarati cinema as well. Director Mikhil Musale, whose debut directorial 'Wrong Side Raju' became a super hit, earned him a ticket in Hindi cinema with a really promising project- 'Made in China'. Starring Rajkummar Rao and Mouni Roy, he cannot ask for a better star cast to highlight his big debut. 

Om Raut- Tanaaji The Unsung Warrior

Director Om Raut, who just started out in Marathi cinema as a filmmaker with 'Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush' got an opportunity of a lifetime with 'Tanaaji: The Unsung Warrior'. Starring Ajay Devgn, it is based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, a 17th-century Maratha army leader and it is already one of the most anticipated films of 2019.