Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma to Saqib Saleem: Actor-Producers Who Took Self-Authored Creative Risks

There’s no exploration without taking bold, creative risks to tap into an untapped space, only to level up. Bollywood boasts a selected few actor-producers who dared to take self-authored risks, be it R. Madhavan in his acclaimed film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect or Saqib Saleem in his latest release, Baby Do Die Do. Take a look:

Aamir Khan - Lagaan

Lagaan was the maiden production of Aamir Khan Productions, a banner which did not pre-exist the film. It came into existence at a time when no producer was willing to bankroll an unconventional story. Aamir Khan decided to finance a film where his belief was, a noteworthy risk on its own. The film released. It made history. And so did Aamir Khan. 

R Madhavan - Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

R Madhavan marked his directorial debut with Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, while also helming it as its writer, producer and a lead actor. Through this biographical drama, the actor spotlighted the life of Nambi Narayan, a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation, who was accused in an espionage case and later exonerated. At times when glamour and over-the-top storytelling continue to be the safe bet, R Madhavan undertook a bold risk by mirroring one of the many realities of a respected figure.

Saqib Saleem - Baby Do Die Do

Saqib Saleem sat on the producer’s chair for his latest release, Baby Do Die Do, produced under the banner of Saleem Siblings alongside Huma Qureshi. In one of the sequences of the film, Saqib took center stage with Alpha Q song, a daring and off-beat track rarely explored in Hindi cinema. Saleem cast himself in this queer nightclub number in his own production venture, which is exactly the self-authored creative risk and a shift we'd been waiting to watch. 

Anushka Sharma - NH10

Anushka Sharma has been synonymous with taking risks on-screen, as an actor and a producer, and she did exactly that with NH10, a gritty thriller that brought realistic portrayals of honour killings. Producing and headlining an unusual film that did not fall into the confines of a traditional Bollywood template turned out to be just enough of a risk, which worked. NH10 emerged as a sleeper hit.

Richa Chadha & Ali Fazal - Girls Will Be Girls

Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal backed Girls Will Be Girls under their banner Pushing Buttons Studios and explored a sensitive narrative of self-discovery, sexual awakening and domestic tension, concepts that have been rarely tapped upon in Hindi cinema. The internationally acclaimed 2024 coming-of-age drama received incredible recognition and the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, an audience prize at Sundance.

With these actor-producers taking the lead, Bollywood enters a new phase of serving entertainment that creates a futuristic shift.