A director is the captain of the film. It is the way he imagines a particular situation that is brought on screen. Even bad performances and an average script can make a film good if the director presents it well.
1. Ramesh Sippy. The man who made Sholay has to be leading the pack. The film which is a study for all newcomers, a film which had the guts to differ, a film which can be seen over and over again with more interest. Undoubtedly the man who made this epic saga should find a place at the top. Though Ramesh Sippy is always associated with Sholay, there are other classics which are also under his belt. Andaaz, Seeta aur Geeta, Shakti, Saagar; these movies are mindboggling. Ramesh Sippy was always ahead of his times; others followed him.
2. Bimal Roy.
3. Guru Dutt.
4. Rajkumar Santoshi.
5. Hrishikesh Mukherjee.
6. Shyam Benegal.
7. Ram Gopal Varma.
8. Vijay Anand.
9. Mahesh Bhatt.
10. Yash Chopra.
I feel that writing titbits about these directors will only insult their work and so i just give my list without any further reasoning behind it.