With movies like Life In A Metro, Gangster, and Barfi! to his credit, Anurag Basu is easily one of Indian cinema’s most sought after directors. He first ventured into the entertainment industry in his mid-twenties, where he worked as an assistant director on the television series Tara in 1996, directing over 70 of its episodes. He then went on to collaborate with Balaji Telefilms, directing the production house’s daily soap Koshish ...Ek Aashaa in 2000, following which he directed the pilot episodes of shows such as Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
Stepping foot in the film industry, Basu first was roped in to direct the 2003 slasher movie Kuchh To Hai, which he left mid-way and had to later be directed by Anil V. Kumar. Collaborating with Vishesh Films, Basu directed the John Abraham and Tara Sharma-starrer Saaya, which was panned by the critics. It was his next directorial outing, Murder, that garnered him immense praise and acclaim, despite the 'A' certification and sexual content, which was a rather unusual for the Indian audience, at the time of its release in 2004.
Riding high on the success of Murder, Basu next directed Gangster, which marked the debut of Kangana Ranaut. The movie was extremely well-received and the music became a huge hit. One of Anurag’s most prominent work continues to remain the Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D’cruz-starrer Barfi!, which follows the life of a deaf and mute boy and his relationship with an autistic girl. The performances were received with rave reviews, winning it global acclaim at film festivals. Reuniting with Ranbir Kapoor, Basu directed the adventure musical Jagga Jasoos, which also marks Kapoor’s debut as a producer, in 2017.