2. Shakun Batra for Kapoor And Sons

We had seen and loved Ek Main Aur Ek Tu and understood that this man is of a different level altogether. He proved himself once again with this family drama. The story of this dysfunctional family has been told in the most empathetic and simple way possible, and it did not fail to touch the audience! Pappu might not be able to dance sala, but he can definitely direct!

3. Hansal Mehta for Aligarh

With a real life and true incident taken from not so far history, Hansal Mehta weaved a compassionate tale in the most subtle and beautiful way! The film has been called a milestone in Indian cinema by many, and it is Hansal Mehta's beautiful craftsmanship that made the film a masterpiece and a must watch!

4. Leena Yadav for Parched

It takes a lot of courage to break the long standing patriarchy that function under the garb of tradition, but the women in Parched did. And if that fight had been difficult, imagine what it would have taken for the person who envisioned the entire story? Leena Yadav completely won our hearts with this one. And is you do not know, she is also the scriptwriter of the film!

5. Nitesh Tiwari for Dangal

You have a superstar working for you. But then you do not give him the centre-stage but have so many others sharing it! Definitely it was a dicey job there, but what Nitesh Tiwari did with Dangal was outstanding. The real life story of Mahavir Phogat and the Phogat sisters were told in the best way possible. Proof- Dangal has not just been praised by critics but also loved by the audience.

6. Abhishek Chaubey for Udta Punjab

True, we had more expectations from this movie that tried to deal with a colossal subject, but it is not easy to potray three different narratives simultaneously and hold the narrative together throughout. The strings did get a little out of control in the last part of the second half, Abhishek Chaubey deserves all the appreciation for daring to venture into Udta Punjab!

7. Ram Madhavani for Neerja

The year definitely goes to biopics and Neerja began the year of biopic. It is often said that Sonam Kapoor came out as an actress with this movie and was more than a pretty face. Well, we believe she always had the talent in her, but it was under Ram Madhavani's vision that we saw the best of the actress whose talent has long been hidden from the audience and cinema lovers.

Also see: 2016 Bollywood Report Card: The Best Movies Of The Year!

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