IBNLive Movie Awards 2015: Nominees for Best Director

There have been several discussions and heated debates about the most deserving films in 2014. The past year saw an interesting blend of films that won commercial success and critical acclaim. So while the big films got bigger, several offbeat projects also found several takers. In the second edition of IBNLive Movie Awards, we select nominees in various popular categories and allow our readers decide the outcome. Take our poll to vote and choose your favourite performers of 2014.

Many a times, a director makes or breaks a film. An ordinary story can turn extraordinary if the director cleverly treats the film. An actor's true talent can be tapped and used well by a director. In 2014, we saw some remarkable directors and their genius work. From questioning religion to celebrating cinema, to taking the viewer in deep dark dungeons of the society to celebrating womanhood, directors in 2014 gave us lot to celebrate, laugh about and to ponder about.

Here is the list of nominees in the Best Director category:

Rajkumar Hirani for 'PK': The man with the golden touch. With 'PK' earning Rs 200 crores in two weeks, Hirani has become the most successful filmmaker of our times with each of his directorial ventures becoming blockbuster hits. 'PK' questions our notion of religion which sparked off a nation-wide debate but if we keep aside our sentiments and beliefs and concentrate on the message that the film tries to convey, one can see how there is no one like Hirani, who can make a simple tale so endearing. Read the review of 'PK' here.

Anurag Kashyap for 'Ugly': The man who bridged the gap between art cinema and commercial cinema with his films has always made hard hitting, realistic films in his career. His film 'Ugly' released at the fag end of 2014 and is one of the most dark, disturbing film of recent years. The film would make you uncomfortable and yet keep you hooked till the end and that's why Kashyap, the 'dark lord' scores. Always. Read the review of 'Ugly' here.

Rajat Kapoor for 'Ankhon Dekhi': Rajat Kapoor has, in the past few years, carved a niche in Bollywood, with his unique cinema- which doesn't fall in the blockbuster category yet strikes the right chord with the audience. Kapoor's film always score high in the story and performance department and his film 'Ankhon Dekhi' had that right blend. The film revolved around a single dilemma faced by an old man: How reliable is second-hand knowledge or experience? Read the review of 'Ankhon Dekhi' here.

Vishal Bhardwaj for 'Haider': Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' had Shahid Kapoor playing 'Haider' in a terror stricken, snowy Kashmir. From the detailed screenplay to the marvelous performances by the actors, Bhardwaj scored in almost all departments. Read the review of 'Haider' here.

Vikas Behl for 'Queen': How can a film with no hero work so well? Ask Vikas Bahl and he will show you 'Queen'. The brilliant little film made Kangana Ranaut the pin-up girl for all middle class women throughout the country. Bahl had earlier co-directed the endearing 'Chillar Party' but he went solo with 'Queen' and what a remarkable film it was. From getting the nuances of a middle-class west Delhi to perfection to showing the night life of Paris to Rani(Ranaut) re-discovering herself in Amsterdam, Bahl made the film a fun ride throughout. Read the review of 'Queen' here.

Nitin Kakkar for 'Filmistaan': Debutant director Nitin Kakkar made 'Filmistaan' with a bunch of new, unknown actors which may have got the National Award for the Best Hindi film in 2013, but failed to get a distributor till UTV lapped it up and we can't thank the production house enough for making this brilliant film available to the audience. Kakkar infused humour into the narrative and focused on the fact that love for Bollywood is above all the hatred. The film had no big star, no special song, no big banner attached to it, yet it told the most heart warming story of 2014. Read the review of 'Filmistaan' here.

Imtiaz Ali for 'Highway': Imtiaz Ali painted a beautiful portrait for us in 'Highway'. The morbid story about a girl (Alia Bhatt) discovering life after being kidnapped, falling in love with her kidnapper while on the run from the police, may have received mixed response but the actors- Bhatt and Randeep Hooda got plaudits from one and all for their role and Imtiaz Ali made the story a heart wrenching one. Read the review of 'Highway' here.

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IBNLive Movie Awards 2015: Nominees for Best Director