Director

Esmayeel Shroff

Esmayeel Shroff was a director who carved out a solid career spanning nearly five decades in Bollywood, starting his journey in 1975 and remaining active until 2022. Born in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, as S.V. Ismail, he trained as an engineer at NIT Tiruchirappalli before diving into filmmaking—a bold shift that proved worthwhile. His biggest claim to fame came with Thodisi Bewafaii in the 1980s, a film that struck a chord with audiences and became a defining work of that era. The collaboration with his brother Moin-Ud-Din on the screenplay showcased the creative synergy that often made his projects memorable. What set Shroff apart was his ability to blend emotional storytelling with mainstream Bollywood sensibilities, creating films that resonated with the masses during a particularly rich period for Hindi cinema. His work as both director and writer gave him complete creative control, allowing him to craft narratives that felt personal yet commercially viable. While Thodisi Bewafaii remains his most celebrated work, Shroff's consistent presence in the industry—working steadily through the decades—speaks to his resilience and craft. He passed away in October 2022 in Mumbai, leaving behind a legacy of entertaining cinema that helped define Bollywood's golden years.