Film Camps in Bollywood
The Bhatt’s have opened their arms wide open to welcome back Kanagna Ranaut after a long stand off by offering her the lead role in Raaz 2. The actress who had earlier worked with Mahesh Bhatt, Anurag Basu and Mohit Suri in Gangster and Woh Lamhe was said to have had differences with them. Kangana took a long time to iron out those differences, but now she is back in favour with the Bhatt’s and will feature alongside Emraan Hashmi.

Almost every actor or director in Bolly town seems to belong to some ‘camp’ or the other. They form their own special ‘coteries’. we looks at the major ones…

Initially within the Hindi Film Industry there was never a so called coterie or a ‘camp’. Till the early 90’s most actors and actresses used to work with almost all directors and nonody appeared to have a preference for a special group. Directors always chose actors based on their respective suitability to a role or character. But all that has changed today as most directors and filmmakers want to work with actors with whom they share a ‘personal equation’.
THE BHATT CAMPMahesh Bhatt is a very shrewd and intelligent filmmaker but at the same time he pretty much sticks to working with his own people with whom he shares a personal rapport.

His nephew Mohit Suri directs his films while his other nephew Emraan Hashmi acts in them. Besides them Shiney Ahuja and Kangana Ranaut complete the Bhatt camp.

He once commented, “I don’t work with stars, I create them.”
THE YASHRAJ CAMPThey are the most elite of the coteries that exist in tinsel ville.

They are said to be the dream weavers in Bollywood and Yash Raj Films have mostly preferred to work with actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta and not to forget Kajol.

These big stars have featured in majority of their films. Shahid Kapur is the latest actor to have been ‘enrolled’ in the Yash Raj camp.
THE KARAN JOHAR CAMPHe likes a star studded ensemble? From his first film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to his last Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna.. the cr?me de la crame of Mumbai's actors don the credits.While Shah Rukh, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukherjee have always been in close association with Karan Johar, Kareena is presently making a re-entry into Dharma productions after ironing out differences with Karan.

K3G was her last venture with the Johars'. Even his assistants Nikhil Advani, Soham Shah and now Tarun Mansukhani get the nod from the A list stars.

The latest production to be directed by Tarun Mansukhani features Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra.
THE SANJAY GUPTA CAMPSanjay Gupta is one of the new age modern filmmakers who likes to give majority of his films a sleek and stylish look.

And he too loves to stick to working with certain actors or stars from Bollywood like Sanjay Dutt who has been the director’s biggest ally since his directorial debut. Gupta has managed to rope in Sanju Baba for most of his ventures apart from opening a production house together.

Besides Sanjay Dutt, Gupta has also found other actors like Sunil Shetty and Mahesh Manjrekar with whom he shoots all his films. But with his fallout with Baba, the equations with other actors is sure to see a change.
THE DARSHAN TRIO Akshay Kumar- Dharmesh Darshan- Suneel Darshan, this became a box office success combination. In the late 90’s there was a time when our ‘action man’ Akshay Kumar was still in the process of gaining his foothold as the “khiladi who can act”, in the film industry.

And not many directors were keen on signing him as their lead hero for their films. That was when the Darshan’s (Suneel and Dharmesh) took Akki under the wings and offered to associate with him in a number of films which did pretty well at the Box Office.

Thereafter the three of them found a comfort zone with each other and went on to work in films like Dhadkan, Jaanwar, Dosti, Haan Maine Bhi Pyar Kiya and Bewafa.
THE FEROZ NADIADWALA CAMP Feroz Nadiawala has forever been comfortable working only with his select group that consists of Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty, who he keeps on repeating endlessly in all his movies.

Films like Deewane Huye Paagal, Aan and Phir Hera Pheri prove in confirming the point.

At the same time brother Sajid Nadiawala has found his niche with actors like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar in films like Mukhse Shaadi Karoge, Judwaa, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Jaan-E-Mann and Heyy Babyy.
The PRIYADARSHAN FACTORPriyadarshan as a filmmaker is very renowned but he too keeps on sticking to his favourites.

He prefers Rajpal Yadav, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Asrani, Manoj Joshi apart from Akshay Kumar.

Asrani jokes, “We gets a monthly salary from Priayadarshan” Another aspect that stands out in all Priyadarshan’s movies is the fact that the stories of these films have been scripted by the same writer Neeraj Vora.
THE ABBAS MUSTAN FAVOURITEBobby Deol has been one actor who hasn’t found favour with the elite banners in the Hindi Film Industry, although the director duo of Abbas Mastan have always found him to be suitable to play the lead role in many of their films.

Abbas Mastan have featured both Bobby and Akshaye Khanna in various ventures like Soldier, Ajnabee, Humraaz, 36 Chintatown and the latest being Naqaab.