Some directors know how to command attention with sheer spectacle. But very few can balance that with stories that hit closer to home. Anil Sharma is one of them. Whether it’s a father’s roar of defiance, a petty thief’s search for belonging, or a young genius fighting inner demons, Sharma’s cinema is deeply human. His stories may unfold on a larger-than-life canvas, but at their heart, they are about the relationships we break, and sometimes, quietly mend. Here are 3 standout Anil Sharma-directed films on ZEE5 Global that you need to add to your watchlist.
Gadar 2
Cast: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, Utkarsh Sharma
Language: Hindi
Gadar 2 picks up from where one of Indian cinema’s most iconic love sagas left off, but this time, it’s about crossing emotional boundaries, too. Anil Sharma doesn’t just stage battles on the screen; he stages them within hearts. With Gadar 2, loyalty becomes a weapon, family becomes a lifeline, and love is something worth waging wars for. The film’s larger-than-life action sequences and emotional core remind us that grand storytelling isn’t grand because of its noise. It’s grand because of its heart and no force in the world is stronger than the bonds we choose to protect.
Vanvaas
Cast: Nana Patekar, Utkarsh Sharma, Simrat Kaur
Language: Hindi
Not every exile is marked by banishment. Sometimes, it’s quieter and more personal. Vanvaas is that rare film which doesn’t need to shout to leave a lasting mark. Vanvaas tells the story of Deepak (Nana Patekar), a man lost not just to dementia, but to his own family’s apathy. Forgotten by his sons, he drifts through life until a petty thief, Veeru (Utkarsh Sharma), crosses his path. Anil Sharma doesn’t paint in broad strokes here. He lingers in the silences and the moments we often overlook. It’s a modern-day exile tale, yes. But at its core, it’s about the need to be seen, to be remembered, and to find family in the unlikeliest places.
Genius
Cast: Utkarsh Sharma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mithun Chakraborty
Language: Hindi
Beneath the spy thrillers and the action-packed chases, Genius is, quite simply, about identity. It’s about brilliance, but also about burden. About a young man who carries the weight of genius not as a badge, but as a cross. Vasudev Shastri (Utkarsh Sharma) is no conventional hero. He’s a prodigy but one who is constantly at odds with his mind, his heart, and the system he’s part of. Facing off against forces far greater than himself, including a formidable Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film is laced with classic Sharma traits. High-stakes drama, intense action, and emotional undercurrents that cannot be sidelined. Sharma knows how to make the personal feel epic, and in Genius, that’s exactly what he does.
