Radhika Rao

Radhika Rao is an Indian film director. Her feature film directorial debut was Lucky: No Time for Love (2005) with Vinay Sapru. Her next films were I Love NY (2015), Sanam Teri Kasam (2016) and Yaariyan 2 (2023). She also runs a film production company Rao & Sapru with her business partner Vinay Sapru.^[1]

Radhika Rao
Occupation(s)	Director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1995–present

Career

After working with Vinay Sapru to co-direct music videos, Rao made her debut as a film director when she co-directed the 2005 film Lucky: No Time for Love with Sapru.^[2][3] According to a review by Manish Gajjar for BBC Shropshire Bollywood, the film has slow parts and some untranslated Russian dialogue, but is "a film well worth seeing," including due to the performance by Salman Khan and music by Adnan Sami.^[4] In a review for India Today, Anupama Chopra describes the film as "ambitious," with "languorously lovely shots of the snowy wasteland, St Petersburg and Russian religious iconography", but pans the second part of the film and describes the cameo by Mithun Chakraborty as "annoying."^[5]

She next co-directed the 2015 film I Love NY with Sapru. A review by Troy Ribeiro in IANS praised the production and editing of the film, but described "the entire premise" as "silly and far-fetched," and concluded, "Watch this film only if you enjoy love stories even if they defy logic or you are a die-hard Kangana Ranaut fan."^[6] In Filmfare, Rachit Gupta wrote "there are bits and pieces of this film that work" and described the directorial work as an "amateur execution" but stated, "one reason you'll be able to sit through this movie is Kangana Ranaut" and also praised the acting by Prem Chopra.^[7]

Rao then co-directed the 2016 film Sanam Teri Kasam with Sapru. A review by Shubhra Gupta in The Indian Express praised the acting by Mawra Hocane but overall panned the film.^[8] In The Hindu, Namrata Joshi writes that the film is "tailor-made" to fail the Bechdel test, and suggests "Go with a boxful of tissues if you cry easily at the movies."^[9]

Rao also co-directed the 2023 film Yaariyan 2 with Sapru. A review by Vinamra Mathur in Firstpost reflected on some of their past work together, comparing this film less favorably, but notes 25 million views of the trailer on YouTube.^[10] A review on Rediff by Deepa Gahlot describes the film as "a collection of music videos with a bare minimum plot to glue them together."^[11] A Bollywood Hungama review describes the direction by Rao and Sapru as "creative" and states they are "known for adding a lot even to their ordinary shots."^[12]

Rao and Sapru have directed more than 100 music videos over more than twenty years, including for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Arijit Singh, Neha Kakkar and Jubin Nautiyal.^[13] They have also worked with the company T-Series, owned by Bhushan Kumar, to direct music videos.^[14]

Filmography

Filmography / Feature Films / Director

Movie	Year	Notes
Lucky: No Time for Love	2005	Writer & Director
I Love NY	2015	Writer & Director
Sanam Teri Kasam	2016	Writer & Director
Yaariyan 2	2023	Writer & Director

Song Director (films)

Year	Movie	Notes
2010	Dabangg	Song Director (Tere Mast Mast Do Nain)[15]
		Song Director (Chori Kiya Re Jiya)[15]
2012	Dabangg 2	Song Director (Dagabaaz Re)[15]
		Song Director (Saason Ne)[15]
	Ramaiya Vastavaiya	Song Director (Rang Jo Lagyo)[16]
2014	Jai Ho	Song Director (Tere Naina Maar Hi Daalenge)
		Song Director (Tumko To Ana Hi Tha)
2015	Prem Ratan Dhan Payo	Song Director (Premleela)[16]
2019	Junglee	Song Director (Garje Gaj Raaj Humare)
	Dabangg 3	Song Director (Naina Lade Ke)[16]
		Song Director (Farebi Naina)