The nominees are..
Rosshan Andrrews – How Old Are You
In his sixth feature film as a director, Rosshan Andrrews tells the story of a woman battling gender stereotypes in her situation. He has previously won a Filmfare award in the same category for his film Notebook in 2006.
Anjali Menon – Bangalore Days
Internationally acclaimed for her film Manjadikuru, Anjali Menon uses the theme of family relationships yet again for her film, Bangalore Days, which is a coming of age drama about three cousins.
Abrid Shine – 1983
Making his directorial debut with the hugely popular 1983, Abrid Shine is a fashion photographer who has turned to feature film direction. The film is considered his tribute to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Ranjith – Njan
Award-winning filmmaker Ranjith returned to the screen with his latest offering Njan, which is an adaptation of the novel, K T N Kottur Ezhuthum Jeevithavum by T. P. Rajeevan. The film is set in the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle.
Venu – Munnariyippu
The man behind the intense thriller Munnariyippu, Venu is an award-winning cinematographer. This is his second directorial venture after Daya in 1998.