MUMBAI: As the new year sets in, BBC World will be presenting a new series of its programme Bollywood Bosses from 1 January, profiling some of India’s best film directors.

Over the next 13 weeks, the show will feature many of the industry’s best-known contemporary film makers, whose work is seen by millions of people every year. The show will be aired at 10 pm on 1 January and at 12 pm on 2 January.

This weekend, Bollywood Bosses will feature an exclusive profile of the film maker Farhan Akhtar, analysing the success of his debut movie Dil Chahta Hai, which set new trends in Bollywood with its art direction, styling and production values.

In an in-depth interview, Akhtar talks about his swift entry into the world of A-list directors despite following up his debut with a second production that was not a box office hit. "I think my films deal with, normally, men of my age whose struggles, I guess, I understand on some level, and so far they reflect what I feel about life."

The programme sees Akhtar visiting the location where the music to Dil Chahta Hai was composed. The episode also provides insights into his working style through interviews with colleagues and actors Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna; his father and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar; and the music composers Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.

In the following episodes, Bollywood Bosses will feature renowned directors such as David Dhawan, Mahesh Bhatt, Subhash Ghai, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ashutosh Gowriker, examining their unique methods of film making.

Directors like Yash Chora, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ram Gopal Varma and Karan Johar, who were featured in the first series of Bollywood Bosses earlier in 2004, will also be featured briefly.

The programme is produced for BBC World by Via Earth Films and is sponsored by Hyundai Colour Televisions.