He also won the Filmfare Award for Best Film and Best Director for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai and Koi... Mil Gaya.

He got such roles in more women-oriented films, such as Paraya Dhan with Hema Malini,[6] Aankh Micholi with Bharati, Khubsoorat with Rekha and Kaamchor with Jaya Prada.

His few successful solo hero films, with the focus equally on both hero and heroine, were Aankhon Aankhon Mein with Rakhee,[7] Nafrat with Yogita Bali, Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara with Leena Chandavarkar, Hamari Bahu Alka with Bindiya Goswami and Shubh Kaamna with Rati Agnihotri.

Rakesh made his directorial debut with the action drama Khudgarz (1987), starring Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha, Govinda, Bhanupriya, Amrita Singh and Neelam Kothari.

He next directed the revenge drama thriller Khoon Bhari Maang (1988), starring Rekha alongside Kabir Bedi and Sonu Walia.

He followed it up with the action comedy Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), starring Anil Kapoor in dual roles, alongside Madhuri Dixit and Shilpa Shirodkar.

His next directorial venture was the romantic comedy Khel in 1992 starring an ensemble cast of Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Anupam Kher, Mala Sinha and Sonu Walia in lead roles and action comedy King Uncle in 1993 starring an ensemble cast of Jackie Shroff, Anu Aggarwal, Shah Rukh Khan, Nagma and Paresh Rawal in lead roles.

Both Khel and King Uncle were commercially successful and have since gained cult status, being well received by families and children.

King Uncle was one of few early successful films in which Shah Rukh Khan played a supporting role or second lead.

Rakesh had stonewalled demands from Budesh for a percentage of the profits from the overseas earnings of his hit film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai.

[12] He launched his son Hrithik's career as a lead actor with the musical romantic thriller Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), alongside debutante Ameesha Patel.

Rakesh later revealed that this film was inspired by Shakti Samanta's Aradhana (1969), starring Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna.

[14] He directed his son for the third time in its sequel, the science-fiction superhero film Krrish (2006), alongside Priyanka Chopra, Rekha and Naseeruddin Shah.

Directed by Jaideep Sen and starring Juhi Chawla, Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan, Rajpal Yadav and Suresh Menon,[16] the film received negative reviews and emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office.

[17] In 2010, he produced the Bollywood-meets-Hollywood crossover film titled Kites, directed by Anurag Basu and starring Hrithik alongside Mexican actress Bárbara Mori.

Other actors he has frequently collaborated with include Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, and Amrish Puri.