Anil Sharma is an Indian film director and producer. Sharma was born in Mokama, Bihar, India. Sharma pursued his B.Sc. at Khalsa College, Mumbai, when he became interested in cinematography. His first job in the film industry was as an assistant of Baldev Raj Chopra, on films such as Pati Patni Aur Woh, The Burning Train, and Insaf Ka Tarazu. He also had minor parts in The Burning Train and Insaf Ka Tarazu.
Sharma made his directional debut in 1981 with Shradhanjali, starring Raakhee. In the early 1980s, he became a producer with Elaan-E-Jung (1989), which he also directed. During the 1990s, he directed films such as Farishtay (1991) and Maharaja (1998). He has worked with various artists including Amitabh Bachchan, Jayaprada, Sridevi, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, Govinda, and Manisha Koirala. Sharma started working with Dharmendra in 1987 when he directed Hukumat, which became the highest-grossing film of the year. Over the following years, Dharmendra and Anil Sharma worked together on Elaan-E-Jung (1989), Farishtay (1991), Tahalka (1992) and Apne (2007).