Nitesh Tiwari

Nitesh Tiwari is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter whose work spans advertising, animation, and live-action cinema. He studied at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where he was active in the institute’s student festival culture, and later worked in advertising before moving into film direction. That professional path is reflected in a filmography that ranges from a children’s fantasy to a widely discussed sports drama and a major historical epic.

Tiwari made his feature-film debut as a director with *Chillar Party* (2011), co-directed with Vikas Bahl. The Hindi film follows a group of children in a Mumbai housing society who rally to protect a stray dog named Bhidu from being removed. Its young cast and child-centered story earned it the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film. The film also introduced a recurring feature of Tiwari’s work: stories built around groups whose members organize to challenge an established authority.

He directed *Bhoothnath Returns* in 2014, a supernatural comedy starring Amitabh Bachchan as the ghost Bhoothnath. The sequel places its ghostly protagonist in the world of electoral politics, where he runs for office against a powerful politician. Tiwari’s next major directing success was *Dangal* (2016), based on the lives of Indian wrestlers Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat and their father, Mahavir Singh Phogat. Aamir Khan played Mahavir, while Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra portrayed Geeta at different ages and Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar played younger versions of the sisters. The film dramatizes their wrestling training and competitive careers, including Geeta’s participation in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. It became one of the highest-grossing Indian films and brought Tiwari international recognition.

Tiwari also co-wrote the screenplay for *Chhichhore* (2019), which he directed. The film moves between a group of former college friends recalling their hostel years and a crisis involving one of their children. Its story addresses the pressures of academic achievement and the stigma attached to failure. In 2023, he directed *Bawaal*, a romantic drama starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor. The film’s use of Holocaust-related locations and imagery prompted public discussion about its historical references.

In 2024, Tiwari directed *Bade Miyan Chote Miyan*, an action film starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff. Across these projects, he has moved between comedy, family drama, romance, and action, while returning often to ensemble casts and conflicts shaped by institutions—politics, education, sport, or public expectations.