Nikkhil Advani is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema and Indian streaming content. He began his career as an assistant director and second unit director, before making his directorial debut with the romantic drama Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Advani is the co-founder of the production company Emmay Entertainment, through which he has directed and produced a range of feature films and web series.
| Name | Nikkhil Advani |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Director, screenwriter, producer |
| Industry | Hindi cinema, Indian web series |
| Directorial debut | Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) |
| Production company | Emmay Entertainment |
| Notable collaborators | Karan Johar, Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani |
Advani entered the Hindi film industry as an assistant director, working with director Sooraj Barjatya on Rajshri Productions films during the 1990s. He later joined Karan Johar at Dharma Productions, where he served as an associate and assistant director on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001). This long association with Dharma Productions shaped his early style, which combined family drama with mainstream commercial filmmaking.
Advani's first feature as director was Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, set in New York, was a major commercial success and is regarded as one of the defining Hindi romantic dramas of the early 2000s.
He followed this with Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love (2007), a multi-strand romantic film, and Chandni Chowk to China (2009), an India–US co-production starring Akshay Kumar.
Advani co-founded Emmay Entertainment with Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani. The banner has produced films across genres, including the war drama D-Day (2013), which Advani directed; Hero (2015), produced under the Salman Khan Films and Eros banners with Emmay's involvement; and biographical and action features in subsequent years.
Advani directed Katti Batti (2015) and the historical war drama Batla House (2019), starring John Abraham, based on the 2008 Batla House encounter case in Delhi. He also directed segments and produced multiple projects including Airlift (2016, as producer) and Satyameva Jayate (2018, as producer).
With the expansion of Indian streaming platforms, Advani moved into long-format storytelling. He created and directed Mumbai Diaries 26/11 (2021) for Amazon Prime Video, a medical drama set against the backdrop of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, followed by Mumbai Diaries: Season 2 (2023). He also directed the espionage drama Rocket Boys-era and crime thrillers under Emmay's streaming slate, and the partition drama Freedom at Midnight (2024) for SonyLIV, adapted from the 1975 book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.
Advani is associated with two distinct strands of Hindi screen storytelling. His earlier work in the Dharma Productions tradition contributed to the popularity of glossy diaspora-set romantic dramas in the early 2000s. Through Emmay Entertainment, he later helped develop a slate of contemporary, event-driven films and web series rooted in Indian political, military and historical subjects, reflecting the broader shift of Hindi industry talent towards subject-led storytelling and streaming originals.