Nitesh Tiwari

Nitesh Tiwari is a director, screenwriter and lyricist in Hindi films. He was born in Madhya Pradesh to an education department official, and the family moved every three years because of his father's job. He co-founded Earthsky Pictures, which makes advertising films and produced the docu-series Break Point, about the tennis players Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.

He co-wrote and co-directed Chillar Party (2011), which won two National Film Awards, including Best Children's Film and Best Screenplay. His first solo film as director was Bhoothnath Returns (2014). He wrote and directed Dangal (2016), the highest-grossing Indian film, which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Chhichhore (2019) won him a third National Film Award, for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

His next film is the largest on this guide's upcoming list. He is directing Ramayana: Part One, with Anupam Kher voicing Jatayu, and it has its own page here, as does Dangal.

He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 1996 in metallurgy and materials science, then became a creative director at the advertising agency Leo Burnett. Chillar Party grew out of a screenplay he developed there with Vikas Bahl, then creative head of UTV Spotboy. Established directors turned down a film built around a group of children, so the two directed it themselves.

Ramayana: Part One (2026, Hindi) is due 5 November 2026. Nitesh Tiwari directed it. The cast also includes Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash.

Dangal (2016, Hindi) was released 23 December 2016. Nitesh Tiwari directed it. The cast also includes Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra.