Ramayana director Nitesh Tiwari is an IITian, worked as a techie for just 4 months. His first film won two National Awards, and he went on to direct highest-grossing film that earned over Rs 2,000 crore

He directed the highest-grossing Hindi film in 2016. Dangal, which was his third film as a director. The Aamir Khan starrer earned a staggering Rs 2,200 crore worldwide. Today, Nitesh Tiwari is all set to create box-office history again, and his next, Ramayana, will hit the big screens on 5 November. Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, Lord Rama, Mata Sita and Ravan. Made on the budget of a staggering Rs 4,000 crore (for the two movies), the magnum opus is the most expensive Indian film ever made.

Yet, had he wanted so, Tiwari could have had a rather cushy job as an engineer. He had a degree in metallurgy and Material Science engineering from IIT Bombay. Yet he pursued a career in advertising and later in film direction instead of tech.

An Artiste From His IIT Days

In a chat with Komal Nahta on the Game Changers podcast, the director said he often created plays and mono acting pieces as a student at IIT. “Somewhere I started writing. So that thing remained in my writing during my IIT days also: that when I used to write plays or one-act or mono-acting pieces, I used to try to write something original, to do something different. I think that stayed with me,” he revealed.

The filmmaker said he worked as a software developer for a brief while before venturing into advertisement. “In my time, in the 90s, if you were good at studies, you would either become a doctor or an engineer. It's not that I didn't have interest. I even worked in a software company for 4 months, but somewhere I didn't find that peace. I wanted to do what I love, you know, not what I want to be made to do,” he said.

Komal then asked Nitesh whether he had ever imagined pursuing this profession after completing his engineering studies. The director admitted that he had never considered it a career option. Although he gradually developed an interest in writing during his college years, he was unsure whether he possessed the talent required to become a writer. He added that when people are at the stage of choosing a career, they often struggle to identify their true interests and passions.

A Look At His Journey

As per a DNA report, Nitesh started his career as a copywriter at advertising agency Draftfcb Ulka in 1996. He went on to work at Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett, where he eventually became the chief creative officer. He eventually left that job to become a director. In 2011, he made his directorial debut with the kid film Chillar Party, which, incidentally, had a dance number from Ranbir Kapoor. For his debut work, Tiwari received two National Film Awards, including Best Children's Film and Best Screenplay.

His subsequent project was the 2014 supernatural comedy film Bhoothnath Returns, featuring Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role and a special appearance by Shah Rukh Khan. In 2016, he further strengthened his credentials as a screenwriter with the critically acclaimed film Nil Battey Sannata. Helmed by his wife, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, the movie revolves around a domestic help who strives to provide her daughter with a brighter future by ensuring she receives a good education.

His breakthrough came that year with the sports biopic Dangal, which told the story of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters, Geeta and Babita. The Aamir Khan-starrer became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time and also became a success in China. It also won him a National Film Award for Best Direction.

His next film, the coming-of-drama Chhichhore, starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead, also became a success and won him his third National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

His current movie, Ramayana: Part 1 will hit the theatres on November 5.