Nikkhil Advani owes his entire career to Shah Rukh Khan: 'SRK told Yash Johar, ‘I will work with Dharma Productions only if Nikkhil directs it'

Nikkhil Advani, who began his career as an assistant director for renowned filmmakers Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra, made his directorial debut with the hit film 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', starring Bollywood’s King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan. In a recent interview, Nikkhil revealed that Shah Rukh played a crucial role in supporting him at Dharma Productions, agreeing to do 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' without even reading the script.

During a chat with Cyrus Broacha on his YouTube channel, Nikkhil expressed his gratitude toward SRK: “Shah Rukh went to Yash Johar and said, ‘I will do another film with Dharma Productions only if Nikkhil directs it.’ I owe him my entire career as a director,” the filmmaker stated.


Nikkhil also worked as an assistant director on SRK’s 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham', and 'Mohabbatein'. The actor mentioned his desire to explore different genres beyond love stories.

While discussing the making of 'Kal Ho Naa Ho', Nikkhil shared that SRK's initial response to the script was notably casual yet confident. After reading just the first page, briefly checking the interval point, and skipping to the final page, Shah Rukh expressed his trust in the creative team, saying, “I know Karan has written it, and you’re directing it, so I’m in good hands.”

'Kal Ho Naa Ho' also stars Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. The film became a box-office success, the highest-grossing movie of that year, and won two National Film Awards.
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