Nikkhil Advani, Founder, Emmay Entertainment, In Conversation With Anahita Uberoi
Anahita Uberoi: Most people associate Nikkhil Advani with Kal Ho Naa Ho but there is a journey before and after that Nikkhil has taken which is extremely diverse and creative and it reflects his journey as a human being. What was your dream as a 20-year-old?
I had no connection to Bollywood. When Kal Ho Naa Ho did well, my grandma told my parents that abhi bahot hogaya, abhi achhi naukri dilwado isko. Media was never considered a career; we grew up in a corporate household.My father was in pharmaceutical, and mother designed ads. She made ads for Dukes and Ram Madhvani was directing one of the films. I happened to meet him and said that I wanted to assist him. He told me to come back after watching films by Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, and Woody Allen. I had grown up watching Hindi films, but I went to Films Division of India and watched everything, and it blew my mind. I went to him and said I have watched everything. He said come assist me then, I am going to make feature films now. Next, I met Saeed Mirza, and I asked him, can I assist you? There was a connection through my sister, she worked in a consultancy which sent students abroad and she had helped to send Aziz Mirza’s kids. So, he said yes, and for Rs. 250/- I started working.
You started working with him and stayed within the art house world as an AD. Then you went straight to Karan Johar; how did that happen?
There was no money in Art house. I got married in ’96, I had no money. Karan was a junior to me in high school, I used to bully him. He met me backstage and said that he had assisted Aditya Chopra and why didn’t I go and hear the script. I went to meet him, he had only the first half of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai at the time. So, he asked if I’d like to be the Associate? I said yes; this was 1997. Yash Johar asked me what my monthly salary would be? I said, Rs. 8000/- He said it was too much! Nobody paid anybody in the 90s. Me, Zoya Akhtar, Shahad Ali, Apoorva Lakhia, we were all working together separately. We came together and said that we are going to organise the fees etc. We structured it.
Today, it is so organised and professional for people and youngsters to step in. So, you moved ahead with Karan Johar; was it his belief in you?
It was actually Shah Rukh’s belief in me. I had done Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham as an Associate Director. Yash Johar said you are on a loan to Yash Raj. My salary would still come from Dharma Productions because they wanted me to come back. After three films, I think Shah Rukh turned to Dharma Productions and said that he will only do the next film if I direct it. So, I owe Shah Rukh my entire career.
These relations are special in a creative field because they add to your creativity. Kal Ho Na Ho was when Bollywood stepped out of its domain and people couldn’t help but go to the theatres
I like to call that period as the one where ‘the boys took over.’ We grew up on Hollywood cinema and we wanted tothat structure, we wanted that set up and organization. Farhan Akhtar opened the gates with Dil Chahta Hai, and we just ran through it. We were the next generation. Then we got overtaken when the North boys came in with the grassroots’ and heartland cinema.
Your wife is such a remarkable person, how has she been as a partner in your creative thinking?
She is my biggest cheerleader and biggest critic, and she keeps me grounded. My career has seen biggest highs with Kal Ho Naa Ho and lowest with Chandni Chowk to China and Salaam-e-Ishq. Once, we were in Alibaug, and it was a low phase of life, I wasn’t talking to anyone. She asked me: “Are you bigger than Jesus Christ?” I said “No.” She said, “50% of the world hates Jesus Christ, who are you?” That kept me going on. Many people say no matter how hard you hit me, I’ll keep coming back. That’s the thing about Suparna. She said, your career is not the end. Your life is so much more.
You once said you were handling 16 projects. And you did Delhi Safari, an animated film; did your daughter draw interest in that genre?
She wasn’t allowed to watch anything that I made until 13, she is now 16, so yes. Suparna was clear on that. Delhi Safari happened because when she was small, I thought I should make a film for her. A company from Pune had approached me and I told them I wanted to do a film in which animals in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park are aghast and want to go and talk to the PM about it. That is when I met Bittu Sehgal. It took me seven years to make.
