Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is an Indian filmmaker and writer with over twenty-five years of experience crafting bold, genre-driven cinema that bridges India and the world. His work is defined by a strong narrative voice, kinetic visual style, and a commitment to cinematic storytelling that resonates across cultures.
Nikhil’s directorial debut Salunn premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival and went on to win the Remi Award for Best Film in Comedy at WorldFest Houston and the Golden Ace Award for Special Cinematic Experience at the Las Vegas Film Festival.
His Netflix feature Brij Mohan Amar Rahe, produced by Sa Re Ga Ma- Yoodlee, premiered at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York, showcasing his ability to blend humour with sharp social sensibilities. He expanded into long-form narrative with The Gone Game, a psychological thriller series shot during the COVID-19 lockdown, notable for its innovative remote production and featured in Forbes India for its creative execution. The Gone Game garnered both critical attention and widespread audience engagement.
In 2022, Nikhil directed Hurdang, produced by T-Series and Karma Pictures, which released theatrically and is streaming on Netflix. His survival thriller Apurva, a collaboration with Cine1 Studios and a Disney Plus Hotstar Original, became one of the most watched Indian films across OTT platforms in 2023, praised for its taut storytelling and central performance.
Most recently, Nikhil directed Kill, a high-octane action thriller produced by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 as a Midnight Madness selection and was first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award in that programme. It also screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Kill released theatrically worldwide in July 2024, including a significant international rollout with Lionsgate acquiring and releasing the film across North America and the United Kingdom, marking one of the rare instances of a Hindi-language film distributed broadly by a major Hollywood studio. The English language remake rights for Kill have been acquired by Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment.
Nikhil’s directorial debut Salunn premiered at the Cairo International Film Festival and went on to win the Remi Award for Best Film in Comedy at WorldFest Houston and the Golden Ace Award for Special Cinematic Experience at the Las Vegas Film Festival.
His Netflix feature Brij Mohan Amar Rahe, produced by Sa Re Ga Ma- Yoodlee, premiered at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York, showcasing his ability to blend humour with sharp social sensibilities. He expanded into long-form narrative with The Gone Game, a psychological thriller series shot during the COVID-19 lockdown, notable for its innovative remote production and featured in Forbes India for its creative execution. The Gone Game garnered both critical attention and widespread audience engagement.
In 2022, Nikhil directed Hurdang, produced by T-Series and Karma Pictures, which released theatrically and is streaming on Netflix. His survival thriller Apurva, a collaboration with Cine1 Studios and a Disney Plus Hotstar Original, became one of the most watched Indian films across OTT platforms in 2023, praised for its taut storytelling and central performance.
Most recently, Nikhil directed Kill, a high-octane action thriller produced by Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2023 as a Midnight Madness selection and was first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award in that programme. It also screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Kill released theatrically worldwide in July 2024, including a significant international rollout with Lionsgate acquiring and releasing the film across North America and the United Kingdom, marking one of the rare instances of a Hindi-language film distributed broadly by a major Hollywood studio. The English language remake rights for Kill have been acquired by Lionsgate and 87Eleven Entertainment.
