Salman Khan offered Nikkhil Advani a job after his fallout with Karan Johar; Kal Ho Naa Ho director calls actor ‘messiah of the industry’

Salman Khan offered Nikkhil Advani a job after his fallout with Karan Johar; Kal Ho Naa Ho director calls actor ‘messiah of the industry’

As a seasoned lifestyle expert with a keen eye for the intricacies of Bollywood, I must say that Nikkhil Advani’s journey in the realm of Indian cinema is nothing short of fascinating. His ability to bounce back from setbacks and continue pushing boundaries is truly inspiring.


In a recent interview, Nikkhil Advani, the director known for Kal Ho Naa Ho starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan, shared that he had initially worked with YRF and Dharma Productions but had a disagreement with Karan Johar. As a result, they went their separate ways. Not long after this split, Salman Khan extended his support to help Advani relaunch his career in the industry.

In a conversation with Galatta Plus, Nikkhil Advani expressed that there were suspicions about his role as director for one of Dharma Productions’ most cherished films, Kal Ho Naa Ho. To disprove these doubts and demonstrate his skills to the world, he decided to direct Salaam-e-Ishq. He admitted this move was a result of arrogance, explaining that because some people believed he didn’t direct the popular film starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan in Kal Ho Naa Ho, he chose to direct six different love stories instead.

In my explanation of upcoming projects, I mentioned that one would be similar to a story directed by Mani Ratnam, another like Gulzar’s style, another in the vein of Karan Johar, and yet another reminiscent of Kundan Shah’s work. Therefore, when given the opportunity by Sunil Manchanda (the producer), I decided to direct six love stories, similar perhaps to the multi-plot structure of Love Actually. This is what the filmmaker stated.

Regrettably, the movie Salaam-e-Ishq underperformed at the box office. Following this, Nikkhil received a call from Rohan Sippy to produce Chandni Chowk To China, another film that failed commercially. However, Nikkhil had already formed a friendship with Akshay Kumar by then, who invited him to collaborate on his next project.

Akshay phoned me and told me he had a new project for me – his next film. He admired my spirit and expressed that although we made some mistakes in the past, we’d get it right this time. We began working on Patiala House, a beautiful movie with a heartwarming father-son narrative. Unfortunately, despite being a great film, it had four unsuccessful releases, including Tees Maar Khan, and few people attended screenings of Patiala House. However, when it airs on satellite TV today, Akshay calls to say, “Wow, what a movie!” he exclaimed.

Discussing his forthcoming ventures, Nikkhil Advani is eagerly anticipating the premiere of his next film titled Vedaa, featuring John Abraham, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Sharvari Wagh.

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2024-08-01 10:09