Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He has directed popular films and web series like Udaan, Sacred Games, Ghoul and many more.
Wiki/Biography
Vikramaditya Motwane was born on Monday, December 6, 1976, in Mumbai, Maharashtra (47 years; as of 2023). He received his primary education from Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai. His nickname is Vikram. His parents divorced when he was 10 years old. His father is Sindhi and his mother is Bengali. After the divorce, his mother took a job as a producer with Shukla Das, a documentary filmmaker and his mother’s cousin.
Vikramaditya Motwani as a young man
When he was 17, his mother began hosting and producing a television talk show. He had assisted her with research for the show. His uncle Shukla Das is the director of the show. During this period, he met Sanjay Leela Bhansali, assistant director of Shukla Das. Vikram worked as an assistant on the talk show for three years, after which he started working as an assistant director with Bhansali. 
appearance
Height (approximately): 6′1″
Weight (approximately): 70kg
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family, caste and wife
Vikramaditya Motwane belongs to a Sindhi Hindu family. His father, Sunil Motwane, was the owner of an electronic measuring instrument factory. His mother, Dipa De Motwane, is a former television presenter and executive producer. In 2005, he married Ishika Mohan. He met Ishika in school and they fell in love in class nine. They broke up after dating for a year, but soon got back together and have been together ever since. They have a daughter named Akira.
Vikramaditya Motwane and his mother Dipa De Motwane
Vikramaditya Motwane and wife Ishika Mohan
Vikramaditya Motwane and his daughter Akira
Profession
Vikram has been involved in the film industry since his childhood. He was an assistant on his mother’s television show. He met Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the sets of a television show and soon he started working for him as an Assistant Director (AD). He worked as an AD for two and a half years with a monthly salary of INR 2,500. He worked with Bhansali in hit films such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2003).
He worked as a choreographer for Anurag Kashyap’s film Paanch (2003). In 2007, he made his debut as the screenwriter of the movie “Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal”. In 2003, he wrote a film called Udaan, but the shooting only started in 2009; because his film did not find a producer for six years. In 2009, Anurag Kashyap finally agreed to produce his film, which he completed in 42 days. In 2010, “Udaan” became the first Indian film in 16 years to be selected for the “Un Certain Regard” section of the “Cannes Film Festival”.
Vikramaditya Motwane and Udaan actors at Cannes Film Festival
In 2011, Vikram founded a film production and distribution company called “Phantom Films” along with Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena. The company was dubbed “The Directors’ Company” by the media. They also said the company is a content-driven production company. The first film produced by Phantom Films was Lootera (2013), directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. This is Vikram’s first mainstream film to be backed by a full production house. Phantom Films went on to produce several super hit films like Queen, Hasee Toh Phasee, NH10, Udta Punjab, Trapped, Super 30 and many more. In 2014, Mirage Pictures won the National Award for the film “The Queen”.
Vikramaditya Motwane and founder of Phantom Films
In 2014, Vikram was approached by Netflix and Creative Artists Agency to direct a Netflix original show set in India. Netflix wants to do business in India and they want Motwani to direct Sacred Games. The details were finalized and Anurag Kashyap was appointed as the co-director of Sacred Games. Vikram shot Saif Ali Khan’s scenes and Anurag shot Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s scenes.
Vikramaditya Motwane at the launch of Sacred Games
After the success of Sacred Games, Netflix has hired Vikram and Anurag to produce another Netflix original web series, Ghoul, starring Radhika Apte and Manav Kaur. In 2016, Vikram’s film “Trapped” starring Rajkummar Rao was critically acclaimed and won several honors and awards. On December 16, 2016, Vikram, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti were hired by Amazon Prime to direct 3 shows for Amazon Prime, which will be distributed globally. Zoya Akhtar announced that she will direct “Made in Heaven” and Motwani announced that he will direct “Stardust”.
Vikramaditya Motwane and Radhika Apte
In 2018, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap announced that they would be disbanding ‘Phantom Films’. The production house was shut down following sexual harassment allegations against Vikas Bahl by a former female employee of Phantom Films during the #MeToo India movement in 2018. The woman alleged that Vikas harassed her in 2015 and when she complained about the matter to Anurag, he ignored her complaint. Vikram posted a tweet clarifying his stance and informed that they would be disbanding the company.
— Vikramaditya Motwane (@VikramMotwane) October 5, 2018
In September 2018, Netflix announced that “Sacred Games” had been renewed for a second season. It was announced that Anurag Kashyap will remain on board as director, but Vikramaditya Motwane will serve as the show’s “showrunner” and “creative mind” “. Neeraj Ghaywan replaced Vikram as co-director and shot scenes with Saif Ali Khan. The second season of “Sacred Games” premiered on August 15, 2019.
Vikramaditya Motwane at the launch of Sacred Games Season 2
Awards, Honors and Achievements
- “Zee Cine Awards” 2011 “Best Director” (Udaan)
- 2011 “Los Angeles Indian Film Festival Awards” “Best Feature Film” (Udaan)
- 2011 “Filmfare Awards” “Best Film” (Udaan)
Vikramaditya Motwane accepts Filmfare Best Film Award
- “Filmfare Awards” 2011 “Best Story” (Udaan)
- “Filmfare Awards” 2011 “Best Story” (Udaan)
- 2014 “Stardust Award” “Best Film” (Queen)
- 2015 “International Indian Film Academy Awards” “Best Film” (Queen)
- 2015 “Filmfare Awards” “Best Film” (Queen)
- 2017 “Neuchâtel International Fantasy Film Festival” “Best Asian Film” (Trap)
- 2018 “Indian Television Academy Awards” “Best Web Series” (Sacred Games)
- Filmfare OTT Awards 26 November 2023 “Best Director – Drama Series” (Jubilee)
Vikramaditya Motwane wins Filmfare OTT Awards 2023 for Best Director in Drama Series
fact
- When Vikram was a teenager, he used to assist his mother on a talk show and he would often get tired of the back-to-back shoots. He wanted to be an engineer, not work on a talk show.
- His wife Ishika made a cameo in his directorial debut “Udaan”, playing the role of the protagonist’s mother.
Vikramaditya Motwane with Rajat Barmecha and Ranveer Singh
- Vikram is a very private person who has always avoided the limelight.
Vikramaditya Motwane and wife Ishika Mohan
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education