Nitesh Tiwari Reveals How Rejections Led Him to Direct 'Chillar Party'

Nitesh Tiwari is known for his exceptional storytelling, blending humour and emotions seamlessly. His unique approach has made him one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the industry. Among his most memorable works is his directorial debut, Chillar Party. However, directing the film was never part of his initial plan. In a recent conversation with Komal Nahta on his podcast Game Changers, Tiwari shared how an unexpected turn of events led him to helm the film.

Recalling the early days of Chillar Party, Nitesh revealed that he and Vikas Bahl wrote the script just for fun. He said, "That fear never came because we never wanted to direct Chillar Party." He explained how they started writing on weekends while managing their respective jobs. "When Vikas and I started writing Chillar Party, it was just for fun. I was working in my advertising job, and Vikas was doing his job. So, just for fun, we started writing on weekends, and while writing, it turned out well, we had a lot of fun."

However, turning the script into a film was not easy. Tiwari shared how they approached multiple directors but faced constant rejections. "We took it to 7-8 directors, traveled a lot, and no one wanted to make it. There were 10 kids, and 1 dog, because many directors didn't want to make a film without a Hero. They thought it would become upscale, that this person only makes children's films. So we shelved it."

Eventually, Vikas Bahl suggested that Nitesh should direct it himself. Initially, he was hesitant. "Vikas asked me if I would direct it. I said, 'No mad dog has bitten me. I have a good advertising career, I have no experience in direction.' But he kept insisting and said, 'I will also jump in to convince you, we will work together. Either we do it or forget about the film.' So I thought that a film is coming my way, such a big opportunity is coming my way, if the direction didn't work, I still have engineering. Let's try it once, if not direction, then there's writing."

Despite the initial challenges, Chillar Party turned out to be a massive success, winning several awards and appreciation for being one of the finest children's films.