Vikramaditya Motwane Wiki, Age, Height, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Vikramaditya Motwane is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He has directed popular films and web series such as Udaan, Sacred Games, Ghoul, and many more.

Wiki/Biography

Vikramaditya Motwane was born on Monday, 6 December 1976 (age 47 years; as of 2023) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He received his primary education from the Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai. His nickname is Vikram. His parents got divorced when he was 10 years old. His father is Sindhi, and his mother is a Bengali. After the divorce, his mother took a job as a line producer with Shukla Das, a documentary filmmaker and his mother’s cousin.

When he was 17, his mother started hosting and producing a TV talk show. He used to assist her with the research on the show. His uncle, Shukla Das, was the director of the show. During this time, he met Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who was working as an Assistant Director for Shukla Das. Vikram was an assistant in the talk show for three years, after which he started working with Bhansali as an Assistant Director.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 6′ 1″

Weight (approx): 70 kg

Eye Colour: Black

Hair Colour: Black

Family, Caste, and Wife

Vikramaditya Motwane belongs to a Hindu Sindhi Family. His father, Sunil Motwane, is the factory owner of electronic measuring instruments. His mother, Dipa De Motwane, is a former TV show host and an executive producer. He got married to Ishika Mohan in 2005. He met Ishika in school, and they fell in love when they were in class IX. They broke up after a year of dating, but they soon got back together and have been together ever since. They have a daughter together named, Akira.

Career

Vikram has been involved in the film industry since he was a child. He was an assistant in his mother’s TV show. He met Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the sets of the TV show, and he soon started working for him as an Assistant Director (AD). He worked as an AD for two and a half years for a salary of 2,500 INR per month. He worked with Bhansali on popular movies such as “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999), “Devdas” (2003), and many more.

He has been a choreographer for Anurag Kashyap‘s movie, “Paanch” (2003). In 2007, he made his debut as a screenwriter for the film “Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal”. In 2003, he wrote a film named “Udaan”, but he got to shoot it in 2009; as he did not get a producer for his film for 6 years. In 2009, Anurag Kashyap finally agreed to produce his film, and he completed the shooting of the film in 42 days. In 2010, Udaan became the first Indian film to be selected in the “Un Certain Regard” section of the “Cannes Film Festival” in 16 years.

In 2011, Vikram, along with Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, and Madhu Mantena, started a film production and distribution company named “Phantom Films”. The company was termed as a “Director’s Company” by the media. They also stated that the company is a content-driven production outfit. The first film produced by “Phantom Films” was “Lootera” (2013), which was directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. It was Vikram’s first mainstream film with the backing of a full production house. Phantom Films then went on to produce several super hit films such as “Queen”, “Hasee Toh Phasee”, “NH10”, “Udta Punjab”, “Trapped”, “Super 30”, and many more. In 2014, Phantom Films was honoured with a National Award for the film “Queen”.

In 2014, Vikram was approached by “Netflix” and the “Creative Artists Agency” to direct a Netflix Original show based in India. Netflix wanted to start its operations in India, and they wanted Motwane to direct Sacred Games. The details were finalised, and Anurag Kashyap was brought in as the co-director of Sacred Games. Vikram shot the scenes involving Saif Ali Khan, and Anurag shot the scenes involving Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

After the successful launch of “Sacred Games”, Netflix brought in Vikram and Anurag to produce another Netflix-Original web series, “Ghoul”, which starred Radhika Apte and Manav Kaul. In 2016, Vikram’s movie, “Trapped”, starring Rajkumar Rao, was critically acclaimed and it received several honours and awards. On 16 December 2016, Vikram, Zoya Akhtar, and Reema Kagti were brought in by Amazon Prime to direct 3 shows for Amazon Prime, which were to be released globally. Zoya Akhtar announced that she’ll be directing “Made in Heaven”, and Motwane announced that he’ll be directing “Stardust”.

In 2018, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap announced that they’ll b dissolving “Phantom Films”. The production company was being shut down due to the sexual harassment allegations on Vikas Bahl in 2018, during the “#MeToo India Movement”, by a former woman employee of “Phantom Films”. The woman claimed that Vikas had harassed her in 2015, and when she complained to Anurag about this, he ignored her complaint. Vikram posted a tweet clarifying his position and informing that they’ll be dissolving the company.

pic.twitter.com/5Fz6792AWy

— Vikramaditya Motwane (@VikramMotwane) October 5, 2018

In September 2018, Netflix announced that Sacred Games has been renewed for a second season. It was announced that Anurag Kashyap will remain as a director, but Vikramaditya Motwane will be the “Showrunner” and the “Creative Mind” of the show. Neeraj Ghaywan was brought in, to replace Vikram as a co-director to shoot the scenes with Saif Ali Khan. The second season of “Sacred Games” premiered on 15 August 2019.

Awards, Honours, and Achievements

• “Best Director” (Udaan) by the “Zee Cine Awards” in 2011

• “Best Feature Film” (Udaan) by the “Los Angeles Indian Film Festival Awards” in 2011

• “Best Film” (Udaan) by the “Filmfare Awards” in 2011

  Vikramaditya Motwane accepting the Filmfare Award for Best Film

• “Best Story” (Udaan) by the “Filmfare Awards” in 2011

• “Best Story” (Udaan) by the “Filmfare Awards” in 2011

• “Best Film” (Queen) by “Stardust Awards” in 2014

• “Best Film” (Queen) by the “International Indian Film Academy Awards” in 2015

• “Best Film” (Queen) by “Filmfare Awards” in 2015

• “Best Asian Film” (Trapped) by the “Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival” in 2017

• “Best Web Series” (Sacred Games) by the “Indian Television Academy Awards” in 2018

• “Best Director – Drama Series” (Jubilee) at Filmfare OTT Awards on 26 November 2023

  Vikramaditya Motwane with the Best Director – Drama Series award at the 2023 Filmfare OTT Awards

Facts

• When Vikram was a teenager, and he used to assist his mother in her talk show, he used to get bored with the continuous shooting. He wanted to be an engineer instead of working at the talk show.

• His wife, Ishika did a cameo in his directorial debut movie, Udaan, as the mother of the protagonist.

  Vikramaditya Motwane with Rajat Barmecha and Ranveer Singh

• Vikram is a very private person, and he always refrains from coming into the limelight.

  Vikramaditya Motwane with his wife Ishika Mohan