Ayan Mukerji | |
---|---|
Born | Calcutta, West Bengal, India | 15 August 1983
Other names | Ayan Mukherjee |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2004–present |
Parent | Deb Mukherjee |
Family | Mukherjee-Samarth family |
Ayan Mukerji (born 15 August 1983) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Hindi films. A member of the Mukherjee-Samarth family, he is known for his collaborations with actor Ranbir Kapoor under Karan Johar's production banner Dharma Productions.
Mukerji made his directorial debut with the coming-of-age film Wake Up Sid (2009), which opened to strong reviews and box office returns. [1] [2] His next two directorials, the romantic comedy-drama Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and the fantasy action-adventure film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), rank among the highest-grossing Hindi films. All three films earned him nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Director, with Wake Up Sid also winning him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director.
Mukerjee was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, the son of Bengali film actor Deb Mukherjee. His family was involved in the Indian film industry since 1930, when his grandfather Sashadhar Mukherjee first ventured into the field. Sashadhar Mukherjee was one of the founding partners of Filmistan Studio in Mumbai and a pioneer in the industry, producing films like Dil Deke Dekho (1959), Love in Simla (1960), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962) and Leader (1964). Filmistan Studio is still run by Ayan's extended family. [3] [4]
Ayan's grandmother, Satidevi Mukherjee (née Ganguly), wife of Sashadhar Mukherji, was the sister of pioneer actors Ashok Kumar and Anup Kumar, as well as singer Kishore Kumar. Ayan's grandfather's brothers were film producer Prabodh Mukherjee, director Subodh Mukherjee and Ravindra Mohan Mukherjee, the grandfather of actress Rani Mukherjee. Ayan's father's brothers were actors Joy Mukherjee, Subir Mukherjee and Shomu Mukherjee, who is the husband of actress Tanuja and the father of actresses Kajol and Tanisha Mukherjee. [5] [6]
Mukerji studied at Jamnabai Narsee School in Vile Parle, Mumbai. He later attended Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology but dropped out after the first year to assist Ashutosh Gowariker as a clapper boy on Swades (2004). [7]
Mukerji started his career as an assistant director to his brother-in-law Ashutosh Gowariker on the social drama Swades (2004), and later to Karan Johar on the ensemble musical romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), also appearing as an extra in the latter.
After taking a short break from filmmaking, Mukerji wrote the screenplay for the 2009 coming-of-age comedy-drama Wake Up Sid and then directed it. [4] Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma in lead roles, it marked the first of several collaborations between Mukerji and Kapoor. The film tells the story of a careless rich college brat (Kapoor) who is taught the value of owning up to responsibility by an aspiring writer from Kolkata (Sen Sharma). Produced by Johar's banner Dharma Productions, it opened to widespread critical acclaim for its novel concept, themes, direction, story, screenplay, soundtrack and the performances of the cast. It emerged as a commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹62 crore (US$7.4 million) worldwide. [8] [9] Wake Up Sid earned Mukerji the inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director (tying for the award with Zoya Akhtar for Luck by Chance ), in addition to his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Mukerji achieved his breakthrough with the romantic comedy-drama Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), starring Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in lead roles, alongside Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur. The film was his second under Johar's banner. It revolves around two people who meet during a trekking trip where one falls in love with the other but refrains from expressing it. They soon drift apart but end up meeting again at a friend's wedding. Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani opened to widespread critical acclaim, with high praise for its direction, story, screenplay, soundtrack, cinematography, production design, costumes and the performances of its cast. The film emerged as a major blockbuster at the box office, grossing ₹319.6 crore (US$38 million) worldwide, and ranking as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. [10] Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani earned Mukerji his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Over the years, it has emerged as a highly popular film amongst youth. [11] [12] [13]
Mukerji's next wrote and directed the big-budget fantasy film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022) starring Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna in lead roles. [14] Produced by Johar's banner, it is the first installment of a trilogy, planned to be part of a cinematic universe titled Āstraverse. The film was first conceived by Mukerji in 2011, with core elements inspired by Indian history and stories he heard in his childhood. Unlike Mukerji's two previous ventures, it opened to mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for the performances, direction, visual effects, soundtrack, musical score and action sequences, but criticism for its dialogue. However, the film emerged as Mukerji's second consecutive major blockbuster at the box-office, grossing ₹431 crore (US$52 million) worldwide. It ranked as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, the fifth highest-grossing Indian film of the year, the highest-grossing Hindi film in overseas markets since the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva earned Mukerji his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Its two sequels, titled Brahmа̄stra: Part Two – Dev and Brahmāstra: Part Three, are being developed simultaneously and slated to release in December 2026 and 2027 respectively. [15] [16] [17]
Mukerji is currently shooting for the sixth installment of the YRF Spy Universe , titled War 2, which marks his first venture to not be produced by Dharma Productions. The film stars Hrithik Roshan reprising his role as Kabir Dhaliwal from the action thriller War (2019), with Telugu film actor N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Kiara Advani. The film is scheduled to be released on 14 August 2025, coinciding with Indian Independence Day. [18]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Swades | No | Yes | No | |
2009 | Wake Up Sid | Yes | Yes | No | |
2013 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | Yes | Yes | No | |
2022 | Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2025 | War 2 † | Yes | No | No | Filming [19] |
Other roles
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2004 | Swades | Assistant director |
2006 | Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna | |
2023 | Tiger 3 | Director of post-credits scene [20] |
Acting roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Home Delivery | Karan’s colleague | Cameo appearances |
2006 | Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna | Extra in the song "Tumhi Dekho Naa" | |
2013 | Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | DJ in party |
Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wake Up Sid | 55th Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [21] |
Best Debut Director | Won | |||
Screen Awards | Best Debut Director | Nominated | [22] | |
Stardust Awards | Hottest New Director | Won | [23] | |
Producers Guild Film Awards | Best Debut Director | Won | [24] | |
Best Director | Nominated | |||
Best Story | Nominated | |||
11th IIFA Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [25] | |
Best Story | Nominated | |||
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani | BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Director | Nominated | [26] |
59th Filmfare Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [27] | |
Screen Awards | Nominated | [28] | ||
15th IIFA Awards | Nominated | [29] | ||
Producers Guild Film Awards | Nominated | [30] | ||
Best Screenplay | Nominated | |||
Zee Cine Awards | Won | [31] | ||
Best Director | Won | |||
Best Story | Nominated | |||
Best Dialogue | Nominated | |||
ETC Bollywood Business Awards | Bollywood Business Award (shared with Karan Johar) | Won | ||
Bollywood Hungama Surfers' Choice Movie Awards | Best Director | Nominated | [32] | |
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva | 68th Filmfare Awards | Nominated | [33] | |
International Indian Film Academy Awards | Nominated | [34] | ||
Best Story | Nominated | |||
Zee Cine Awards | Nominated | [35] | ||
Best Director | Won | |||
News18 REEL Movie Awards | Won | |||
Bollywood Life Awards | Nominated |
Karan Yash Johar, often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful actors and filmmakers under his company Dharma Productions. The recipient of several accolades, including two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards, he has been honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2020.
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The Mukherjee-Samarth family is a Hindu Bengali-Marathi family that has been involved in the Hindi film industry since the 1930s, Shobhana Samarth having first acted in a film in 1935. The Mukherjee family was connected to the Samarth family by Tanuja's marriage to Shomu Mukherjee in 1973.
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Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, also abbreviated as YJHD, is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, edited by Akiv Ali and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions. It stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in their second film together after Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), alongside Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur.
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He worked as an assistant director on the films Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) and Black (2005), before making his acting debut opposite Sonam Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's romantic drama Saawariya (2007). It earned Kapoor the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He established himself in 2009 with leading roles in three films—the coming-of-age drama Wake Up Sid, the comedy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and the drama Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. He won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his combined work in these three films. In 2010, Kapoor played a character based on Arjuna and Michael Corleone in the commercially successful political thriller Raajneeti.
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Hussain Dalal is an Indian actor and screenwriter, known for his work in Hindi films. He has written dialogues for films such as Bring On the Night (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), Margarita with a Straw (2014), 2 States (2014), Dhindora (2021) and Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022). In September 2017, he appeared as one of the three mentors along with Zakir Khan and Mallika Dua for the fifth season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, which was judged by Akshay Kumar.
Dilliwaali Girlfriend is a Hindi song from the 2013 Hindi film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Composed by Pritam Chakraborty, the song is sung by Arijit Singh and Sunidhi Chauhan, with lyrics penned by Kumaar. The music video of the track features actors Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Kabira is an Indian song from the 2013 Hindi film, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Composed by Pritam Chakraborty, the song is sung by Rekha Bhardwaj and Tochi Raina, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The track focuses on actors Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Kalki Koechlin. An encore version of the same song was released as part of the film soundtrack, which was rendered by Arijit Singh and Harshdeep Kaur.
Ilahi is an Indian travel song from the 2013 Hindi film, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The track is composed by Pritam Chakraborty, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Sung by Arijit Singh, the music video of the track features actor Ranbir Kapoor. A reprise version of the same song was released as part of the film soundtrack, which was rendered by Mohit Chauhan.
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji, dialogues written by Hussain Dalal and produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Hiroo Yash Johar, Namit Malhotra and Mukerji – under Dharma Productions, Starlight Pictures and Prime Focus in association with Star Studios, along with Ranbir Kapoor and Marijke DeSouza. The film serves as the first instalment of a planned trilogy, which is itself planned to be part of a cinematic universe titled Āstraverse, and stars an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna with Shah Rukh Khan in a special appearance. Drawing inspiration from tales in Hindu mythology, the story follows Shiva, an orphan musician with pyrokinetic powers who discovers that he is an astra, a weapon of enormous energy. He attempts to prevent the strongest of the astras, the Brahmāstra, from falling into the hands of dark forces that share a history with him.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is the soundtrack to the 2013 Hindi film of the same name directed by Ayan Mukerji. Produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions banner, the film starred Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in lead roles, while Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur play supporting roles. The film's music and score is composed by Pritam with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, except for one song written by Kumaar.