Laxman Utekar

Laxman Utekar
Utekar at IFFI 2013
Nationality	Indian
Occupations	Film director producer writer cinematographer
Years active	2007–present

Laxman Utekar is an Indian filmmaker and cinematographer known for his work in Hindi and Marathi films. Utekar began his career as a cinematographer in Hindi cinema with English Vinglish (2012) and Dear Zindagi (2016). He made his directorial debut in 2014 with the Marathi film Tapaal . ^[1] He went on to direct the Hindi romantic comedies Luka Chuppi (2019) and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023), the comedy-drama Mimi (2021), and the historical action film Chhaava (2025).

Career

Utekar started his career as a director of photography in Hindi cinema in 2007 with Khanna & Iyer. He then went on to work on English Vinglish , Dear Zindagi , Hindi Medium and 102 Not Out . He made his directorial debut in 2014 with Marathi film Tapaal . He then directed Lalbaugchi Rani (2016), a slice of life drama about a mentally challenged girl who gets lost in Mumbai.

Utekar first Hindi film as director was the romantic comedy Luka Chuppi (2019) which starred Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon as a couple in a live in relationship and the chaos ensues when their traditional families assume them to be married to each other. ^[2] The film received generally positive reviews and emerged as commercial success at the box office, with a total gross collection of ₹128.86 crore (US$15 million). ^{[3] [4]}

In 2021, Utekar directed and co-wrote with Rohan Shankar the drama Mimi . A remake of the Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy! (2011). the film reunited him with Sanon, in the titular role of a young woman who opts to be a surrogate mother for a foreign couple. Following the non-existent theatrical releases due to COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released through the streaming services Netflix and JioCinema. ^[5] The film received positive reviews from critics, with Renuka Vyahare of The Times of India nothing that "it picks a relevant topic and turns it into an engaging, empowering and compassionate tale on humanity and motherhood". ^[6] Taran Adarsh wrote, “Mimi is a heartwarming saga, aimed at families and it will keep the audience thoroughly entertained.” ^[7]

In 2023, he directed the romantic comedy Zara Hatke Zara Bachke starring Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan as a small-town married couple striving to own a home. It received mixed reviews from critics and became a sleeper hit. Produced on a budget of ₹40 crore it grossed ₹115.89 crore worldwide. ^[8]

In 2025, he co-wrote and directed the epic historical action film Chhaava based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, again starring Vicky Kaushal in the title role. The film received positive reviews from critics and became an all-time blockbuster, grossing over ₹797.34 crore (US$94 million) at the box office. ^[9] It is the highest-grossing Indian film of 2025 and the eighth highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. ^[10]

Filmography

Key

†	Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Year	Film	Director	Cinematographer	Language	Ref.
2007	Khanna & Iyer		Yes	Hindi	[11]
2009	Blue		Yes
2012	English Vinglish		Yes		[11]
2014	Tapaal	Yes	Yes	Marathi	[12]
2016	Dear Zindagi		Yes	Hindi	[11]
2016	Lalbaugchi Rani	Yes		Marathi	[13]
2017	Hindi Medium		Yes	Hindi	[11]
2018	102 Not Out		Yes		[11]
2019	Luka Chuppi	Yes			[11]
2021	Mimi	Yes			[14]
2023	Zara Hatke Zara Bachke	Yes			[15]
2024	Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya		Yes
2025	Chhaava	Yes			[16]

References

1. "Luka Chuppi director Laxman Utekar: Wanted to tell a story which reflects Indian colours". The Indian Express. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
2. Roshmila Bhattacharya (2 July 2018). "Kriti Sanon, Kartik Aaryan in a romcom based in Mathura". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
3. Taran Adarsh [@taran_adarsh] (28 February 2019). "A situational comedy with a message... Relatable premise, clean humour, foot tapping music, loads of entertainment... Superb climax... Kartik Aaryan top notch, Kriti Sanon damn good. Recommended!" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 April 2019– via Twitter.
4. "Worldwide Highest Grossing Bollywood Movies on 2019". Bollywood Hungama . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
5. "Mimi: Kriti Sanon's film releases four days early after online leak". Hindustan Times. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
6. Mimi Review: A moving take on motherhood and a sense of belonging , retrieved 27 July 2021
7. "Mimi Movie Review: Kriti Sanon starrer MIMI is a heartwarming saga, aimed at families and it will keep the audience thoroughly entertained. Strongly recommended". Bollywood Hungama.
8. Hungama, Bollywood (2 June 2023). "Zara Hatke Zara Bachke Box Office Collection | India | Day Wise | Box Office - Bollywood Hungama" . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
9. Hungama, Bollywood (14 February 2025). "Chhaava Box Office Collection | India | Day Wise | Box Office - Bollywood Hungama" . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
10. Hungama, Bollywood. "Worldwide Highest Grossing Bollywood Movies on 2025 - Bollywood Hungama" . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
11. "Luka Chuppi director Laxman Utekar: Wanted to tell a story which reflects Indian colours". The Indian Express. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
12. Hungama, Bollywood (15 September 2014). "Tingya director Mangesh Hadawale turns Creative Producer for Laxman Utekar's Tapaal | Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama . Retrieved 1 June 2019.
13. "Director Laxman Utekar Found 'Lalbaugchi Rani' during SRK's Don-2 Shoot - MarathiCineyug.com | Marathi Movie News | TV Serials | Theatre". marathicineyug.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
14. "Laxman Utekar: Feel hurt because we worked hard on film". www.mid-day.com. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
15. "Zara Hatke Zara Bach Ke: Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal starrer receives a title". Bollywood Hungama. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
16. "From Stree 2 to Tehran: Maddock Films announces 10 films for theatrical release, deets inside". Bollywood Hungama. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

External links

• Laxman Utekar at IMDb