In a landscape where the post-pandemic OTT boom, coupled with the steep rise in ticket prices are making many producers steer clear of tentpole movies, Sajid Nadiadwala has not only kept his faith on the big-budget massy commercial entertainers his production house is known for, but has gone all out. His last release, Housefull 5, had a large ensemble cast of 19 actors, including Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan as part of the core cast along with the likes of Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Nana Patekar, Fardeen Khan, Chunky Panday, and was shot on a luxurious cruise ship in international waters for 40 days, making it one of the most expensive Indian comedies ever made. And if that was not enough, he even introduced a dual-ending concept. The movie went on to earn over Rs 300 crore worldwide--the first movie in the Housefull franchise to do so—making it the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2025 so far. But beyond the box office success, the franchise’s all-star cast, with Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Chunkey Pandey being permanent fixtures and Abhishek Bachchan and Bobby Deol joining in on multiple movies, is a prime example of the goodwill Nadiadwala has built in the industry and the strong bonds he has created with his actors over the years.
His next is Baaghi 4. Led by Tiger Shroff, it is yet another franchise movie known for its high-octane, gravity-defying action set pieces. With the fourth instalment, scheduled to release in theatres on September 5, Sajid is venturing into a fresh new space that is much darker and more intense. “Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment (NGE) is turning 75 this year, and this is the first time I have made an adult-rated movie,” says the producer, who is a staunch believer of massy family entertainers. With this instalment, the Baaghi franchise, helmed by Tiger Shroff and known for its explosive, physics-defying stunts, is set to get a brutal upgrade and the deliberate adults-only rating indicates that shift. In fact, it is this keeping up with the times while staying true to its core, that has solidified Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment’s legacy as one of the top production houses of Bollywood, while many of its contemporaries were forced to shut shop owing to the volatile nature of the business.
Even now, when there is a mad rush among Bollywood production houses to co-opt South cinema after losing much of its box-office to pan-Indian movies post the pandemic, Sajid has held his ground. Instead of aping the commercial South cinema, which in itself can be called a derivative of Bollywood’s masala entertainers of the ’80s, he has gone on a full-on Bollywood mode. Ask him if he has taken notes from blockbusters like Pushpa, RRR, and KGF, and he quips: “Well, after seeing their success I know that I am on the correct path!”
However, his production house is as prolific with high-content films as it is with the high-concept ones. Beyond the star-studded over-the-top franchise movies and multi- starrer entertainers, he is also the man behind critically acclaimed, socially relevant movies like 83 (2021), Super 30 (2019), Chhichhore (2019), Highway (2014), Tamasha (2015) that have over the years garnered cult followings. Chhichhore even bagged the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
But then, cinema runs in his blood. He is a third-generation film producer, and his family is completing 75 years in the business this year. “Whatever I have learnt, I have learnt from them. I also had five uncles…you can say that I have taken some 20-20% from everybody. And rest I owe it to my education,” Sajid says.
Born on February 18, 1966, the grandson of Abdul Karim Nadiadwala, who produced an impressive slate of movies that include the likes of Taj Mahal (1963), and Chitralekha (1964), he started off as a mere production assistant. But by the age of 25, he founded a production company to take forward his grandfather’s legacy. Today, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment (NGE) is a multi-crore film production house. Sajid Nadiadwala, a qualified chartered accountant with a degree in law, has scripted his own success story in Bollywood as a media mogul with the same skill and sincerity with which he pens his blockbuster movies. And a key to his success in both might be the fact that he has never let his head overpower his heart. His strong and lasting friendships, especially with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, have not only translated into great on-screen collaborations but also reflect the kind of person he is—a rare find in an industry throbbing with opportunists and freeloaders. While picking his project, he approaches a movie as an audience first, and then as a businessman. If he has his finger on the commercial pulse of Indian cinema, it is because filmmaking is not just a business; it is a deeply personal venture that comes from his lifelong love for the movies. His continued connect with the masses is his secret sauce.
Your family has a legacy in Bollywood. How has that shaped your approach to cinema?
To begin with, my exposure to cinema while growing up was only watching films in our own theatre, attending mahurat, eating laddoos and attending premieres. Other than that, I was very academic, I wanted to be a chartered accountant, I wanted to become a lawyer, I wanted to crack the UPSC. So, the legacy came in later when I passed the first two exams of chartered accountancy and law, but I could not clear UPSC. And for some reasons I had to take up the role of an interim production in charge in a film called Ghulami (1985), which my family was producing. That is how I got into it. It was then that the legacy entrapped me—and the DNA started to show its magic. I was pulled in the world of cinema, dragged into the system.
What are your earliest memories of growing up around cinema?
We had our own theatres, and we used to watch films continuously—I would watch one film about 20 or 25 times from the projection room. We owned two theatres in Malad. I would watch the same film every day and note the reactions of the audience…how people would clap at one particular point in a movie, when they will whistle, when they would get up to go to the washroom—I would wonder why they all want to pee at the same time [laughs]. It used to be great fun. Movies used to run for around 10 weeks, and it would be the same reaction every time. Then during the bad films people would walk out almost around the same time. It was all great fun. But I also started learning about what works and what doesn’t early on from those reactions.
What inspired you to join the film industry, especially as a producer and why not become an actor instead?
I don't know, maybe because I was more into commerce. But I learnt a lot about editing and other technical aspects. But definitely if I weren’t a producer, I would have taken myself as an actor!
How was the job like when you had started off?
I started in the ’80s as an assistant…I had worked as the 12th assistant, the 15th assistant. The most important job on the set then was to get ice and chai ki patti. We were supposed to get the actors from the airport during outdoor shoots, and asked to find the most difficult things like flowers in a desert etc. Also, one big task was to maintain the continuity—there were no continuity sheets and sometimes there would be a gap of three to five years between shooting a particular scene. So, we had to check the negative to see what Smita Patil was wearing or what Reena Roy was wearing, and get the clothes arranged. Also, during that long gap, sometimes their sizes would change so we would have to get the clothes restitched. It was great fun.
Now it's different; everything is so professional that we finish films in four months. I am lucky that I have managed to grow and adapt to both worlds—I was committed when I was working with Dharamji (Ghulami) or Amitabh Bachchan (Yaarana) , and I am equally committed today while working with Tiger Shroff (Baaghi franchise), or Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) or Ranbir Kapoor (Tamasha). It is a different thing that I am also still as scared before each release as I was when I had started off (chuckles). The passion remains the same.
What makes Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment stand out in such a competitive industry?
No, we don't stand out, we stand in! We are part of the fraternity. We are inclusive people, and we make films for everyone. While we have some great films that have got critical acclaim for their sensibilities like Chhichhore, Highway, Two States, Tamasha, 83, Super 30 etc, we also do intelligent action films like Kick and the Baaghi series. And there are the over-the-top large grand one like the Housefull franchise. Basically, I want to make movies that my entire family can watch an enjoy together, because I'm still scared of my family [laughs]. On a serious note, I want my films to be enjoyed by the nation as one. I don’t want to make movies that divide our people. I want people to come under one roof, one cinema, and laugh away their miseries. I don’t want to make movies that give out a bad message, even if the content is based on true events.
The Nadiadwala's are completing 75 years in the business this year, and till now I have never made an A-rated movie. But now I am venturing into that space with Baaghi 4.
Do you think Indian audience is finally ready for blood and gore, especially with the box office success of movies like Marco, Animal, and Kill?
I've not seen Marco, but I've seen Animal. Let me give you an example: when a lady is pregnant, she is often told to look at the photograph of a good person to get a child like that. Similarly, when I write a film (I've written this film) I also visualise something while I'm writing something. So fortunately, Animal was released then. I watched the movie while I was writing Baaghi 4, and it was like that photograph in from of that pregnant lady.
When you are a fan of somebody or you like something so much, these things happen. Is the story same? No. Are the characters same? No. Is the music similar? No. What is similar is the way the killings are choreographed—the way they kill, the way they take revenge against each other. But then, there are just two, three ways to choreograph on-screen fighting—I could have done the Tiger Zinda Hai way or the Kick way maybe.
People are saying that it is similar to Animal. When we saw the film, I also realised that unknowingly, we've done something which looks the same. But it is bound to. I mean, it's such a beautiful film. Why would I not be inspired by it? But the story is not similar. It is my anger, my angst. It is an entirely different film; when you watch the film, you will realise it.
Are there CBFC concerns?
Where CBFC comes in, we are very particular about where to draw a line. And if we have crossed that line, then CBFC keeps us behind the line again. So, we respect them. And I have never faced them before as we have never made any A-rated movie before Baaghi 4. And it is an Adult rated movie not because of sex, vulgarity, or misogyny, but because of the brutal violence—I have written a crazy antagonist for this film and to match up to him, my protagonist also needs to be of that level.
What is the strategy you follow for a franchise?
There is no strategy. It is about the audience. When it comes to a franchise… first film is created by the producer, the rest of the films are made by the audience. We are nobody to make a Baaghi 4 or a Housefull 5. If Housefull 5 has done 200 crores at a time like this, that means there is an opening for Housefull 6. Similarly, for Baaghi 4…it was on its own merit.
We try our best to ensure that we don’t saturate our franchise. We try things that the audience has not seen before—for example: in Housefull we tried reincarnation, comedy of errors, and a murder mystery.
Many of your films are known for their lavish production. How important is scale when it comes to a mass entertainer?
See, till the time we are not serving to a 40-inch or 60-inch TV or 100-inch TV, the scale needs to be up. The moment you go in for OTT, you need to have heavy duty content. When you go in for mass, community watching, you want people to stand, shake, shout, cry, whistle, clap, dance. These can only happen if you have a great visual and you transport the audience to the world inside. That transportation needs great visualisation and that is why they look lavish.
With a growing emphasis on content, how do you see the future of star power in ensuring the success of mass entertainers?
Now, the monsoon is going on. So, you don't see the stars sometimes. But star system will never go. Indians are fond of stars. We idealise people. We may change our stars. We may do something else. But as long as this universe is there, the stars will always be there. Newcomers also will come. They will also become stars. So, this system is going to be around forever.
Yes, content can replace anybody in the world. Content is supposed to be the king. But just imagine if you have good content and the movie is helmed by a star. Then what happens? Then you get a Pushpa, a Pathan, and a Jawan. So, the content is like the cake, and the star is like the cherry on top. If a particular film is hit and if it has a star, it will do 10x business. But if it is not a hit, then the star can't do anything.
You’ve consistently pulled off big budget multi-starrer films. Do you think they’re more “risk-proof” compared to solo-hero films?
Not necessarily. Kick needed a solo hero. But a film like Housefull can’t have a solo Hero. So, it depends on the script. Multistarrers take time. Great cinemas often take longer time to make; time should not be the essence of filmmaking. The audience don’t understand how long it take for a movie to get completed; they are just interested in good content. I've always tried to attempt things which are different. I have got superstars like Sunny Deol -Salman Khan and Salman Khan - Akshay Kumar to share screen space. I have made six-hero, seven-hero movies. You make some bigger projects and in-between you make some smaller ones. There is risk in everything…from the time I leave home to the office, the risk starts. No part of life is risk-free.
How do you gauge what the audience wants, especially in a time when preferences are shifting quickly? Do you think there needs to be a different strategy for mass commercial cinema?
The audience has not shifted. Otherwise, Gadar 2 wouldn't have worked after 20 years. Chhaava wouldn't have worked. These films are made by Indians, for Indian audience. I don't think there is a strategy. Just make what your heart feels. If you are a pure Indian in your heart, you have your sentiments at the right place, 99 per cent you will not go wrong. That's why our company has so many hits. The whole structure of our company is basically Hindustani, very Indian—I watch Indian films, I listen to Indian music, we talk in Hindi among ourselves. If you are creative and you are an Indian, you will make Indian films. Some will go right, some will go wrong, but there is no strategy. The thing is the audience should feel for the film and spend 500 rupees to watch it in the theatres.
It all starts with the premise of the story. Just like the audience decides if they want to watch the movie by seeing its trailer, the maker also visualises a trailer of the movie before investing in it. For example, for Chhichhore, it was a one-line trailer for me: it's a reunion on the death of a child. That was enough for me to invest 60-70 crores in it.
Are there any notes from South Indian films like Pushpa, RRR, and KGF that you have taken as a Bollywood movie producer?
Only that after seeing this success I know that I am on the correct path! Sometimes you come across some kind of cinema that surprises you and you wonder if you can make those. But when these films come and they become blockbusters, then I feel little secured. For this is the kind of cinema I can definitely make.
Do you think theatrical releases are becoming less viable?
You are asking this to a guy who grew up in the theatres! Theatres will always stay. We first write a good script. Then we make lovely songs. Then we shoot well at great locations. Then we do great dubbing, mixing, great casting. And after that, we go to God to say, please make a film hit. So finally, it is there only, nothing else matters.
Do you have any plans to venture into OTT?
It is a different art. OTT has a different way and speed to tell a story. I will venture into it once I get some great content that fits that format. I am still a theatre guy all the way. Even the very first film I directed, Kick (2014) had crossed 300 crores worldwide. So, I am a pure theatrical guy at heart, and I am a little worried that when I make something for the OTT, it should not be a theatrical film. Both are very different formats. You cannot make an OTT film for the theatre and theatrical film for OTT. So, once I am ready for it, I will get into it.
What keeps you going after decades in the industry? Is it still the same drive that you started with?
I think in the last five years I've started working better. I am getting stronger. It feels like I'm getting out of my teens now. I am more driven…I feel the need to make better cinema, to make cinema that is different. I am working with filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, Nitesh Tiwari, and Vishal Bhardwaj. It keeps me on the edge…I love to get up in the morning with the fear of the Friday box office. I know that a Vishal Bharadwaj film will not get the same opening as that of Kick but will get the audience via word of mouth. When I made Jeet (1996), it ran for 75 weeks. Judwaa (1997) ran for 50 weeks. A Tamasha or a Highway would have a very different box office run. But that is the fun of it, that is what keeps me going.
You are looking great these days and seem to have taken a fresh interest in fitness…
I have changed a lot in the past two years. My body fat percentage has come down from 35 to 15. My waist has become 27. My arms have become 16 and a half. I train for two hours every day at the gym. I play soccer on Sundays. I also meditate and do yoga. Two years back, I had a small health scare that required a surgery, and it was a wakeup call for me. I realised the importance of taking care of one’s health. The mind doesn't work right if the body is not working properly. I am not an actor, and I don’t need to flaunt a great physique. But I have been training arduously so that I can work better, write better, think better, and make better cinema. My job often requires me to keep standing on the set for hours at a stretch. Now that I am editing Baaghi 4, I am working for about 18-19 hours a day. And to pull these things off, I need all parts of my anatomy to be fit and functioning at their optimum levels. To make good cinema, you need a strong spine, quite literally--you need a good head on one's shoulders but also strong shoulders to support that head.
Credits:
Photographer: Avinash Gowariker (@avigowariker)
Make Up: G.A. JAMES
Hair: Bhushan Shinde
Stylist: Ashish Sharma
Stylist Assistant: Akansha Chaturvedi
Media Consultant: Universal Communications (@universal_communications)
