Sajid Nadiadwala: The Man Behind Bollywood’s Biggest Hits

Sajid Nadiadwala is one of the biggest and most successful producers in Bollywood today. Over the past three decades, Nadiadwala has delivered some of Hindi cinema’s biggest blockbusters and has launched the careers of many top stars. With an astute understanding of what Indian mass audiences want, he has carved a niche for himself as the man with the golden gut to pick winners at the box office.

From Small Town Boy to Movie Mogul

Sajid Nadiadwala hails from a small town in Gujarat called Nadiad. Born in 1966, he grew up loving cinema thanks to his grandfather who was a movie distributor. After graduating college, Nadiadwala decided to try his luck in Bollywood even though he had no film connections.

He started off as an assistant director to veteran filmmaker S. Ramanathan. In 1992, Nadiadwala turned producer at the age of just 26 with the action movie Waqt Hamara Hai starring Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty. The film was a sleeper hit and marked the beginnings of his success story as a producer.

The Blockbuster Formula

After the success of his first film, there was no looking back for Sajid Nadiadwala. He went on to produce some of the biggest hits of the 1990s starring Akshay Kumar like Suhaag and Sabse Bada Khiladi.

Nadiadwala quickly figured out the formula to deliver blockbusters. His movies have:

• Star power – He casts the hottest stars to get audiences into theatres. From Akshay Kumar to Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Kartik Aaryan – Nadiadwala has worked with the top draws.
• Masala entertainment – His films have the perfect blend of action, comedy, romance, drama, and music. They combine larger-than-life storytelling with humor and spectacle.
• Universal appeal – Nadiadwala’s movies engage mass rural and urban audiences alike with their simplistic narratives about good vs evil.

The 2000s – A Golden Run

The 2000s represented a golden period in Sajid Nadiadwala’s career. He delivered some of the decade’s most popular and highest-grossing movies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Phir Hera Pheri, Jaan-E-Mann, Heyy Babyy, and Kambakkht Ishq.

Some notable hits were:

• Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) – The Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Priyanka Chopra starrer was one of the biggest earners of the year.
• Phir Hera Pheri (2006) – The sequel to the comic classic Hera Pheri featuring Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, and Paresh Rawal was a monster success.
• Heyy Babyy (2007) – One of the first new-age youth films of Bollywood starring Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan.
• Singh is Kinng (2008) – The action comedy with Akshay Kumar turned out to be his biggest hit ever at the time of its release.

The 2010s – Expanding His Reach

In the 2010s, Sajid Nadiadwala expanded his production slate by collaborating with more directors like Sajid Khan, Abhishek Varman, and Rohit Shetty. He also launched new stars like Tiger Shroff and Kartik Aaryan under his banner.

Some key Nadiadwala hits from this decade include:

• 2 States (2014) – The romantic drama starring Arjun Kapoor and Alia Bhatt was a sleeper success.
• Kick (2014) – Salman Khan’s action film became one of the biggest openings of all time.
• Baaghi (2016) – The action movie made Tiger Shroff an overnight sensation.
• Judwaa 2 (2017) – Varun Dhawan stepped into Salman Khan’s shoes for this hit comedy sequel.
• Chhichhore (2019) – The coming-of-age film won widespread critical acclaim and was a blockbuster.

The Current Era – Charting New Territory

In the last few years, Sajid Nadiadwala has been trying to push the envelope with unconventional stories headlined by fresh faces. He is grooming new directors and backing movies with newcomers.

Some of his recent diverse projects include:

• Heropanti (2014) – Marked Tiger Shroff’s foray into Bollywood.
• Baaghi 2 (2018) – Tiger Shroff’s successful action franchise continued.
• Chhalaang (2020) – A small town dramedy starring Rajkummar Rao and Nushrratt Bharuccha.
• Tadap (2021) – An unusual romantic thriller introducing Ahan Shetty.
• Bawaal (2023) – An upcoming drama starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor.

Nadiadwala has also diversified into regional cinema producing hit Marathi films like Lai Bhaari (2014).

The Secret of Sajid Nadiadwala Success

What is the secret behind Sajid Nadiadwala’s phenomenal success as a Bollywood producer? According to industry insiders, these are some of his winning ways:

• He has the gut instinct to know what stories and stars will appeal to the masses. Nadiadwala balances commerce and creativity well.
• He takes complete responsibility for his films. From story and casting to music and promotions – Nadiadwala oversees everything closely.
• He shares a great rapport with stars and elicits their best performances. Many do cameo roles in his films out of goodwill.
• Nadiadwala invests heavily in production values to make his movies into larger-than-life visual spectacles.
• He rewards loyalty and many collaborators like directors Sajid Khan and Shirish Kunder have worked with him since the beginning.

Carrying Forward a Legacy

Today, Sajid Nadiadwala heads one of the biggest production houses in India called Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. In 2018, he was honored by the Government of India with the Padma Shri award recognizing his contributions to Indian cinema.

With his son Subhan taking on more responsibility, it seems that the Nadiadwala legacy will continue to create entertainment gold for Indian audiences to enjoy for many more years to come. Sajid Nadiadwala’s journey teaches that with perseverance, vision, and an understanding of the pulse of the people, one can go from obscure beginnings to the very pinnacle of Bollywood success.

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