Nikhil in search of junior Akki

Nikhil Advani has started the shooting of his new movie Patiala House but still the director hasn't been able to find the right face to play the junior Akshay Kumar. Nikhil Advani is also planning to launch a talent hunt to find the suitable teenager who looks and behaves like Akshay.

The scenes are part of a flashback where Akki's on screen father, Rishi Kapoor, interacts with his 17-year-old son. The director also said that the talent hunt is just an option.

On the other side Nikhil has also approached Akshay's cousin to play the character. The director also needs an actor to play young Rishi Kapoor. The earlier plan of casting Ranbir Kapoor as Rishi was dropped.

Karan appreciates Ayan

When Karan Johar appreciates the words come out and overflow. On this occasion when the movie 'Wake up Sid!' has reported an excellent opening, he is appreciating the director of the movie Ayan Mukherji.




"Ayan has earned it all. Really, no one other than Ayan could have made this film. His story made me realize that we all have been Sids at some point in our younger days. We all have gone through that phase. We have thought like that. Pick up any family and you would find a Sid. It is this identifiable factor that had made Wake Up Sid click with audiences in a big way", says Karan Johar.

Earlier also Karan has given the opportunity of direction to first timers like Nikhil Advani (Kal Ho Na Ho), Soham Shah (Kaal) and Tarun Mansukhani (Dostana). He says that the first time directors cannot afford to be just talented and creative, they need more than that. According to him, they should be able to nurture good relationships with their cast and crew off set too.

Karan Johar sounds more like a management guru when he says, “See 80% part of a filmmaker's job is to handle people and their emotions. Once you are able to do that as a director, creativity automatically steps in. One should always possess people management skills; that makes the entire filmmaking process quite efficient."

Nikhil Advani Director of KHNH

Nikhil Advani, born on April 28, 1971 is an Indian director in the Bollywood industry.

Advani was born in Mumbai. His father has a Pharmaceutical business and his mother is an advertising professional. He did his Masters in chemistry at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, India.

As the Film Director, he was debut vehicle was a masterpiece titled Kal Ho Naa Ho that released in 2003 starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and Jaya Bachchan. The film was the second biggest hit of 2003 and firmly established him as a director. The film won six Filmfare awards, but lost out on the best director award.. His other films though did not make such impact namely Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and the debacle Chandni Chowk To China that relesed in 2009.

He has been the Associate Director of hit candy floss films of Dharma Productions Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

As a writer, he has penned the script of Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007). The film has a huge star cast:- Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Sohail Khan, Vidya Balan, John Abraham, Akshaye Khanna, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, Anil Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Shannon Esra and
Anjana Zukhani. The film was produced by Sunil Manchanda, Mukesh Talreja and Chetan Motiwalla and released on January 25, 2007 to mixed reviews.

He is also set to direct an animated film titled Ab Dilli Door Nahin for release in 2009.He will also start shoot his next film Chandbhai in February which will also star Akshay Khanna.

Even though Chandni Chowk To China has disappointed, Nikhil has announced that he will once more work with the film's lead star Akshay Kumar. Chand Bhai will be the title of this film and fellow Indian actress Vidya Balan has been approached for the leading lady role

He will turn producer with the upcoming film Basra (2010)