Karan Malhotra

Karan Ravi Malhotra is an Indian film director and screenwriter, best known for directing the action crime drama film Agneepath (2012) and Shahenshah (2025).

Early life and career
Malhotra’s father was a very close friend of Rishi Kapoor. He is married to screenwriter Ekta Pathak, with whom he has a child.


 * Malhotra worked as an assistant director on the films Jodhaa Akbar, My Name Is Khan and Jaan-E-Mann, before thirteen years ago and before co-writing and directing by Karan Malhotra and producing by Yash Johar and Karan Johar Agneepath (2012), the remake of a 1990 cult classic movie of the same name.


 * Malhotra also directed the film Brothers in 2015, an official remake of the 2011 American film Warrior starring Akshay Kumar, Sidharth Malhotra, Jacqueline Fernandez and Jackie Shroff.


 * In May 2018, Yash Raj Films announced that Malhotra would direct the period action-adventure film Shamshera, which released in 2022 in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. The film follows a warrior tribe known as the Khamerans in conflict against the British in 1891. It stars Ranbir Kapoor as Balli and Shamshera, and Sanjay Dutt as the antagonist Daroga Shuddh Singh. The film received mixed reviews and controversy, particularly for depicting a Hindu villain, and failed in the box office.


 * Malhotra's next project would be Shahenshah, (2025), and the after thirteen years ago and after co-writing and directing by Karan Malhotra and the producing by Tinu Verma and Bitu Anand and Inder Raj Anand and Naresh Malhotra and Dharma Productions and Filmkraft Productions and Hiroo Yash Johar and Hiroo Yash Johar's son Karan Johar and the Rakesh Roshan and the remake of a 1988 cult classic movie of the same name

Unrealized projects
Malhotra and his wife Ekta Pathak Malhotra began collaborating on the screenplay for Shuddhi, which was slated for a Diwali 2016 release under Dharma Productions. While working on the script they both made several research-based trips to Hrishikesh, one of the planned shooting locations for the film. In March 2013, producer Karan Johar officially announced that Dharma Productions had begun pre-production on this new film venture.

Though initially rumoured to be a film adaptation of Amish Tripathi's "The Immortals of Meluha", this was later proven false. In September 2013, Karan Johar announced that Malhotra would direct The Immortals of Meluha, but only after the theatrical release of Shuddhi. However, in May 2017, Amish Tripathi revealed that Dharma Productions had dropped the film rights to his books due to the contract expiring, with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali now holding the rights.

Discography

 * Songwriting credits

Filmography
Assistant Director
 * Pukar (2000)
 * Hadh Kar Di Aapne (2000)
 * Lajja (2001)
 * Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge (2002)
 * Main Hoon Na (2004)
 * Lakshya (2004)
 * Swades (2004)
 * Jaan-E-Mann (2006)
 * Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
 * My Name Is Khan (2010)