Kanika Dhillon is an Indian author and screenwriter. As an author, she has released three novels, ''Bombay Duck is a Fish'' (2011), a satire on the Indian film industry, the young adult superhero novel ''Shiva and the Rise of the Shadows'' (2013), and the drama ''The Dance of Durga'' (2016). Dhillon has written the screenplay for the
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
superhero film ''
Ra.One
''Ra.One'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in double roles and Arjun Rampal as the titular antagonist, with Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu, Da ...
'' (2011), the
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
–
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
bilingual comedy ''
Size Zero
Size zero or size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system. Size 0 and 00 were invented due to the changing of clothing sizes over time (referred to as vanity sizing or size inflation), which has caused the adoption of lower nu ...
'' (2015), and the romantic drama ''
Manmarziyaan
''Manmarziyaan'' (; ), released internationally as ''Husband Material'', is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Anurag Kashyap and written by Kanika Dhillon. Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee ...
'' (2018)
Life and career
Kanika Dhillon was born in
Amritsar
Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
, and after completing her undergraduate education from
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, widely regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges for arts and sciences in India. It was established in 1881 by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. The college ...
, she pursued a master's degree at the
London School of Economics
, mottoeng = To understand the causes of things
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £240.8 million (2021)
, budget = £391.1 millio ...
. Soon after graduating, she relocated to Mumbai and worked as a script supervisor for
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...
's production company
Red Chillies Entertainment
Red Chillies Entertainment is an Indian visual effects, production and distribution company established by actor Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan in 2002. It was transformed from the defunct Dreamz Unlimited. Based in Mumbai, the studio's ...
. She went on to serve as an assistant director for the company's 2007 film ''
Om Shanti Om
''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language fantasy romance film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies E ...
''.
After working as a script supervisor for another one of the company's production, the comedy-drama ''
Billu
''Billu'', previously known as ''Billu Barber'', is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film by Priyadarshan, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and distributed by Eros International, with an adapted screenplay by Manisha Korde and M ...
'' (2009), Dhillon went on to write for two television series, the
NDTV Imagine
Imagine TV was a Hindi general entertainment channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, and based in New Delhi.
The channel was known for shows such as '' Ramayan (2008), Chandragupta Maurya, '' Swayamvar'', ''Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo'', ''M ...
sitcom ''
Ghar Ki Baat Hai
''Ghar Ki Baat Hai'' is an Indian Hindi television sitcom on NDTV Imagine in 2009.
Cast
* Ali Asgar as Various characters
* Sumeet Raghavan as Rajdeep Yagnik
* Juhi Babbar as Radhika Yagnik
* Swapnil Joshi as Kapil Kumar
* Malini Naalapp ...
'' (2009) and the
Disney India
The Walt Disney Company India Private Limited, known simply as Disney India, is the Indian subsidiary of the Indo Pacific region of the American media and entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharasht ...
children's show ''
Ishaan: Sapno Ko Awaaz De'' (2010–2011).
In 2011, Dhillon published her first novel, the satire ''Bombay Duck is a Fish'', about Neki Brar, a girl aspiring for a career in
Hindi films
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
. The book was launched by Shah Rukh Khan. Reviewing the book for ''
Daily News and Analysis
Publications established in 2005
Newspapers published in Mumbai
English-language newspapers published in India
Daily newspapers published in India
Essel Group
2005 establishments in Maharashtra ...
'', Rupa Gulab found it to be "a racy and witty lowdown on peer politics, star egos, sleaze, love rats, spot boys, junior artistes, ‘gora’ extras, etc." Rashi Tiwari of
News18
Network18 Media & Investments Limited, (formerly SGA Finance and Management Service and Network18 Fincap Limited) commonly referred to as the Network18 Group and sometimes as the Network18–Eenadu Group, is an Indian media conglomerate owned b ...
commented that the book "is written with a light touch but nevertheless strikes a chord with not just Bollywood aspirants but also those looking for a fantastical getaway." Also that year, she served as a screenwriter for the superhero film ''
Ra.One
''Ra.One'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in double roles and Arjun Rampal as the titular antagonist, with Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu, Da ...
'', directed by
Anubhav Sinha
Anubhav Sinha (born 22 June 1965) is an Indian film director, producer and writer who works in Hindi films. He is notable for movies like '' Ra.One'', '' Tum Bin'', '' Dus'', '' Mulk'', '' Article 15'' and ''Thappad''.
Early and personal life
...
and starring Khan.
For her prime accomplishments, ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...
'' honoured Dhillon in 2012 at their annual youth summit "Top 30 Under 30". Following ''Ra.One'', Dhillon was keen to write a superhero novel aimed at teenagers. Inspired by the doomsday theories of 2012, she released her next book, ''Shiva & The Rise of The Shadows'' in 2013. In 2015, she served as the writer for the
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
–
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
bilingual comedy ''
Size Zero
Size zero or size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system. Size 0 and 00 were invented due to the changing of clothing sizes over time (referred to as vanity sizing or size inflation), which has caused the adoption of lower nu ...
'', which starred
Anushka Shetty as an overweight woman who admits herself to a weight loss clinic. Initially written for Hindi film, it was eventually made in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
after Dhillon's husband, the filmmaker
Prakash Kovelamudi, liked the script and directed it himself.
Dhillon's third novel, ''The Dance of Durga'', was released in 2016. It tells the story of Rajjo, a naive young woman who transforms into a
Godwoman.
In a review for ''Hindustan Times'', Khushboo Shukla labelled the book "gripping" and commended Dhillon for successfully exploring faith and culture of rural India. Deepa Suryanarayan of ''
Femina'' praised the complex character of Rajjo and wrote that despite the character's misdeeds, she had empathised with Rajjo.
Dhillon has written the scripts for the 2018 Hindi films
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France a ...
's drama ''
Manmarziyaan
''Manmarziyaan'' (; ), released internationally as ''Husband Material'', is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Anurag Kashyap and written by Kanika Dhillon. Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee ...
'', starring
Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan and the grandson of poet Harivansh Rai Bach ...
,
Taapsee Pannu
Taapsee Pannu (born 1 August 1987) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films. She is the recipient of three Filmfare Awards.
After a brief modelling career, Pannu ventured into acting with the Telugu film ''Jh ...
, and
Vicky Kaushal
Vicky Kaushal (; born 16 May 1988) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. Kaushal is the recipient of numerous accolades including a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and has appeared in '' Forbes India'' Celebrit ...
; and
Abhishek Kapoor
Abhishek Kapoor (born 6 August 1971) is an Indian film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema.
Career
He started his career as an actor in 1996 with movies ''Aashique Mastane'', opposite ''Monica Bedi'', directed by ''Ajay Kashyap'' an ...
's romance ''
Kedarnath
Kedarnath is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India, known primarily for the Kedarnath Temple. It is approximately 86 kilometres from Rudraprayag, the district headquarter. Kedarnath is the most remote of the ...
'', starring
Sushant Singh Rajput
Sushant Singh Rajput (21 January 1986 – 14 June 2020) was an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. He starred in a number of commercially successful Hindi films such as ''M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story'' (2016), ''Kedarn ...
and Sara Ali Khan.
She has also written the script of her husband's satire on mental illness, ''
Judgemental Hai Kya'', starring
Kangana Ranaut
Kangna Amardeep Ranaut (; born 23 March 1987) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works in Hindi films. Known for her work in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards and five Filmfar ...
and
Rajkummar Rao
Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav; 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, three ...
.The right wing Hindu Nationalists started a Twitter campaign to boycott movie Raksha Bandhan which she wrote. The campaign was against her liberal views.
During promotion of judgemental hai kya, director Prakash Kovelamudi and Kanika announced their separation and said they were already separated two years earlier.
Personal life
Kanika married her first husband, director
Prakash Kovelamudi, in 2014 and divorced him in 2017.
In January 2021, Kanika married Himanshu Sharma.
Bibliography
* ''Bombay Duck is a Fish'' (2011)
* ''Shiva and the Rise of the Shadows'' (2013)
* ''The Dance of Durga'' (2016)
Filmography
Film
Television
* ''
Ghar Ki Baat Hai
''Ghar Ki Baat Hai'' is an Indian Hindi television sitcom on NDTV Imagine in 2009.
Cast
* Ali Asgar as Various characters
* Sumeet Raghavan as Rajdeep Yagnik
* Juhi Babbar as Radhika Yagnik
* Swapnil Joshi as Kapil Kumar
* Malini Naalapp ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Ishaan: Sapno Ko Awaaz De'' (2010–2011)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhillon, Kanika
Living people
Indian women television writers
Writers from Amritsar
St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai alumni
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Indian women screenwriters
Indian television writers
Women writers from Punjab, India
Screenwriters from Punjab, India
Indian women novelists
1982 births