Shashank Khaitan is an Indian film director, producer, and writer, known for his work in Bollywood. A multi-talented film professional, he gained recognition through his affiliation with Dharma Productions. Khaitan began his career in showbiz in the year 2000. He started by teaching dance. Then, needing the proper guidance in filmmaking, he joined Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods International Institute to gain entry into Bollywood. After graduating in 2008, he started his script-writing career. Between 2010 and 2013, he wrote seven screenplays with dialogues and sent each one to the creative team at Dharma Productions. The production house approved his final script for Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. Karan Johar roped him in to direct the film, which made waves in the Hindi film industry. Grossing over Rs. one billion worldwide, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) was a hit at the box office. Khaitan's second directorial venture was The Bride of Badrinath (2017). Again, backed by Dharma Productions, it was yet another commercial success, earning nearly Rs. two billion globally. He then directed Dhadak (2018) (2018), starring Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter in the lead roles. A remake of the hit Marathi film Sairat (2016), Dhadak received less critical appreciation. However, it was a success at the box office. In 2019, Khaitan started his career as a producer with the film Good Newwz (2019) and the horror thriller Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020). In 2021, he directed the segment Majnu in the Netflix anthology Ajeeb Daastaans (2021). Khaitan then became a writer and director for the comedy thriller Govinda Naam Mera (2022), starring Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, and Bhumi Satish Pednekkar. Wanting to try his hand at acting, Khaitan appeared in the short film Roorkee By-Pass (2008) as Manohar, in Ishaqzaade (2012) as Dharma Chauhan, and in Govinda Naam Mera (2022) as Anand Joshi. He forayed into music as well. He worked as a lyricist for Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania and Ajeeb Daastaans (2021). Khaitan received a nomination for the Most Promising Debut Director for the film Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania at the Apsara Film Producers Guild Awards (2015). He was also nominated for the Best Director category at the Filmfare Awards and The Screen Awards for Badrinath Ki Dulhania in 2018. His film Good Newwz received a Viewer's Choice Award nomination at the Zee Cine Awards 2020 for Best Film. Khaitan has appeared in TV series like Talk Shop (2017). He was also the judge for 22 episodes of the Indian dance reality show Dance Deewane (2018) with Madhuri Dixit and Tushar Kalia. In 2016, he appeared as himself in one episode of The Kapil Sharma Show (2016).
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Biography from IMDb.
- February 27, 1982 (44)
- Kolkata, West Bengal, India
- Writer, director, producer, actor and composer
- 10 on MovieCove
What are Shashank Khaitan's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 9
A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 1 · Dark 4
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 3
A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 3
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1
Casual 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 2
Resolved 7 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy6
- Bittersweet2
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Shashank Khaitan's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Shashank Khaitan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
10 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page.
Single Papa(2025)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Yodha(2024)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Ajeeb Daastaans(2021)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Dil Bechara(2020)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Bride of Badrinath(2017)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Ishaqzaade(2012)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Career shape
Across their 10 MovieCove titles from 2012 to 2025.
How do Shashank Khaitan's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th3
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 10 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved2
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Mixed4
Reviewers score the dialogue 54/100 and the plot and story 42/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Shashank Khaitan's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Shashank Khaitan work with?
People who share at least 2 of Shashank Khaitan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Apoorva Mehta shares the most, 7.
Writers
- Ishita MoitraShared titles: Single Papa (2025), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Ishita Moitra
Actors
- Varun DhawanShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Varun Dhawan
- Alia BhattShared titles: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Alia Bhatt
- Sahil VaidShared titles: Dil Bechara (2020), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Sahil Vaid
- Tota Roy ChowdhuryShared titles: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021)See all 2 shared titles with Tota Roy Chowdhury
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Manan SagarShared titles: Single Papa (2025), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Manan Sagar
- John Stewart EduriShared titles: Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with John Stewart Eduri
- Manush NandanShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Manush Nandan
- Pritam ChakrabortyShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Pritam Chakraborty
Producers
- Apoorva MehtaShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), Yodha (2024), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 7 shared titles with Apoorva Mehta
- Karan JoharShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), Yodha (2024), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Ajeeb Daastaans (2021), Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 7 shared titles with Karan Johar
- Hiroo JoharShared titles: Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (2025), Yodha (2024), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020), The Bride of Badrinath (2017), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 6 shared titles with Hiroo Johar
- Navmeet SinghShared titles: Yodha (2024), Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)See all 3 shared titles with Navmeet Singh