Born in Aurangabad and raised in Kolhapur, Nikhil Namit’s story begins far from the glamour of cinema or boardrooms. His parents were professors at the University of Mumbai, and he grew up in an environment where education was everything. But while he inherited their intellect, he learned his greatest lessons outside the classroom. “My father dreamed of seeing me become an IFS officer, but I was drawn to storytelling and cinema.”
As a young boy at St. Xavier’s High School, Kolhapur, Nikhil was once caught cheating in an exam — a moment that would redefine him. He says,
“I can still picture my father’s face. That disappointment became my fire. I promised myself I’d never give him a reason to look at me that way again.”
Two years later, his parents were invited as chief guests at his school’s annual day function. “That was my redemption moment,” he says. “I had earned back their pride — and more importantly, my own.”
After school, he moved to Mumbai to pursue Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Atharva College, Malad. Ironically, he failed his first year — a hard pill to swallow for the son of two professors. With his mother’s steady encouragement, Nikhil chose to start over, turning that early failure into the turning point of his life.
Today, Nikhil Namit stands among India’s most dynamic entrepreneurs. He is the CEO of Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd., Founder of Urja Petroleum, Naadkhula Music, and NS Retails.
The Dream That Refused to Die
At 12, Nikhil begged his father to let him attend Superstar Salman Khan’s concert in Kolhapur in 1998. His father refused because of a math exam the next day — and instead made him study through the night. “I thought I’d missed my only chance to see Salman Khan,” Nikhil smiles. But destiny had already chosen its course.
Years later, Nikhil not only met Salman Khan but went on to work with him for over two decades, producing some of the actor’s biggest and most loved films. “I fondly call him Salman Bhai now,” Nikhil smiles. Working with him has been a dream.
Nikhil met another man who completely changed his life — Atul Agnihotri.
“Atul Sir has been more than a mentor — he’s my Godfather. He told me filmmaking should be your passion, but find a business that sustains your dreams. This single line became my mantra and the foundation of everything I built. Everyone should have a guru in life, someone who guides, corrects, and grounds you. Atul Sir became that for me. I owe a large part of who I am today to him.”
Fuel, Fire & Fortune
With that advice echoing in his mind, Nikhil turned his energy toward entrepreneurship.
In 2008, he started Urja Petroleum — an Indian Oil fuel station on a highway near Aurangabad. Setting it up wasn’t easy. “I often slept at the petrol pump while learning the oil trade first-hand, meeting Indian Oil officials, mastering logistics, and running operations until Urja turned profitable.
For years, Nikhil split his week between Aurangabad and Mumbai — three days managing the pump and four days chasing his film dreams. With no experience or financial backup, he handled everything himself and built strong trust among customers.
Soon, they started selling over 400 KL of fuel per month, far exceeding projections. This success led to Urja Transport, which manages fuel logistics in Maharashtra.
“I come from a simple background and built everything from the ground up — I’m a self-made man in every sense of the word.”
From Fuel Pumps to Film Sets
While Urja Petroleum grew steadily, Nikhil’s creative spark never dimmed. Under Atul Agnihotri’s mentorship, he became CEO of Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd. during the making of Hello. “It was a huge responsibility, but Atul Sir’s faith in me pushed me beyond my limits.”
Encouraged by Alvira Khan Agnihotri, he refined his craft at the New York Film Academy, Los Angeles, USA, gaining an international perspective on filmmaking and production management. Those months changed everything; they taught me how to think like a director, a businessman, and an artist — all at once.
Under his leadership, Reel Life Production delivered celebrated blockbuster hits — Bodyguard starring Salman Khan & Kareena Kapoor, Bharat starring Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif, Radhe starring Salman Khan & Disha Patani, Hello (based on Chetan Bhagat’s One Night at the Call Centre), and Farrey starring Alizeh — with Farrey earning Alizeh the Filmfare Award for Best Debut (2023).
Bodyguard became the highest-grossing Indian film of 2011, sweeping awards nationwide and cementing Nikhil’s reputation as a sharp, disciplined producer who could turn vision into victory.
In 2014, he produced O Teri — a project that didn’t perform as expected. “That film was a tough lesson,” he admits. “But it taught me resilience. You don’t stop after falling; you learn, evolve, and start again stronger.”
His work has taken him across the world — from attending the Busan, American, Berlin, and Cannes Film Festivals to filming large-scale projects across Dubai for O Teri, Abu Dhabi (UAE), Malta for Bharat, and Australia for Farrey. He shares,
“These experiences broadened my creative vision and taught me how to manage film productions across diverse cultural and logistical landscapes. Every set is a classroom, every country teaches me something new about art, about people, about patience. Filmmaking is not just art — it’s architecture built from patience and purpose.”
The Retail Reinvention
In 2013, Nikhil ventured into fashion and founded NS Retails, operating the Being Human Clothing franchise stores across Pune, Nagpur, Indore, and Surat. Within years, the company grew to nine outlets and was recognized for the highest-performing stores nationwide.
“Retail taught me business psychology — how people think, how they buy, what inspires them.”
Naadkhula Music — The Sound of Success
When the pandemic halted the world, Nikhil pivoted again — this time to music.
He founded Naadkhula Music, a Marathi label that soon became a digital sensation for giving a platform to Marathi talent.
With chartbusters like Mi Naadkhula and Aapli Yaari crossing 100 million views and a one-million-strong YouTube audience, Naadkhula redefined regional music online. “Coming from a family of farmers, I’ve always stayed rooted in humility. No matter how far my journey takes me, I never forget where it began — in the simplicity of the soil.”
The Next Frontier
The next chapter of Nikhil’s journey is about creative evolution and expansion.
Through his Dubai-based company, NNKK Global, he continues to bridge creativity, commerce, and consulting on an international scale across three key sectors — Creative, Arts and Entertainment Services, Information Technology Consultancy, and Medical Treatment Facilitation Services.
Back home in India, Nikhil is expanding into the construction and infrastructure sector, even as he prepares to direct and produce new blockbuster films.
As an angel investor, he has previously backed and helped scale multiple start-ups across retail, agro, infrastructure, and technology.
A lifelong learner, Nikhil has developed strong expertise in both technical and fundamental analysis in the stock market, studying chart patterns, price movements, and company fundamentals to identify long-term value, and wants to continue doing that. His disciplined approach has yielded consistent results and outperformed markets over time.
“I enjoy picking a stock, understanding the business behind it, and watching it grow — it’s like storytelling,” he says.
“People often ask how I manage everything, “The truth is, I don’t manage time — I master my priorities”
After his father’s passing, spirituality brought him peace and clarity. At home, Nikhil draws his greatest strength from his family — his wife Nisha, and their children Kiyaan and Kriday. “They are my anchor,” he says warmly. “No matter how intense life gets, one smile from my kids reminds me why I do what I do. And Nisha — she’s my silent powerhouse. She keeps our world steady while I chase impossible dreams.”
Reflecting on his journey, Nikhil says,
“I’ve learned that everyone needs a guiding force. I had mine, and I’ll always be grateful. Atul Sir taught me that passion must rest on purpose. I may not have become the IFS officer my father dreamed of, but I’ve built something he would be proud of. The vision will always be to build a legacy institution that outlives me.”
