Shridhar raghavan biography of michael
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In an interview, he said that he is fascinated by doctors and cops so probably, it's because he grew up watching such films and his personally favorite movies are Zanjeer (1973), Ardhsatya (1983) and, Tere Mere Sapne (1971).
Shridhar loves writing and has no plans for direction. Beyond YRF, Raghavan served as script consultant for Jawan (2023), refining its action-thriller sequences to align with high-octane spy genre conventions without receiving full writing credit.[25]
Notable works and style
YRF Spy Universe projects
Shridhar Raghavan has been instrumental as the mentor writer for the YRF Spy Universe, co-developing screenplays that interconnect espionage narratives across multiple films.His inspirations as a writer are Salim Javed and Vijay Anand. In the 1980s, he briefly moved to London with his father, where experiences of isolation due to racism led him to spend considerable time watching television reruns, further deepening his engagement with visual narratives.[2]Raghavan's early exposure to cinema was profoundly shaped by his family's enthusiasm for films, particularly through shared viewings with his brother, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, fostering a household centered on cinematic discussions.
In fact, he recently worked on a Tamil flick with Ajith Kumar and Gautham Menon, Yennai Arindhal . He has hundreds of compositions with the count of 300 stories and 640 episodes of both the shows. two Filmfare awards in the Best Dialogue and Best Villain categories, IIFA award, an award for Best Supporting Actor including many nominations.
Shridhar's mother is a huge movie-lover, and therefore his childhood was spent watching different kinds of movies. He also contributed to the screenplay of Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home (2004), an action thriller directed by Milan Luthria, co-written with Luthria and Rajat Aroraa, focusing on Indian prisoners of war during the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict and their daring escape.[15] These early standalone projects, influenced in part by his brother Sriram Raghavan's genre explorations, established Raghavan's reputation for genre-spanning storytelling before his involvement in larger franchises.[16]
Contributions to major franchises
Shridhar Raghavan has played a pivotal role in shaping the Yash Raj Films (YRF) Spy Universe, serving as the mentor writer responsible for interconnecting narratives across multiple films featuring RAW agents.[17] His contributions began with the 2019 action thriller War, where he co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Siddharth Anand, building on a story by Aditya Chopra and Anand to introduce the rogue agent Kabir and establish high-stakes espionage elements that would link to future installments.[18] This screenplay helped propel War into a commercial success, setting the foundation for the franchise's expansion.[19]Raghavan's involvement deepened with Pathaan (2023), for which he crafted both the story and screenplay, integrating cameos from previous Spy Universe characters like Tiger (Salman Khan) to foster crossovers and a shared universe lore.[20] The film, directed by Siddharth Anand, marked a significant milestone in the franchise, achieving blockbuster status with worldwide earnings exceeding ₹1,050 crore and revitalizing audience interest in interconnected Bollywood action narratives.[21] He continued this trajectory in Tiger 3 (2023), providing the screenplay that advanced the Tiger storyline while incorporating post-credit teases for broader universe interactions, such as alliances against common threats.[22]Raghavan contributed to the screenplay for War 2 (2025), directed by Ayan Mukerji and released on August 14, 2025, which introduced a unifying "spy oath" element to tie together agents like Kabir across the universe, enhancing thematic cohesion in the franchise.[23][24] As mentor, he oversees potential crossovers, including the anticipated Tiger vs Pathaan, ensuring narrative consistency and escalation of ensemble dynamics in the evolving Spy Universe.The film received mixed-to-negative reviews and grossed approximately ₹303 crore worldwide.[23][30]
Other significant films and series
Shridhar Raghavan's screenplay for the 2011 Hindi thriller Dum Maaro Dum, directed by Rohan Sippy, centers on a web of drug trafficking and corruption set against the vibrant yet perilous backdrop of Goa, drawing from real-life inspirations to craft a narrative of moral ambiguity and high-stakes chases.[31] The film features interconnected stories involving a disgraced cop, a medical student entangled in smuggling, and a DJ navigating underground networks, showcasing Raghavan's ability to infuse tense, character-driven suspense with local cultural nuances.[32]In 2015, Raghavan contributed as additional screenplay and script consultant for the Tamilaction drama Yennai Arindhaal, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, which follows a resilient police officer's journey through personal loss and professional vendettas.[33] This project marked a significant step in Raghavan's versatility, adapting his thriller expertise to Tamil storytelling traditions while emphasizing emotional depth and kinetic action sequences, earning praise for its taut pacing and relatable protagonist arc.[4]Raghavan's television work includes the 2023 Indian adaptation of The Night Manager for Disney+ Hotstar, where he served as a key writer on the screenplay, reimagining John le Carré's novel about espionage and arms trading in a contemporary South Asian context with elements of corporate intrigue and moral dilemmas.[34] The series, starring Aditya Roy Kapur as an ex-soldier infiltrating a weapons magnate's world, highlights Raghavan's skill in layering psychological tension with geopolitical undertones, produced under YRF Entertainment but standing as a standalone prestige drama.[35]In 2024, Raghavan wrote the screenplay for the action thriller Yudhra, directed by Ravi Udyawar and starring Siddhant Chaturvedi.[9]Looking ahead, Raghavan holds story credit for the upcoming epic Ramayana: Part 1 (2026), a cinematic retelling of the ancient Indian mythological saga directed by Nitesh Tiwari, where he adapts Valmiki's timeless narrative of duty, exile, and divine conflict using modern dramatic structures to appeal to global audiences.[36] This venture underscores his range in handling grand-scale adaptations, blending reverence for source material with innovative screenplay techniques to explore themes of righteousness and familial bonds.[37]Raghavan's roots in crime journalism subtly inform the gritty realism and investigative edge in these thrillers, allowing him to authentically portray underworld dynamics without relying on formulaic tropes.[4]Awards and recognition
National Film Awards
Shridhar Raghavan won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay at the 52nd National Film Awards in 2005 for Apaharan, a kidnappingthriller that delves into socio-political issues in Bihar, sharing the honor with director Prakash Jha and co-writer Manoj Tyagi.[38][39] The jury recognized the screenplay's incisive portrayal of corruption and moral dilemmas in a lawless society, marking a pivotal official acknowledgment of Raghavan's storytelling prowess.[14]This accolade represented a major career milestone for Raghavan, elevating his profile in the industry following his earlier television and film writing efforts.[14] Raghavan has received no other National Film Awards to date.[40]Filmfare and other industry honors
Shridhar Raghavan earned a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay for his work on the blockbuster spy thrillerPathaan (2023), which was recognized for its high-stakes narrative blending action and patriotism.[41] The film, directed by Siddharth Anand, became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films, highlighting Raghavan's contribution to commercial successes within the Yash Raj Films Spy Universe.[42]Earlier in his career, Raghavan shared a Filmfare nomination for Best Screenplay for Khakee (2004), a neo-noir action thriller he co-wrote with director Rajkumar Santoshi, noted for its tense ensemble storytelling and police procedural elements.[43] This recognition underscored his early impact on genre-driven narratives in Hindi cinema.He gained widespread recognition for penning the screenplays of major blockbusters in the Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe—War (2019), Pathaan (2023), and Tiger 3 (2023). This installment incorporated a unifying "spy oath" motif to link characters across the universe, enhancing thematic continuity.
The narrative's emphasis on personal relationships amid espionage helped deliver an entertaining actioner that earned ₹284 crore net domestically.[28][29]Raghavan wrote the screenplay for War 2 (2025), directed by Ayan Mukerji and released on August 14, 2025, which built directly on War's unresolved elements by positioning Kabir as a perceived traitor hunted by a new operative (Jr.
He focused on plotlines involving intricate investigations and procedural details, such as unshot concepts like a high-rise suicide case and a silent murder at a meditation center, working intermittently on the show for nearly a decade.[8] Notably, he named the series' iconic protagonist, ACP Pradyuman, after a senior journalist from his mid-day days, blending his journalistic roots into the character's authoritative presence.[2]He also co-wrote episodes for the horror anthology series Aahat (1995–2015) starting in the late 1990s, collaborating with his brother Sriram Raghavan on thriller and supernatural narratives that further developed his skills in suspenseful, episodic storytelling.)[9]This transition from print journalism to broadcast media marked a pivotal adaptation for Raghavan, as he transformed objective reporting into engaging, dialogue-driven scripts that maintained authenticity in depicting law enforcement dynamics.[2] His crime reporting background directly informed the thriller elements in his later works, including the high-stakes tension seen in spy narratives.[7]
Breakthrough in film screenwriting
Shridhar Raghavan's transition to feature filmscreenwriting began with his debut credit on the 2004 police thriller Khakee, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi.[10] In this neo-noiraction film, Raghavan co-wrote the screenplay with Santoshi, crafting a narrative centered on a veteranpolice officer leading a team to capture a notorious gangster, blending high-stakes chases with moral dilemmas among law enforcers.He took birth in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and currently lives in Versova apartment of Mumbai. He was also the creative producer for some episodes of CID, which is the longest running TV show.
He has written scripts for Bollywood movies like Bluffmaster (2005), Dum Maaro Dum (2001), Apaharan (2005), Deewar (2004) and so on. While the franchise's overarching concept is credited to producer Aditya Chopra, Raghavan's contributions emphasize character-driven action and thematic depth in blending personal stakes with international intrigue.[1][26]In War (2019), Raghavan co-wrote the screenplay with Aditya Chopra, Siddharth Anand, and Abbas Tyrewala, introducing the rogue RAW agent Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) and his protégé Khalid (Tiger Shroff) in a high-stakes tale of loyalty and betrayal.
The film, directed by Prakash Jha, was praised for its realistic depiction of politics and crime in Bihar, cementing Raghavan’s reputation for writing compelling and socially relevant narratives.
With a career that bridges mass entertainment and nuanced storytelling, Raghavan continues to shape the cinematic landscape with his sharp, gripping scripts.
Growing up in Pune between the Apollo and Alankar theaters—one showing English films and the other Hindi—they developed a mutual passion for movies that influenced their respective careers in the industry.[6][2]