From selling mobile phones at 14, to becoming a billionaire: Nikhil Kamath’s self-made story is any filmmaker’s delight

Films that have underdogs winning the day, such as The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and Dangal (2016) have been a hit among moviegoers, as is clear from their success. And now, a film based on the life of entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, touted as one of India’s brightest and youngest investors, is being sought after by filmmakers.

The 36-year-old, became a part of the Forbes Billionaires List 2020 and 2023 and the Self-Made Rich List 2022. Driven by his gut, Kamath, son of a middle-class bank employee, dropped out of school and started earning a living at the age of 14 by selling mobile phones. At 17 he worked at a call centre, traded in stocks after finishing work at 1am and ran a laundry business as well as a medical store. At the age of 18, he took up a full-time job in investing and hasn’t looked back since then. Today, everyone swears by his choices in the investment market.

Now, his “made for movies” story has piqued interest among filmmakers.

Trade expert Atul Mohan shares, “Both filmmakers and audiences look for such stories. The only condition is that they have to be made well. He was 14 when he started; this is a self-made story.” Senior trade analyst Taran Adarsh adds, “Audiences [today] want to celebrate real-life heroes and applaud the achievements of self-made people. Nikhil’s story has all this and more to be made into a biopic. (Filmmakers) Rajkumar Hirani, Neeraj Pandey or Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra would be great choices to bring his story to the big screen.” 

Kamath, who continues to leave an indelible mark in the world of finance and business talks about his professional journey so far. “When I started out, I was just having fun and chasing my curiosity. There was no agenda or formula; I went with my gut and pursued something that was my interest and passion,” he shares.

And would the investment maverick consider putting his money in the entertainment industry? “Yes. Considering the OTT boom and global awakening towards Indian cinema, I’d say it’s a dynamic field filled with opportunities. I go where my intuition takes me and hopefully someday, I just might take that plunge.”

All in all, Kamath is a shining example of how anything is possible with persistence, hard work and belief.