Ishaan Khatter has built his acting career across Hindi cinema, Indian streaming projects, and international television. From his early appearance as a child actor to leading roles in films such as Beyond the Clouds, Dhadak, Pippa, and Homebound, his filmography covers a wide range of stories and characters. He has also worked in television and streaming projects including A Suitable Boy, The Perfect Couple, and The Royals.
What makes Ishaan Khatter’s career interesting is the variety of projects he has taken on. He has played a young man caught in difficult circumstances, a romantic lead, a soldier in a war drama, a character in a supernatural comedy, and characters in international English-language productions. His career has also included work behind the camera before he became widely known as an actor.
As of 2026, his recent work includes Homebound, while The Royals is returning for a second season and his upcoming film Jugaadu is in development.
Early Career
Ishaan Khatter connection with films began when he was young. His first credited screen appearance came in Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! in 2005, where he appeared as a child actor. His later career, however, did not immediately follow the conventional path of moving directly into lead roles.
Before establishing himself as an actor, Khatter also gained experience behind the camera. He worked as an assistant director on projects including Udta Punjab and Half Widow. These early experiences gave him exposure to film production before he began taking on substantial acting roles.
That background is useful when looking at his later career because his filmography has never been limited to one particular type of project. His roles have moved between mainstream Hindi films, independent dramas, historical stories, comedy, and international streaming productions.
Beyond the Clouds
Beyond the Clouds marked a major turning point for Ishaan Khatter. Directed by Majid Majidi, the 2017 drama gave him his first major leading role as Amir.
Amir is a young man living in Mumbai whose life changes after his sister becomes involved in a serious legal situation. The story explores family, poverty, responsibility, and the possibility of personal change.
For Khatter, the film required a much more serious performance than his earlier child appearance. The character had to communicate frustration, vulnerability, determination, and affection for his sister without relying only on dialogue.
The role also brought significant early recognition. Khatter won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance, establishing Beyond the Clouds as an important early milestone in his career.
Beyond the Clouds remains an important part of Ishaan Khatter’s filmography because it introduced him as a lead actor rather than simply as a young performer with industry connections.
Dhadak
After Beyond the Clouds, Khatter moved into a very different type of film with Dhadak.
Released in 2018, Dhadak cast him as Madhukar “Madhu” Bagla, a young man involved in a relationship that faces strong opposition from their families and society. The film also starred Janhvi Kapoor.
The character of Madhu gave Khatter an opportunity to work in romance and mainstream Hindi cinema. Compared with Amir in Beyond the Clouds, Madhu is a different kind of screen presence. The film depends heavily on the chemistry between its central characters and on the emotional pressure surrounding their relationship.
Dhadak became an important commercial step in Khatter’s early career. It also gave him a much larger mainstream audience following his critically recognized debut. IMDb describes Dhadak as his first Bollywood commercial success and notes his IIFA recognition for Star Debut of the Year – Male.
The two films, Beyond the Clouds and Dhadak, established an early pattern in his career: moving between serious dramatic material and more commercially oriented cinema.
Khaali Peeli
In 2020, Ishaan Khatter appeared in Khaali Peeli as Vijay Chauhan, known as Blackie.
The film follows a taxi driver and a woman from his past whose paths cross again during a chaotic night in Mumbai. The movie combines romance, action, comedy, and crime elements.
Blackie was another change for Khatter. The character is more energetic and streetwise than some of his earlier dramatic roles. The fast-moving story also gave him opportunities to work with action and comic elements.
Khaali Peeli arrived during a difficult period for the film industry, and its release circumstances were different from those of a conventional theatrical release. Nevertheless, it became another entry in Khatter’s growing filmography and showed his willingness to move between genres.
A Suitable Boy
Ishaan Khatter moved into international television with A Suitable Boy in 2020.
The BBC adaptation of Vikram Seth’s novel featured Khatter as Maan Kapoor, a young man from a politically connected family in post-independence India. The story explores family expectations, relationships, politics, religion, and social divisions.
Maan is quite different from the characters Khatter had played in his early films. He belongs to a privileged family but struggles with expectations and his own choices.
His relationship with Saeeda Bai, played by Tabu, becomes one of the central parts of his storyline. The role required Khatter to work within a period setting and a large ensemble cast.
A Suitable Boy was also significant because it introduced his work to viewers outside India through a major international television production. TVMaze lists Khatter as Maan Kapoor across all six episodes of the miniseries.
For Ishaan Khatter, the project demonstrated that his career could extend beyond Hindi-language feature films.
Phone Bhoot
In 2022, Khatter took on a lighter role in the horror comedy Phone Bhoot.
He played Galileo “Gullu” Parthasarthy, one of three friends who become involved in a supernatural situation. The film also starred Katrina Kaif and Siddhant Chaturvedi.
Gullu allowed Khatter to explore comedy and a more exaggerated style of performance. The role required quick reactions and energetic interaction with the other members of the cast.
After several dramatic roles, Phone Bhoot provided a noticeable change of tone. It also showed that his filmography was not centered entirely on serious dramas or historical stories.
Pippa
Pippa brought Khatter into the world of military drama.
Released in 2023, the film is based on the life of Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta and is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Khatter plays Balram, also known as Balli.
The role required a different physical and emotional approach. Balram is a soldier, and the film includes combat sequences alongside family relationships and personal decisions.
Pippa gave Khatter the chance to lead a large-scale historical war story. It also expanded the range of periods and circumstances represented in his filmography.
His role as Balram stands apart from his romantic characters in Dhadak and his comic performance in Phone Bhoot. It belongs to the historical and military side of his work and reflects his continued movement between different genres.
The Perfect Couple
One of the most notable international steps in Ishaan Khatter’s career came with The Perfect Couple.
The 2024 Netflix limited series features an ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Eve Hewson, and Khatter. He plays Shooter Dival.
The series is built around a wealthy family, a wedding, and a mysterious death. Khatter’s role places him inside an American production with an international cast, making the project different from his previous Indian television work.
The Perfect Couple also gave him another opportunity to work in English-language television. According to TVMaze, Khatter appears as Shooter Dival in all six episodes of the miniseries.
The project is important when looking at Ishaan Khatter’s career because it demonstrates his growing involvement in productions aimed at international audiences.
The Royals
The Royals brought Khatter back to Indian streaming television in a romantic comedy-drama setting.
He plays Aviraaj Singh Maharaj, also known as Fizzy, a young royal heir whose family is dealing with financial problems. The story centers on the royal family and its attempt to adapt to modern circumstances.
Khatter’s role combines romance, comedy, family drama, and the expectations associated with a royal household. It is another noticeable change from his earlier characters.
The first season premiered in 2025, and Khatter is returning as Aviraaj for Season 2. In September 2026, reports confirmed that production on the second season had begun in Rajasthan. Khatter shared glimpses from the shoot, including preparation involving horse riding.
The second season is therefore part of his current career rather than simply a past credit.
Homebound
Homebound is one of the most recent major films in Ishaan Khatter’s career.
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, the film follows two childhood friends from a North Indian village who pursue police jobs in the hope of improving their lives. Khatter plays Mohammed Shoaib Ali, while Vishal Jethwa plays Chandan Kumar and Janhvi Kapoor appears as Sudha Bharti.
Shoaib is a grounded character whose story is connected to friendship, ambition, social barriers, and economic pressure. The film is considerably different from the lighter tone of The Royals or Phone Bhoot.
Homebound premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The official Cannes listing identifies Khatter as Mohammed Shoaib Ali and credits Neeraj Ghaywan as director and screenwriter.
The film became another significant chapter in Ishaan Khatter’s career because it placed him in a socially focused drama with an international festival platform.
Other Film Work
Ishaan Khatter’s filmography includes several additional appearances that are worth mentioning.
He appeared in Udta Punjab in 2016, where he also worked as an assistant director. He later had a cameo in the American film Don’t Look Up as Raghav Manavalan.
He also appeared in Fursat, a 2023 short film, playing Nishant Raj. The project added another short-form production to his acting credits.
These appearances may not occupy the same amount of screen time as his leading roles, but they help show the variety of projects he has taken on.
Ishaan Khatter Movies
Here is a quick look at some of the major movies in his film career:
| Movie | Year | Role | Type |
| Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! | 2005 | Ishaan | Child appearance |
| Beyond the Clouds | 2017 | Amir Ahmed | Drama |
| Dhadak | 2018 | Madhukar “Madhu” Bagla | Romance/Drama |
| Khaali Peeli | 2020 | Vijay “Blackie” Chauhan | Romance/Action |
| Don’t Look Up | 2021 | Raghav Manavalan | Cameo |
| Phone Bhoot | 2022 | Gullu | Comedy/Horror |
| Fursat | 2023 | Nishant Raj | Short film |
| Pippa | 2023 | Captain Balram Singh Mehta | War Drama |
| Homebound | 2025 | Mohammed Shoaib Ali | Social Drama |
The major film credits above are reflected in current filmography sources.
Ishaan Khatter TV Shows
His television work has become an increasingly important part of his career.
| TV Show | Year | Role | Format |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | Maan Kapoor | Miniseries |
| The Perfect Couple | 2024 | Shooter Dival | Miniseries |
| The Royals | 2025–present | Aviraaj Singh Maharaj | Series |
These projects also show the international direction of his television career. A Suitable Boy was a British production, The Perfect Couple was an American Netflix limited series, and The Royals is an Indian Netflix series.
A Changing Career
Looking at Ishaan Khatter’s movies and TV shows chronologically reveals several different phases.
His earliest screen work was connected to childhood appearances and filmmaking experience behind the camera. Beyond the Clouds then established him as a serious young lead actor.
Dhadak brought him into mainstream Hindi cinema and gave him a wider audience. Khaali Peeli and Phone Bhoot allowed him to explore commercial genres, while Pippa moved him into historical war drama.
Television opened another path. A Suitable Boy introduced him to a major international production, followed later by The Perfect Couple. The Royals brought him back to an Indian streaming series with a lighter romantic and family-oriented story.
Homebound added another serious dramatic project and premiered at Cannes. Taken together, these projects show a career that has moved between different kinds of productions rather than following one fixed formula.
Different Genres
One of the clearest features of Ishaan Khatter’s filmography is its variety.
Beyond the Clouds is a serious drama. Dhadak focuses on romance and social conflict. Khaali Peeli mixes action and romance. Phone Bhoot uses comedy and supernatural elements. Pippa is a historical war drama. A Suitable Boy is a period television drama. The Perfect Couple is a contemporary mystery series. The Royals blends romance, comedy, and family drama. Homebound returns to social drama.
This variety gives readers a useful way to understand his career. Rather than looking only at individual titles, his work can also be viewed through the different genres and characters he has explored.
What Comes Next
As of September 2026, Ishaan Khatter has two notable projects connected to his upcoming work.
The first is The Royals Season 2. Production began in Rajasthan in September 2026, with Khatter returning as Aviraaj Singh. Details of the new storyline remain limited while production continues.
The second is Jugaadu, an upcoming comedy directed by Palash Vaswani. Khatter announced the project in May 2026 and described it as his first film in which he is both the lead actor and part of the film’s “in and as” presentation. India Today reported that the film stars Punjabi actor Tania alongside Khatter and is backed by Tips Films and Baweja Studios.
Current filmography listings identify Jugaadu as an announced 2026 project.
These projects suggest that his screen work continues to move between film and streaming rather than being concentrated in only one format.
Career in Focus
When looking at Ishaan Khatter’s movies and TV shows together, his career can be understood as a progression through different kinds of characters.
Amir in Beyond the Clouds established him as a dramatic lead. Madhu in Dhadak brought him into mainstream romantic cinema. Maan Kapoor in A Suitable Boy expanded his television profile, while Gullu in Phone Bhoot showed a lighter side of his work.
Balram in Pippa moved him into historical war drama. Shooter Dival in The Perfect Couple marked another international television credit. Aviraaj in The Royals brought him into a modern romantic comedy-drama, while Shoaib in Homebound returned him to a grounded social story.
That range is the most useful way to look at his filmography. Each project has placed him in a different setting, and his career has gradually moved between Indian cinema, Indian streaming, and international productions.
FAQs
What was Ishaan Khatter’s first major movie?
His first major leading film role was Amir in Beyond the Clouds, directed by Majid Majidi. The film was released in 2017 and earned Khatter the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut.
What role did Ishaan Khatter play in Dhadak?
He played Madhukar “Madhu” Bagla, the male lead in the 2018 romantic drama Dhadak.
What TV shows has Ishaan Khatter appeared in?
His major television credits include A Suitable Boy, The Perfect Couple, and The Royals.
Who does Ishaan Khatter play in Homebound?
He plays Mohammed Shoaib Ali, one of the two childhood friends at the center of Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2025.
What is Ishaan Khatter working on now?
As of September 2026, he has begun filming The Royals Season 2 in Rajasthan and is also attached to the upcoming comedy Jugaadu.
Conclusion
Ishaan Khatter’s career has developed across a wide range of movies and television projects. From his early appearance in Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! to his lead debut in Beyond the Clouds, he gradually moved into mainstream cinema, historical drama, comedy, and international television.
Dhadak gave him a major mainstream film role, while A Suitable Boy marked an important step into international television. Pippa demonstrated his work in a military drama, and The Perfect Couple expanded his presence in English-language television.
More recently, The Royals and Homebound have shown two very different sides of his screen career. With The Royals Season 2 now in production and Jugaadu in his upcoming lineup, Ishaan Khatter continues to work across both film and streaming.
For readers exploring Ishaan Khatter movies and TV shows, his filmography offers a useful picture of an actor whose career has developed through different genres, languages, characters, and production styles rather than following a single path.
