Welcome to
REALITY
Ankit’s reality work is driven by a sharp instinct for what entertains and what moves. As director and creative lead, he crafts moments that feel real yet elevated, always tuned into the audience’s pulse.'
From competition shows and lifestyle series to sports, travel, fashion, and cultural formats, his storytelling connects instantly. He has directed global icons like Lady Gaga, 50 Cent, and Kenny G, along with Bollywood stars and OTT favourites—bringing out their best with clarity and precision.
He thrives in high pressure environments, turning chaos into story. With an eye for subtle emotional shifts and instinctive timing, he captures not just action but energy and truth in every frame.
INTERNATIONAL STAGE FORMATS
JHALAK DIKHLAA JA
Sony Entertainment Television
Creative Director
As Creative Director of the Indian edition of Dancing with the Stars, Ankit led one of Indian television's most demanding non fiction formats. The aim was to bring back loyal audiences from earlier seasons while drawing in a newer set of viewers.
The show required six months of intense preparation and production, with a core team of around 200 people. With two episodes being shot every week and the previous week’s content simultaneously being edited for telecast, the pace was relentless. Adding to the chaos were frequent last minute guest cancellations that required immediate rewriting and restructuring of episodes.
At its heart, Jhalak was about making non dancers dance. While the celebrity participants came from non dancing backgrounds, the challenge was to ensure their performances still held audience attention through story and emotion, if not technical perfection.
It was not a one person show. The scale, speed, and stakes demanded collective effort. And it was this team energy, anchored by strong creative leadership, that kept the show engaging week after week.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
&TV (Zee Network)
Senior programming Manager
With just three months of pre production, the Indian edition of this global format introduced Stage versus Street dance to Indian television for the first time. A concept ahead of its time, it brought fresh dance language and culture to GEC audiences. At a time when &TV was still a new channel, this show was crucial in drawing new viewers. Ankit led the project as Senior Programming Manager, helping mount one of the biggest dance shows of its time.
Deal or No Deal
&TV (Zee Network)
Senior programming Manager
An international unscripted format originally created in the Netherlands made its comeback on Indian television with a localised flavour. Played majorly by everyday people aiming to win a big cash prize, the show rested heavily on its casting for compelling content. It was not just about selecting a lead contestant.
The real effort lay in identifying entire families, often with no camera experience, who could naturally bring out emotion, humour, drama, and unpredictability to keep the game engaging. As Senior Programming Manager at &TV, Ankit oversaw the project, working closely with the team to ensure the casting and execution connected with Indian audiences.
INDIA POOCHEGA SABSE SHAANA KAUN
&TV (Zee Network)
Senior programming Manager
Hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, IPSSK was an Indian adaptation of the international format Who’s Asking?, originally created in Israel. As the flagship launch show for &TV, it carried immense expectation and visibility. This was also Ankit’s first project as Senior Programming Manager at a broadcast network, where he oversaw the show’s rollout and ensured the format translated seamlessly for Indian audiences.
INDIA'S GOT TALENT + INDIAN IDOL
SONY TV + COLORS
Multiple Seasons (Varied Roles)
In the early years of Indian GEC reality television, Ankit worked across multiple seasons of Indian Idol and India's Got Talent, both iconic international formats adapted for India. As Reality Head and Senior Reality Director, this phase became a cornerstone in his journey.
It was during these shows that he came face to face with real people and real lives. From filming contestant backstories to travelling through villages and small towns, he met individuals from all walks of life, each carrying a dream and an unidentified story.
Often shooting in remote locations that lacked aesthetic appeal, the challenge was to frame dignity in poverty, to find visual depth in places where conventionally there was none. This phase shaped both the eye and the heart. It taught him how to listen, observe, and craft emotion through lens and narrative. It laid the foundation for the storyteller he is today.
It was also during this period that he earned the nickname 'Spielberg' on set.
ADVENTURE, TRAVEL, & SPORTS
ROADIES (SOUTH AFRICA)
MTV
Director | Creative Director
The longest running competitive reality show in India, Roadies took an ambitious leap the year it was shot entirely outside the country. For the first time, the journey unfolded across South Africa, from the wild expanse of Amakhala Reserve in Port Elizabeth to the vibrant coast of Cape Town, following the iconic Garden Route.
This was not just another international shoot. It involved moving with a crew of over 100 people, including a local South African team, managing contestants who were riding on 10 bikes across changing terrains, setting up pit stops, and camping in tents for most of the journey.
The tasks were no longer built sets but real adventures at real locations. From abseiling down cliffs to skydiving, bungee jumping, sand duning, quad biking on white dunes, kayaking and more, every activity was a challenge in itself and also the foundation for the tasks. Each episode depended not just on planning but on the mood of nature, wind, waves, sand, skies.
What went down in South Africa was more than just production. It was a logistical, physical, and creative test of endurance. The stories and hurdles behind each leg of the journey are best shared in person, the kind only possible when reality truly leaves the set behind.
VIVO XLENS
Disney+Hotstar
Director
Executed end to end in just two months, Vivo X Lens was India’s first extreme photography reality show, directed by Ankit for Disney Plus Hotstar. Shot across Uttarakhand, it pushed contestants to capture stunning visuals while tackling adventure sports like rappelling and river rafting. Ankit crafted the narrative to align brand storytelling with emotion, challenge, and cinematic scale, positioning the Vivo X90 not just as a phone but as a creative tool for extreme environments.
IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA
National Geographic
Director
A flagship infotainment series on National Geographic, 'It Happens Only in India' blended travel, culture, and curious storytelling rooted in the country’s unique quirks. Driven by real people, real places, where stories were told with lightness, curiosity and of course information.
As one of the directors on the series, Ankit helmed multiple stories across the country, including episodes filmed in Ladakh. Each segment demanded not just sharp storytelling instincts but also cultural sensitivity and on-ground agility, as the show navigated diverse regions and local narratives.
AXN AMAZING RACE
AXN
Varied Roles
An Emmy-winning format by World Race Productions, The Amazing Race is one of the most logistically complex and high-adrenaline reality shows in the world. Ankit was part of three India legs of the series, contributing across both the Los Angeles and Asia production teams during the early years of his career.
While his involvement was focused on the India segments, the learning was global. Working on a show with zero retakes and split-second decision-making, he learned the value of precision, preparedness, and cultural sensitivity, where even the simplest of tasks, rooted in the local environment, became the heart of the challenge and story.
Across different seasons, Ankit took on multiple roles, from Specialty Crew Associate, where he worked with high-tech rigs to capture raw unfiltered action, to Base Controller, managing mission-critical communication across a 200-member crew spread across the city.
In this show, there was no scope for error. You either captured the moment or you lost it. The latter wasn't an option. This experience shaped his early grounding in unscripted storytelling at scale and remains one of the most demanding shows he has ever worked on.
MARATHON MAN
Ndtv GoodTimes
Director
Before marathon running became a national obsession, Marathon Man on NDTV Goodtimes offered a raw and personal lens into what it truly takes to prepare for one.
As a director, Ankit Arora saw the essence of the story in the quiet determination that begins long before the race. He chose to start filming at four in the morning, capturing Milind Soman as he stepped out into the darkness to run. This was not just about the act of running but about the solitude, discipline, and silent resolve that define endurance.
Ankit’s vision went beyond the physical training. He crafted a narrative that included voices of dietitians, physiotherapists, coaches, and marathon champions, building a layered understanding of the journey.
This was Milind Soman’s first marathon and the start of a new chapter that would eventually lead him to global endurance events. As a director, Ankit focused not on the finish line but on the journey within.
OTHERS
Multiple Platforms
Varied Roles
US 6 - Hotstar International
Survivor India - STAR PLUS
The Match - MAHUA BANGLA
Chak Dhoom Dhoom - Colors
Pati Patti Aur Woh - Ndtv Imagine
Roadies 2 - Mtv
KBC - Sony
Federation Cup
And more...
FASHION & LIFESTYLE
A TABLE FOR TWO - S2
ZEE5
DIRECTOR
Ankit’s direction of A Table for two focused on authenticity over performance, creating a visual language that was both stylish and emotionally grounded. He carefully balanced spontaneity with structure, capturing unrehearsed chemistry while ensuring visual finesse. The table was not just a set but a narrative device, and every frame was composed to draw the audience into these personal, revealing exchanges of the top OTT personalities. Much before podcasts became a rage.
Before celebrity podcasts and talk shows became a digital trend, Season 2 of A Table for Two brought together top OTT personalities for candid conversations over a meal. As director, Ankit focused on . The tone, energy, and visual rhythm of the show reflected a contemporary India that was creating its own identity in the OTT space.
THE GREEDY CLOSET
ZEE5
Director
As a director, Ankit Arora navigated two distinct creative worlds, the high energy of OTT fame and the poise of couture, to build a natural chemistry between celebrities and designers. He crafted each episode to ensure that style, conversation, and transformation unfolded seamlessly, making fashion both relatable and aspirational.
A bold lifestyle entertainment series, The Greedy Closet brought together India’s top OTT celebrities and leading fashion designers for a makeover chat show like no other. Across 13 stylish episodes, personalities like Sanaya Irani, Anita Hassanandani, Karan Wahi, Ridhi Dogra, and Divyanka Tripathi paired with designers including Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, Varun Bahl, Neeta Lulla, and Manish Malhotra.
OMG YEH MERA INDIA
History Tv (Multiple Seasons)
Director
Ankit Arora has directed over 50 stories for OMG! Yeh Mera India (HistoryTV18), a show that celebrates extraordinary people doing remarkable things at the grassroots level across the country.
Each story, though just 5 to 7 minutes long, demanded a unique narrative approach. From the snow covered terrains of Ladakh to the southernmost corners of India, told seamlessly across languages, every shoot presents a new challenge. Working with everyday individuals who have often never faced a camera, Ankit's strength as a director lies in making them feel at ease, drawing out authentic and confident voices in a short window of time. Every story requires a fresh way to engage the viewer — a craft Ankit has honed with empathy, instinct, and precision.
21
UTV Bindass
Director
At just 24, Ankit was directing 21 on Bindass — a show centered around the legal age of 21 and the madness that comes with it. The format invited contestants to come up with the craziest, quirkiest, and most imaginative things they would do upon turning 21. It was a wild mix of youthful energy and unpredictable challenges, with Ankit steering the chaos to keep it entertaining, creative, and within the bounds of what could be filmed and aired.
AFTER HRS
Zee Cafe
Series Director
In 2007, at just 23, Ankit Arora began directing After Hrs on Zee Café — a late night lifestyle show rooted in aspirational urban culture. It was his first major outing as a director and the beginning of his journey into full scale content ownership.
Ankit directed over 100 episodes of the series, shaping its visual language, pace, and tone across multiple seasons. From celebrity interviews and high fashion to music, nightlife, and trend stories, each episode demanded a new approach.
The experience built his creative endurance and taught him how to direct personality driven content while holding the bigger picture. It was here that he first began owning the frame, not just following the story.
