He started his career as an actor in Uff! Yeh Mohabbat in 1996, opposite Twinkle Khanna, directed by Vipin Handa. He made his directorial début with Aryan in 2006 which was a critical and commercial flop.

In 2008, he wrote and directed Rock On!! an Indian Rock musical film starring Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Rampal that did average but is hailed as a veritable cult classic and won the prestigious “National Award for Best Hindi Film” for outstanding artistic contribution towards cinema. The film went on to become a major success, bringing not just accolades but also a Filmfare Award in 2009.

In 2013, “Kai Po Che” (2013) based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel, ‘The 3 Mistakes of my Life’ had its world premiere at the 63rd Berlin Film Festival’s World Panorama segment and won the Filmfare Award in 2014 for Best Screenplay. In 2016, “Fitoor”, an adaptation of Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations was a worthy follow-up showcasing his unique expression and venturing into the field of production. Abhishek has launched his production company Guy in the Sky Pictures with the vision to create exciting content and tell stories that he believes in.

On 4 May 2015, Abhishek married Swedish actress and model Pragya Yadav. They have two children, Isana and Shamsher.