His Second Shot

Nishil Sheth reflects on his inspiring journey from working in independent cinema to making his OTT debut with 13th

- By DEEPA NATARAJAN LOBO

When he was growing up, Nishil Sheth had never really imagined a career in cinema.

“Everyone was trying to do what was expected—MBBS, architecture, engineering—I studied engineering myself,” reflects the filmmaker, who experienced the magic of films through Disney movies in childhood. Today, that same curiosity and the experiences during engineering have led him to 13th, a Sony LIV original series that released this month, marking his debut in long-format storytelling. Set in the hyper-competitive world of JEE coaching, the show peeks into the lives of students caught in a pressure-cooker environment where ambition, expectation, and self-worth constantly collide.