Nil Battey Sannata was directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari in her directorial debut.[3] She conceived the idea for the film while working with Leo Burnett Worldwide, a Chicago-based advertising company, for a Kaun Banega Crorepati promotional video.[4][5] The screenplay was written by Iyer, Neeraj Singh, Pranjal Choudhary and Nitesh Tiwari.[1][4] In an interview with The Indian Express, Iyer said that "the story of Nil Battey Sannata is relevant as well as inspiring".[5] The film's title translates to "Zero Divided by Zero Equals Nothing", and is a slang for "Good For Nothing".[7]