Tiwari's biggest breakthrough came with Dangal in 2016. Starring Aamir Khan alongside Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh, the sports drama, inspired by the lives of wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, became one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever. Its phenomenal performance in China further cemented its global success, while Tiwari received the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

He continued his successful run with Chhichhore (2019), featuring Sushant Singh Rajput. The coming-of-age drama explored friendship, resilience and the importance of overcoming failure, earning widespread praise from audiences and critics. The film later won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Besides these acclaimed projects, Tiwari has directed films such as Bhoothnath Returns (2014) and Bawaal (2023), while also contributing as a writer and producer on several Hindi films.