Tiwari grew up in a family of doctors, in Matunga neighbourhood of Mumbai. He started acting in small roles in Marathi theatre in the local Ganpati and Navratri festivals. He frequented Shivaji Mandir in Dadar to watch plays, and also started attending summer acting workshops at his school. Subsequently, he completed his bachelor's in mass media, with a major in advertising, from the University of Mumbai in 2004.