Atul Agnihotri was born on July 8, 1964, in Delhi, India. He hails from a Punjabi Hindu Brahmin family and is the son of Rohit Agnihotri, a former actor who later ventured into business. Atul's cousin, actress Rati Agnihotri, inspired him to pursue a career in films. He is married to Alvira Khan Agnihotri, a producer and designer, and they have two children: Ayaan Agnihotri and Alizeh Agnihotri. Alvira is the daughter of renowned scriptwriter Salim Khan and the sister of actors Salman, Arbaaz, and Sohail Khan. Atul lost his father at a young age, which placed the responsibility of supporting his family on him.