His roles include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He played a leading part in the independent Australian sport film Save Your Legs! and in the independent American film Offshore. Makkar has played the lead in the Bollywood films Turning 30, Dus Tola, Straight, Luck by Chance. He is active on the theatre scene having worked in a number of plays (Hindi and English) as well as playing the title role in the musical Zangoora at the Kingdom of Dreams.