Using chemical route a 2,3-butanedione dihydrazone (BDDH) compound was prepared. The third-order nonlinear optical properties of BDDH were investigated by using single beam z-scan technique with Q-switched, frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser (λ = 532 nm) at 5 ns pulse. Eect of excitation intensity on nonlinear optical properties has been studied and found that experimental and computed values are well in agreement. Also, we found the measured nonlinear optical coecients are nearly ten times larger than the reported. The excited state absorption cross-section of BDDH was found to be larger than that of the ground state absorption cross-section, indicating the reverse saturable absorption.