Who is this juice seller…people called Mukesh Chhabra as soon as they saw Gaurav Gera, what was Akshaye Khanna’s reaction on success?

Recently, in an interesting interview given to Miss Malini, famous casting director Mukesh Chhabra shared many unheard stories of casting of Aditya Dhar’s blockbuster film ‘Dhurandhar’. The film has created a stir at the box office, and Akshay Khanna’s character of Rahman the dacoit is all the rage on social media. Mukesh praised Akshay’s performance and told how his entry scene (that viral dance move on the song FA9LA) surprised the entire team. According to Mukesh, “Let alone us, the entire team had no idea that Akshay’s entry would go so viral.”

Calling Akshay Khanna a ‘magic creator’, Mukesh said, ‘Akshay is such an actor whose acting note is so distinct and unique that it never seems copied or borrowed. He brings his own element to every role, so effortlessly that the audience is forced to love him. Mukesh also praised his process. Akshay maintains his space, handles his aura very carefully, reads the scene again and again and remains completely prepared. This is the reason why that magic is visible in his work. Rakesh Bedi had also earlier told in his interview that Akshay talks, but mostly remains alone on the set, this dedication is what makes his performance so powerful.

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Why Arjun Rampal for Major Iqbal?

On the success of the film and the worldwide praises Akshay is receiving, Mukesh revealed that Akshay is completely unbounded by it. When Mukesh talked to him, Akshay just said, ‘Yes, it was fun’, that is, it was fun to work, but he stays away from the hype. Mukesh called this performance of Akshay the biggest highlight of the film and said that he really creates ‘magic’. In the interview, Mukesh also talked about other casting choices. Like how Arjun Rampal was a perfect fit for the role of Major Iqbal? Mukesh said, ‘His personality – tall, handsome, and that heaviness in his voice fits him perfectly in the role. One of the references was his old film, which was in our mind. Mukesh’s vision was to show a clear difference in the personalities of ‘Rehman Dacoit’ and ‘Major Iqbal’, but when the scene of both of them came face to face, Akshay’s aura was so powerful that he completely dominated. The sharpness of his acting gave more hype to the scene.

Who is that juice seller?

On the casting of Ranveer Singh, Mukesh told that he was Aditya Dhar’s first choice and was the first one to be locked. Except Ranveer, the entire casting was handled by Mukesh himself and this process took almost a long time! Now let’s talk about the surprise element which surprised the audience the most. Many viewers could not recognize Gaurav Gera, who played the role of Mohammad Alam in the film. Mukesh says laughingly, ‘People used to call me and ask who is that juice vendor? Our effort was to have a twist in the casting and surprise the audience. Gaurav Gera comes from a comedy background, so this was an unexpected choice, he seemed completely fresh in this world. Gaurav had left Mumbai and shifted to Gurgaon, but Mukesh briefed him on the role over phone, asked him to grow his beard, then called him to Mumbai and took the screen test and finalized it. Earlier Sunil Grover was also considered, but in the end Gaurav proved to be perfect. Maximum auditions were held for roles like Donga and Alam.

‘He has been acting since…’

Similarly, making comedian Rakesh Bedi the villain (Jameel Jamali) was a tough but brilliant choice. Mukesh says, ‘Rakesh himself added things to the scene like his smile or body language and Aditya gave him freedom.’ Mukesh does not even audition senior actors like Akshay Khanna and Rakesh Bedi. Rakesh has been acting since before we were even born! But he waited for 49 years. He himself says that only now has he received so much love after ‘Chashme Baddoor’.

Mukesh’s strong message

At the end of the interview, Mukesh gave an inspiring message to the struggling actors, which will touch the heart of every new artist. He said, ‘If you have come into this industry, then be patient. You yourself do not know when your time will come. Trust God with hard work – He never does wrong. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Bajpayee, Prateek Gandhi all did not shine overnight, it took years of hard work. Jaideep Ahlawat is not working from today, so many years of penance are behind him. It took 49 years for Rakesh Bedi, no one waits that long. Now many actors of his age call me – Mukesh, if there is any role, let me know. Mukesh believes that new artists lack patience. His advice is to stop calling yourself a struggler. Apart from acting, if you are doing small work for your family and yourself. If you want to live in this city, you will have to work hard for food, clothing and shelter. Be patient, because there is no shortcut to success in the industry.