Casting director Mukesh Chhabra is receiving a ton of praise for finding the 30 supporting artistes for Hrithik Roshan starrer Super 30. While he is currently basking in the success of the film, Chhabra is also looking forward to the release of his directorial debut Dil Bechara, the official Hindi remake of The Fault in Our Stars. In an exclusive interview with indianexpress.com, Mukesh Chhabra opens up about the challenges of casting the ‘right’ actors and starting his journey as a director. The hunt for the perfect supporting cast I feel that in any movie or in any series, the supporting cast should stand out. Be it in a show like Delhi Crime or a mainstream commercial film like Super 30, my idea is to surprise people, that is the whole intention behind casting actors. There is also this intention to introduce new talent to the world of cinema at large, to let them know what these young people are capable of giving. I go to all parts of the country to search for these artistes. If they (the actors) cannot come to me, I must go to them. To look for fresh faces with a different voice, you need to get out of your own city. The approach I first read the script, and then I try to understand where can I find these kind of people the paper in my hand mentions. I go to the place where that movie is based in. If it’s Delhi Crime, I will go to Delhi. If it’s a Super 30, I must travel to Bihar. It is important to comprehend that space where the story originates from. I usually go to that area’s local theatres, NGOs, schools etc. Anyway, I believe that India is bursting with talent. You just have to go and find them. And my team is based everywhere and they are constantly on the lookout for new talent. The actors who have been cast should look correct in their parts; be it an Aditya Srivastava in Super 30 or someone lesser known in a big masala film. Aditya, anyways, has a strong television background and I had asked him to let me know as soon as his CID obligations were over. That’s the way I approached Pankaj Tripathi. I explained to him that since you are from Bihar, you would understand the nuances of the culture in a better fashion than any other artiste. From a casting director to a director - the transition When I was an assistant director, my job was to take care of the actor, and when I became a casting director, my job required me to do the same thing — to direct the actor and let him know what was expected from him/her in a certain scene. So, I have been conducting workshops with actors for a long time. And that’s where you get your confidence from that maybe someday I could also be directing films. The Fault in Our Stars remake The emotional angle of the movie touched me greatly. I come from the school of movies like Kabhi Haa Kabhi Na and Masoom. I feel very connected to such stories. I didn’t think about the pressure or the stress associated with the project. On casting Sushant Singh Rajput Sushant was always my first choice. When I found him for Kai Po Che, I spent a lot of time with him and that was when I understood that if I ever made my first film, it would be with him. I don’t care about his box office record, because that’s a temporary thing. He is one actor who seriously takes care of the project he is associated with. Upcoming projects I am casting for Netflix’s Delhi Crime 2 and Aamir Khan starrer Lal Singh Chaddha among other films. As of now, I am working on some 15-20 films. As far as my own stories are concerned, I just want to focus on my debut first. I don’t want to rush anything.
