There are no bad actors, but wrong casting, believes Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director who is in city to share his expertise

Sheetal

“There are no bad actors, it’s always the wrong casting,” believes Mukesh Chhabra, casting director, and these words explain why he is considered one of the best in business. Chhabra, who discovered faces like Rajkummar Rao, Sushant Singh Rajput, Mrunal Thakur, Pratik Gandhi, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh and more, sure has an eye for talent. As he sits in his newly inaugurated toffice in Sector 75, Phase 8A, Mohali, surrounded by aspiring actors, Mukesh shares, “As I am talking, I have been constantly observing a boy outside, who I believe fits in the role of young Ram in a mythology project based on Ramayana. So, the job of a casting director is 24/7 and you cannot switch it off. And, thankfully, I enjoy it very much.”

Celebrated guest

Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company (MCCC) was inundated by budding actors and the celebrated guest on Wednesday was actor Varun Sharma. About his struggling days, Varun said, “It’s important to audition no matter what. I believe had I thought about having perfect abs and chiseled face before auditioning for Fukrey, I wouldn’t have landed the role of Choocha. During our days, it was just some banquet hall at a hotel where auditions used to take place or we had shift base to Mumbai. An opportunity like this at your doorstep will streamline the auditioning process.”

All praise for Varun, Mukesh said, “You have to stay happy at all cost. Varun is that happy person and it helped him land opportunities faster than others I believe. If you are a sad person and let the rejections affect you, it would also impact your chances as an actor.” Varun agreed with Chhabra and said one should keep trying and not let rejections affect you. In fact, he has done a movie, Chhichhore, on the same lines, and guess what, Chhabra was the casting director!

Talent pool

On what made Chhabra seek a regional office, he says, “Punjab is full of talent and if you observe closely, half of the film industry’s talent hails from North India. I believe that many talented people lose out on opportunities due to financial or family conditions. Not everyone can afford to struggle in Mumbai and some can’t leave their hometowns. If we can bring Mumbai to Punjab, it would help aspiring actors. We also plan to arrange workshops on a regular basis.”