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EXCLUSIVE: Rajkummar Rao would always be 'ready' for auditions, worked in low-budget film for 3 years; recalls Mukesh Chhabra
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Mukesh Chhabra talked about how Rajkummar Rao struggled during the initial phase of his career. Chhabra recalled that he would always be eager to go for auditions.
Born in Gurugram, Haryana, Rajkummar Rao entered the film industry with his debut in Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010). He pursued an acting course at the Film & Television Insitute of India, Pune. While Rao is now a successful actor, there was a time when he struggled to get auditions after his graduation in 2008.
Famous casting director Mukesh Chhabra has spilled the beans about Rao's struggling phase.
Mukesh Chhabra talks about Rajkummar Rao's struggles
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Mukesh Chhabra shared lesser-known details about Rajkummar Rao's struggling period during his initial career. Without mentioning the name of the film, Chhabra recalled that Rao worked on a low-budget project after his graduation, whose shooting stretched to around four years.
The casting director said the Badhaai Do actor kept working on the film for over three years.
"Uske paas ek bike hoti thi. Toh maine wo sab dekha hai. Aur jis bhi audition mein wo fit bhi nahin hota tha, he used to say, 'bhai test toh karke dekho'. (He used to own a bike. I have witnessed his journey. Whenever Rao wouldn't get fit for the audition, he would insist to give him a chance)," Chhabra remembered.
Recalling the times, the casting director said Rao was "so much in love" with his performance. "So I have seen him closely, usko test karke samjh aaya ki woh kitni mehnat karta tha (I have tested his talent, and I realized that he works quite hard)," he added.
Rajkummar Rao was quite eager to get auditions, says Chhabra
Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who has worked in movies like Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Dangal, Laal Singh Chaddha, and Rockstar, to name a few, further elaborated on Rajkummar Rao's eagerness for auditions.
Unlike other aspiring actors, Chhabra spoke about how the Kai Po Che actor would always be "ready" for audition offers. "Agar aap actor ho toh just be ready all the time (If you are an actor, then you should be free for auditions all the time)," he stated.
Chhabra recalled that Rao would get a call from him at 9 pm for the upcoming audition scheduled for the next day, and he would always come for it. The casting director also revealed that Rao's first ad film was with him.
Besides being a casting director, Mukesh Chhabra is also a filmmaker and an actor. He marked his directorial debut with Sushant Singh Rajput and Sanjana Sanghi's Dil Bechara in 2020. Chhabra has acted in movies like Gangs of Wasseypur 2 and Jawan.
ALSO READ: Did you know Rajkummar Rao's Shahid took 1.5 years for a 32-day shoot? Hansal Mehta's son recalls
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