This Is What Shocked Mukesh Chhabra When He First Moved From Delhi To Mumbai!

When it comes to the Bollywood industry, people on screen get all the popularity, while those who work behind the scenes are often forgotten. However, there’s one name that many of us are familiar with — casting director Mukesh Chhabra. Even though most of us may not have seen his face, we’ve definitely heard of him as the man who introduced the world to talented actors like Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, and more. In this episode of Teri Gully Mein, we met with this fabulous personality for a delicious food trail in Delhi. During the conversation, we discovered one of the biggest things that shocked him when he first moved to Mumbai. Wondering what is what? Read on to find out!

Mukesh Chhabra Started His Career As An Assistant Director

Mukesh Chhabra revealed that his journey in the film industry began as an assistant director on Rang De Basanti. After a few projects, he discovered his true calling — casting. Coming from a humble background in Delhi, he moved to Mumbai with big dreams. But what truly shocked him wasn’t just the lifestyle — it was the food and the houses. While the Delhi vs. Mumbai food debate is a never-ending one, he was particularly surprised by the small size of homes in Mumbai. He shared that for the first few years, he lived in a single-room apartment with several people.

We also spoke to one of his long-time friends, who was his roommate in the early days and still works with him. When we asked how Mukesh has changed over the years, he said, “He hasn’t changed a bit.” While most of his friends were nervous about moving to a new city and scared of the struggles ahead, Mukesh always said, “I’m not here to struggle; I’m here to work.”

Also Read: Yuvraj Singh’s Mother Revealed How Everyone Is Scared Of His Son; Here’s Why!

We Played A Fun Game With Him

In this episode, we also played a fun game with Mukesh Chhabra where we listed a few actors and directors, and he had to describe them in just one word. For Rajkummar Rao, he said “Dhakad talent” and called Nawazuddin Siddiqui a “silent killer”. Shah Rukh Khan was “Hindustan ki Shaan” and Salman Khan, “Sabka Bhai,” someone who’s always there for everyone. He described Farah Khan as “all heart” and shared that, after his mother, the strongest female energy in his life has been Farah Khan and Kriti Sanon.

Lastly, when asked about Anurag Kashyap, he joked that they have a “love-hate” relationship. He said Anurag always gives him small roles in his films where he’s either getting beaten up or abused — and he suspects Anurag uses those scenes to let out some frustration! He laughed as he said it, but admitted that no matter what, he could never refuse Anurag’s offers.

To learn more about our delicious food trail with Mukesh Chhabra, watch the full episode on the Curly Tales channel.

Cover Image Courtesy: Internal