Who is Mukesh Chhabra? From working as a background dancer to becoming Bollywood's top casting director - All you need to know
Mukesh Chhabra
, one of the most well-known casting directors in Bollywood, is grabbing headlines for his appearance on the reality show 'The Traitors'. Hosted by
Karan Johar
, the show has added a new twist to his journey, from behind the camera to being in the spotlight himself.
But before he became the man who shaped many acting careers, Mukesh had very humble beginnings.
From dancing for Rs 50 to sharing the screen
Mukesh once appeared on 'Indian Idol 15', where he shared a touching memory from his early days in the industry. During a fun chat with singer
Mika Singh
, he revealed just how far he had come. 'I worked as a background dancer for Mika Singh for just 50 rupees. He gave me my first opportunity, and I will always be grateful for that.
It's surreal to see how far we've both come, and I'm thrilled to be sharing the screen with him again," Mukesh shared.
This simple moment showed the strong bond between the two and reminded everyone of Mukesh's long journey from background dancer to a casting expert.
Theatre roots and years of hard work
As per IMDb, Mukesh spent two years training in acting at Shri Ram Centre. After that, he worked with the 'Theatre in Education' Company (TIE), which is linked with the National School of Drama in India.
For nine years, he acted and taught there, learning the ins and outs of performing and storytelling.
In 2008, he started his own company, Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company (MCCC). In just a few years, MCCC became one of the best casting companies in India and started working with clients from around the world.
The man behind Bollywood's fresh faces
With over 15 years in the film industry, Mukesh has cast for more than 300 films, over 100 web series, and countless TV ads.
His most famous works include 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' (2015), 'Dangal' (2016), 'Dil Bechara' (2020), 'Scam 1992' (2020), and 'Laal Singh Chaddha' (2022).
Mukesh has helped launch many actors who are now household names. These include
Rajkummar Rao
,
Sushant Singh Rajput
, Mrunal Thakur, Pratik Gandhi, Sanya Malhotra, and Fatima Sana Shaikh.
Mukesh has become the go-to person for for top directors like Rajkumar Hirani, Nitesh Tiwari, Imtiaz Ali,
Kabir Khan
, Aanand L.
Rai, Anurag Kashyap, and Hansal Mehta.
A new role on 'The Traitors'
In a surprising move, Mukesh stepped into the spotlight by joining the reality show 'The Traitors'. Known for its dramatic twists and mind games, the show brought out a different side of him. However, in a recent episode, Mukesh was eliminated from the show.
In an interview with ETimes after his exit, Mukesh opened up about what the show taught him. 'One of my biggest learnings from the show is that you really can't trust anyone—not even the people you eat, sit, or roam around with,' he said. 'You never know who's actually betraying you or who the real traitor is.'
Mukesh Chhabra's story is one of hard work, talent, and never giving up. From being paid Rs 50 as a background dancer to helping shape the future of Bollywood, his journey is inspiring.
The Traitors Review: Drama, Deception & Chaos Unfold
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Indian Express
an hour ago
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‘Uorfi Javed and I were brought on The Traitors so that we fight, we're not enemies': Sufi Motiwala says show makers ‘didn't invest Rs 100 cr just for vibes'
Karan Johar-hosted The Traitors has stirred up a lot of drama on social media, including a recent virtual war between social media influencers Sufi Motiwala and Uorfi Javed. On Tuesday, both Sufi and Uorfi kept taking digs at one another on Instagram. While Sufi accused Uorfi of attacking a 21-year-old, Uorfi slammed him for playing the victim card. Now, in an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Sufi Motiwala has opened up about their issues, saying that they are not enemies but don't talk to each other. Sufi said, 'Uorfi and I are constantly put into situations where we have to interact with each other. At this point, India should be aware that we are sent on a reality show so that we fight, and they have content to watch. They haven't invested Rs 100 crores and put 200 cameras just for the vibes. We don't even converse. Uorfi and I haven't spoken before or after the show, other than wherever we have to be because of the show. We don't care about each other, and our personalities don't gel well.' Also Read: Samay Raina questions Apoorva Mukhija and Raftaar on 'majboori' that forced them to join Karan Johar's The Traitors: 'I didn't have fun at all' Sharing how he apologized to Uorfi Javed at the beginning of the show, Sufi Motiwala added, 'When we entered the show, I apologized to Uorfi, it was the first time I was seeing her face to face, so I told her that whatever happened between us, let us just be mature adults about it. I told her I was sorry because she had to read something because of me, and that I understood how she must have felt. I even told her it wasn't meant for her and asked her to let bygones be bygones. Let that just not affect us in the game, because then it would be fruitless for both of us, and also the makers.' 'We had decided we would be chill and not vote each other out, but then in the sixth episode, she started convincing the whole house that I am the Traitor. I just wondered why because I had not bothered her, done anything against her. When Uorfi and Apoorva get feisty, all these feminist and iconic people love them; when Raftaar and Purav are yelling, all the hetros love them. But as someone from the LGBTQIA+ community, when I am just being myself… because of people's stigma and the obvious discrimination, it's very easy to hate me,' Sufi Motiwala adds. A post shared by 🍨 (@ Sufi also accused Uorfi of attacking him, 'Uorfi, who has been in the reality TV space for a decade, was attacking me just because I am smart. It is very convenient to attack a 21-year-old because I don't have that kind of backing or PR resources that people will print headlines about me.' The fashion influencer also shared his opinions about other contestants on The Traitors — he called Apoorva 'feisty', Sudhanshu Pandey 'old school', Anshula Kapoor 'loud', and Harsh Gujral 'crass'. He even shared how 'Janvee Gaur was the confusion of the house, and Nikita Luther's impact in the game was irrelevant.' On the work front, Sufi Motiwala will be next seen in a non-fiction show produced by Karan Johar. Nawaz Kochra is an enthusiastic entertainment journalistic for the last 9 years, he has been a known face and successfully worked with some big publications. At Nawaz majorly covers TV and OTT and also does video interviews. Having the best conversations with celebrities is what Nawaz loves. ... Read More
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Sufi Motiwala and Urfi-Dolly Javed lock horns post 'The Traitors' fallout: 'Don't use Me for TRPs,' says Sufi
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Who is Mukesh Chhabra? From working as a background dancer to becoming Bollywood's top casting director - All you need to know
Mukesh Chhabra , one of the most well-known casting directors in Bollywood, is grabbing headlines for his appearance on the reality show 'The Traitors'. Hosted by Karan Johar , the show has added a new twist to his journey, from behind the camera to being in the spotlight himself. But before he became the man who shaped many acting careers, Mukesh had very humble beginnings. From dancing for Rs 50 to sharing the screen Mukesh once appeared on 'Indian Idol 15', where he shared a touching memory from his early days in the industry. During a fun chat with singer Mika Singh , he revealed just how far he had come. 'I worked as a background dancer for Mika Singh for just 50 rupees. He gave me my first opportunity, and I will always be grateful for that. It's surreal to see how far we've both come, and I'm thrilled to be sharing the screen with him again," Mukesh shared. This simple moment showed the strong bond between the two and reminded everyone of Mukesh's long journey from background dancer to a casting expert. Theatre roots and years of hard work As per IMDb, Mukesh spent two years training in acting at Shri Ram Centre. After that, he worked with the 'Theatre in Education' Company (TIE), which is linked with the National School of Drama in India. For nine years, he acted and taught there, learning the ins and outs of performing and storytelling. In 2008, he started his own company, Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company (MCCC). In just a few years, MCCC became one of the best casting companies in India and started working with clients from around the world. The man behind Bollywood's fresh faces With over 15 years in the film industry, Mukesh has cast for more than 300 films, over 100 web series, and countless TV ads. His most famous works include 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' (2015), 'Dangal' (2016), 'Dil Bechara' (2020), 'Scam 1992' (2020), and 'Laal Singh Chaddha' (2022). Mukesh has helped launch many actors who are now household names. These include Rajkummar Rao , Sushant Singh Rajput , Mrunal Thakur, Pratik Gandhi, Sanya Malhotra, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Mukesh has become the go-to person for for top directors like Rajkumar Hirani, Nitesh Tiwari, Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan , Aanand L. Rai, Anurag Kashyap, and Hansal Mehta. A new role on 'The Traitors' In a surprising move, Mukesh stepped into the spotlight by joining the reality show 'The Traitors'. Known for its dramatic twists and mind games, the show brought out a different side of him. However, in a recent episode, Mukesh was eliminated from the show. In an interview with ETimes after his exit, Mukesh opened up about what the show taught him. 'One of my biggest learnings from the show is that you really can't trust anyone—not even the people you eat, sit, or roam around with,' he said. 'You never know who's actually betraying you or who the real traitor is.' Mukesh Chhabra's story is one of hard work, talent, and never giving up. From being paid Rs 50 as a background dancer to helping shape the future of Bollywood, his journey is inspiring. The Traitors Review: Drama, Deception & Chaos Unfold
