'Samantha is the surprise element of Family Man 2'

Well-known casting director Chhabra opens up on the anticipated web series ready for release

The second season of ‘Family Man’, one of the most anticipated Indian web series of the year, is soon set to be premiered on Amazon Prime Video. The show’s teaser was a big hit, and received more than 1.4 million views within a week.

The gripping first season, which had Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Neeraj Madhav and Kishore in prominent roles, ended on a cliffhanger.

In a candid chat with Showtime, well-known casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who made his directorial debut with the Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer ‘Dil Bechara’, talks more about ‘Family Man’ and his approach to finding the right actors for the show. Excerpts:

How did you finalise Manoj Bajpayee as the lead?

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (popular as Raj and DK) asked me to cast an actor who looks absolutely normal, just like a person sitting next to you. Commercial film actors invest a lot in personal grooming, and their looks and standards seem unattainable. Manoj Bajpayee reflects the ‘aam-aadmi’ (common man). He is so simple and correct for the part. People can connect to him.

Which was the toughest role to cast?

I think it was Moosa Rehman, played by Neeraj Madhav. He was quite difficult to find, because the accent was very important for the character. Also, Suchitra Iyer Tiwari, the protagonist’s wife, played by Priyamani. We were looking for someone who could play a mother but also appear desirable.

How did Samantha Akkineni come on board?

We wanted a surprise element and the way the character was written fit Samantha accurately. I am glad she said yes. We now want people to sit back and watch the show. Fans will be very happy to see Samantha in the digital world like this.

After ‘Dil Bechara’, have you changed as a casting director?

When you work as a casting director, you work for the directors who follow their own reasons. When you make your own film you think differently. Now when I cast for other directors, my experience of being a director comes handy. I can now think about directing points.