Mukul Chadda is an Indian actor, writer and cinematographer, who is best known for his comic roles and method acting skills. He has worked in many films but he came into the spotlight when he was cast as the lead actor in the Hindi version of the famous British comedy sitcom ‘The Office” in 2019. After that, he received many offers from well-known directors and performed many important characters in their films and web series such as ‘Sherni’, ‘Bicchoo Ka Khel’, ‘Sunflower’ and more. He also worked in the theatre when he was in New York City, and from there he started his acting journey.
Wiki/Biography
Mukul was born on Thursday, 1 January 1970 (age 52 years; as of 2022) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He has done his MBA (Master of Business Administration) from IIM Ahmedabad and was a bright student but always had a desire for acting. After completing his postgraduation, he began to work as a banker in New York City, and only then he realised that he wanted to take his passion ahead and make his career in it. While working in New York City, he started taking part-time classes at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. On weekends, he used to rehearse and perform on shows. He decided to try out his luck in acting for a couple of years and see how it goes, so, he resigned from his job and came to India. After doing some advertisements and acting in a few projects for more duration than what he planned, he noticed that choosing acting as a career was not a bad idea for survival.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Weight (approx.): 72 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Body Measurements (approx.): chest- 40, waist- 32, biceps- 13
Family
Mukul Chadda is born and brought up in a Hindu family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Wife & Children
In 2010, Mukul got married to Rasika Dugal, who is herself an actress. She is also known for her outstanding and polished acting skills. Both of them love and support each other for their work. In one interview with IANS, he said,
I am proud of Rasika’s success because she is a real talent. I know how talented she is as an actress and that is why every chance she has got based on merit, we see that on screen. I really am very proud of Rasika.”
Mukul Chadda with wife Rasika Dugal
Relationships/Affairs
Mukul and his wife, Rasika were in a relationship for 3 years before they got married to each other in 2010.
Career
Banking
Initially, he started his career by working as an investment banker in America. Then he developed an interest in acting and enrolled himself on acting lessons. His parents supported his decision and trusted him. He was very confident about the choice he made of giving his career a 180-degree flip and never looking back. He stated,
I never doubted quitting investment banking or moving back to India from New York. I never questioned it, which was helpful, because any second-guessing might have made it harder to plough forward.”
He did not give much thought to it or planned about his future in the Indian film industry.
It was easier than I thought. New York is one of the greatest cities in the world, and it felt like home for the six years I was there, what with its vibrancy and the many opportunities for people of all interests. But once I moved to Mumbai, I didn’t regret it for a moment. India is home and comfortable in ways one can’t always explain. So Mumbai with all its flaws still felt like home. It’s a hard transition—to move geographies and careers at once. Fortunately, not having doubts helped focus one’s attention on how best to adapt to the change,” said the actor.
Films and Shortfilms
In 2012, Mukul debuted in the movie ‘Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’ by playing a supporting character. He went on to work in several other movies like ‘I, Me Aur Main’, ‘Satyagraha’, ‘Shuruaat Ka Interval’, ‘Island City’, ‘Gurgaon’, and ‘Sherni’ in which he was praised for his performance as Pawan.
He has also been featured in multiple short movies. He debuted in ‘Ek Bahut Choti Si Love Story’, and later he acted in ‘Butnama’, ‘Best Friends Forever’, ‘Pressure Cooker’, ‘Banana Bread’ in which he acted beside his wife, Rasika.
Mukul with Rasika in the short film ‘Banana Bread’
Web Series
I think it (the OTT space) is one of the interesting spaces where the audience and storytellers are growing together. The habit of consuming more experimental content is giving show makers the courage to tell stories and take risks. For us actors, such things are giving an opportunity to grow as creative beings,” said ‘The Office’ actor Mukul while giving his opinion abput the OTT and web entertainment platforms.
Mukul was introduced to the OTT platform when he played the character of Shyam in Zee5’s Zero KMS in 2018. He has worked in four more web series named ‘The Insiders’, ‘The Office’, ‘Bicchoo Ka Khel’ and ‘Sunflower’.
Mukul Chadda in the web series ‘The Office’
Controversies
Hindi remake of ‘The Office’: A Good Idea?
‘The Office’ is a British comedy sitcom that gained huge popularity. So, when the news about the Indian version of it came up, it caused an uproar among the people who had already watched the original and US versions of it. Fans were scared that the reputation of the show should not be butchered or the Indian version is not better than the previous ones. After listening to people’s critiques, he said,
I get the apprehension, but I’m not daunted by it. I care what people say about the show once they see it. I can’t wait for the show to be out and for people to see it with an open mind.”
A friend of mine told me she took five years to forgive Steve Carell for what he did to the character of David Brent in UK’s The Office. So I do get the fandom. I’ve been a fan of shows as well and I know that feeling. But we have adapted the show very well here,” he added.
I commend the makers because they stayed away from the boilerplate slapstick template,” Mukul said. “They were very clear that they wanted an official adaptation of The Office, retaining that comedic style. I do believe that if something is well made, it will work. So I hope for the best.”
Some people even reviewed that,
Hotstar’s embarrassing remake is an unfunny, unnecessary carbon copy of the American Classic.”
Awards
- In 2020, SPOTT Award for Best Actor for ‘The Office’.
- In 2020, E4M Streaming Media Award for Best Actor in a comic role – Male for ‘The Office’.
Favourites
- Sport: Cricket
- Actor: Amitabh Bachchan
- Actress: Rekha
- Game: Chess
- Colour: White, Blue, Black, Grey
- Destination: London, Goa, Paris
- Hobbies: Cooking, Travelling, Reading
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Net Worth
Rs. 20 Crores
Facts/Trivia
- Mukul is a typical foodie and loves to cook new cuisines and try out different dishes. He tastes the local food wherever he goes, be it any country or city.
- Mukul and his wife, Rasika are both actors and the couple came together to act in the 12-minute long short film ‘Banana Bread’, which portrayed the solitude in lockdown. After watching it, people wanted to see the two of them working together again, to which he replied,
Why not? Rasika is wonderful to work with. I’d love to do more work with her. Let’s hope more people cast us together,” he added, “We act like sounding boards for one another. I guess it is easier to understand each other’s issues, since we both are in the same field and sometimes know exactly what the other person is going through.”
