Laxman Utekar, director of ‘Chhawa’, says he was selling eggs, opened a ‘Wada Pav’ stall in Shivaji Park during his struggling days. Hindi film news
Although ‘Chhawa’ received mixed response from critics, it broke the box office record by earning more than Rs 800 crore at the box office worldwide. Director Laxman YouTech, who has directed only six films so far, hit gold with this blockbuster. However, his journey started politely for success – he once earned 2 rupees working during the Ganesh Chaturthi ceremony and washed cars before a drive. In a recent interview, YouToker opened his inspiring growth from a slight start.Early life and struggle in MumbaiLaxman’s journey began in a small village in Raigad district of Maharashtra before going to Mumbai with his uncle at a young age. On the podcast of the maternal uncle’s sofa, he said how he took all possible work to survive in a stirring city. Considering his entry into the film industry, YouToker said, “I incidentally came to the industry, and I had no support.” I was probably 4 years old when my uncle brought me to Mumbai. When I was 6 years old, I started selling boiled eggs outside, and later I opened a Vadapao stand in Shivaji Park, but it was confiscated by BMC.“He also shared a unique way during the Ganpati festival, stating how many rich people did not like to leave their cars to sink their idols. To help, YouTaker and a friend offered to carry and submerge the idols for a fee of Rs 5, which they divided.First break in film industryHe revealed that his initial break in the film industry came after applying for a job advertisement in the newspaper and was hired as a sweeper in a studio. While reflecting those early days, he said, “I started working as a sweeper for him, and I really didn’t understand what they were doing. I will clean the floor and washroom, after which I will get tea for people working in Sound and Editing Studios. I saw his work and realized that whatever work he was doing was very interesting, and I would never leave for many days; I was never bored. “From that day, I never left the industry or looked back,” he said, “YouTaker also talked about his dedication to every task, which mentioned that he honestly washed the cars with full and even his boss praised him for cleaning the toilet completely. To complete the ends, he took various odd jobs such as popcorn and selling newspapers.Firmness and opportunityKnowing about Sahara’s plan to set up a studio in the city, YouToker shared that he created a point to go daily to wait for the gate to move daily. Three months after this routine, a person finally stopped his car and asked why he was taking it there. “I was waiting for someone to get my car and was asking me the question,” YouTech remembered. When he requested to start work the next day, the man surprised him saying, “Can you start today?”Career growth and direction successLaxman provided his career in acclaimed cinematographer Binod Pradhan, who was working on remarkable films like ‘Dear Jeevan’, ‘Hindi medium’, and ‘102 Not Out’. He started his direction in 2014 with the Marathi film ‘Tapal’ and since then directed successful Bollywood films including ‘Luka silence’, ‘Mimi’ and ‘Zara Haatke Zara Bakke’.
