I want to play urban characters now: Mayur Chauhan

It has been a great year,” says Mayur Chauhan, who had “two hit films” to his credit this year-Samandar and Hahacar. He says, “It made me realise that I am doing the right thing. The success of these two experimental films has assured me about my process of selecting a script.” He adds, “Some filmmakers even told me, ‘You can portray any character, and log har character ko accept karte hain’.”


‘There is a stereotype about what a successful film should be like’
Samandar and Hahacar had no female leads but worked well. Mayur shares, “I have always felt that there is a stereotype about what a successful film should be like. It is the script that makes a film what it is. There are stories which don’t need a male character and some which work without female characters, but that doesn’t affect the success of the films. The aim was to entertain audiences, be it through a gangster drama like Samandar or a situational comedy like Hahacar.”

Mayur adds, “While I did some action sequences in Samandar, I would like to do a hardcore action film, with action scenes like south Indian films. Also, I have mostly played rural characters and now, I would like to play some urban characters as well.”


‘D-Town makers are taking risks now’
2024 has been a good year for D-Town, and Mayur credits the risk-taking ability of the makers. He says, “Be it Kasoombo, Jhamkudi, Samandar, Udan Chhoo or Hahacar, the common thing in these hit films was that the makers experimented in terms of content and filmmaking. Be it shooting on a large scale or exploring untapped subjects and presenting them in an interesting way, makers have started taking risks and the audience is accepting it.”

Mayur is also happy to see the rise of young talent and adds, “There was a time when only experienced people worked with each other to give a ‘hit’ film. But times have changed with young filmmakers and artistes entering the industry. I have faith in young makers because the makers of Hahacar are new to the industry and this was their first project. From choosing a risky release date to promotion strategies, they knew what they were doing. I am glad more young makers are stepping up and they will take D-Town ahead.”

‘I have never been keen to shift my base to Mumbai’

Mayur, also a theatre artiste and mentor, believes Ahmedabad is becoming an entertainment hub now. He says, “There are young people who want to go to Mumbai for opportunities, but there are more people who are opting for Ahmedabad as their base now. I have never been keen to shift my base to Mumbai because I love Ahmedabad too much. If I get a project there, I will go but will come back after that.”
He adds, “The city’s theatre scenario has improved and with the growth of D-Town, Ahmedabad is like an entertainment hub of Gujarat.”


Recently, at a function, the cast of Chhello Divas- Mallhar, Yash Soni, Mitra Gadhvi, Kinjal Rajpriya, Janki Bodiwala, Netri Trivedi, Aarjav Trivedi, Rahul Raval and Mayur Chauhan, got together and shared a picture.

This made their fans exctied and while some asked for re-release, the popular question was will there be a sequel to the 2015 film. Mayur says, "Chhello Divas holds a special place in our as well as audiences’ hearts. It changed the course for us and the industry. Just by sharing one reunion picture, the fans got emotional. So, I think there should be a sequel, and I hope the makers think alike (laughs)."