From street stalls to silver screens: Laxman Utekar’s ₹800 crore rise

Long before his name rolled in the credits of films raking in hundreds of crores, Laxman Utekar was a child on the streets of Mumbai, selling boiled eggs outside a bar. Today, he’s the director behind Chhaava, a box office juggernaut that shattered records with earnings over ₹800 crore—proof that cinematic greatness can emerge from the unlikeliest beginnings.

Utekar’s story is one of grit, sweat, and an unshakeable determination to rise. Speaking candidly on the Mama’s Couch podcast, the filmmaker revisited his remarkable journey from the fringes of society to the helm of one of India’s biggest hits.

“I didn’t come from any film family or have connections,” he recalled. “I was maybe four when my uncle brought me to Mumbai. By six, I was selling eggs on the street. Later, I opened a vada pav stall near Shivaji Park—but the BMC shut it down.”

During Ganesh Chaturthi, Utekar and a friend found another ingenious way to earn. Wealthy devotees, reluctant to step into the water themselves, would pay the boys Rs 5 to immerse their idols. “We’d chase down their cars and offer to do it. We’d split the money. That’s how desperate we were to make something.”

His first real entry into the film industry came not through a recommendation, but a want ad. “I saw a job listing and applied. I was hired to sweep floors in a sound and editing studio. I had no idea what they were doing, but I was fascinated. I cleaned toilets, brought tea, observed everything. That curiosity never left me.”

One of his proudest early moments? A compliment—from his boss—for how immaculately he cleaned washrooms.

Utekar didn’t just sweep floors. He sold popcorn. Newspapers. Washed cars. Every task, he said, was done with sincerity.

A turning point came when he heard Sahara was building a new studio. For three months, he waited outside the gates, hoping to be noticed. One day, someone finally asked, “Why do you stand here every day?” Utekar replied, “I’m waiting for someone to ask me that.” The man smiled and asked if he could start work immediately.

He did. And never stopped.

From there, Utekar climbed the ranks—working under ace cinematographer Binod Pradhan and contributing to acclaimed films like Hindi Medium, Dear Zindagi, and 102 Not Out. His directorial debut, Taapal (2014), was in Marathi, but he made his Hindi breakthrough with Luka Chuppi (2019), followed by Mimi (2021) and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023).

With Chhaava, Utekar now joins the elite league of directors commanding box office billions.

But behind the cinematic polish lies a tale of survival, hustle, and a refusal to quit.

“I never left the industry since the day I entered it,” he said. “I had nothing when I came in—no contacts, no money. But I had patience. I had hunger.”

Today, that hunger has paid off—in crores.