When Akshay Kumar chanced upon a video of one of Mumbai’s first female auto rickshaw drivers, he made it his mission to get in touch with her. In a recent interview, Chhaya Mohite, who was one of the first female rickshaw drivers in Mumbai, opened up about her surprise meeting with Akshay and how his team pursued her for days to sit for an interview. Chhaya recalled how Akshay randomly chanced upon her video, and said that it took him two months to acquire her details.

Talking to Siddharth Kannan, Chhaya recalled that Akshay’s team went from one RTO to another to find her, as they only had her name and photo. Chhaya recalled that Akshay’s assistant would call her every single day for an interview, but never disclosed that she was associated with the celebrity. Chhaya said that in those days, many media personnel would show up at her house and would make videos about her daily life as a homemaker as well as a rickshaw driver.

Chhaya said that by this time, others around her were telling her that she should start charging money for interviews, but she wasn’t interested in that. When Akshay’s team called, her husband wasn’t keen on her going for the interview. Chhaya insisted, and went anyway. After an entire day’s shoot, when Chhaya was asked to ride to the Sun-n-Sand Hotel, she got a surprise. “I stopped my rickshaw right there. Akshay Kumar was in my auto,” she recalled.

ALSO READ | Vettaiyan movie review: TJ Gnanavel’s take on encounter killings is burdened by predictability and the weight of Rajinikanth’s superstardom 

“He asked me how much I make. I gave him a ride in Juhu. I dropped him to his house. His mother and his wife were going for shopping. I got some photos with him,” she recalled and shared that this was during the promotions of Padman. “Akshay told me that you can visit me any time that you want with your kids and your family,” she shared, but added that she never got a chance to meet him again. She also shared that Akshay helped her financially and gave her Rs 10,000.

Chhaya also appeared on an episode of Kapil Sharma’s show with her family.

Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.