Agastya Nanda reveals he was taken to be a delivery boy by the guard at a filmmaker's office before The Archies

Agastya Nanda is the latest star kid to enter Bollywood with his debut film The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar. The film, which is a musical adaptation of the popular comic book series, has been receiving positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Agastya, who plays the lead role of Archie Andrews, has impressed everyone with his charm, charisma, and acting skills. But did you know that before he landed this dream role, he had a rather humble and hilarious experience at a filmmaker’s office?

In a recent interview with Film Companion, Agastya revealed that he was mistaken for a delivery boy by the guard at the office of a well-known director, whom he had gone to meet for an audition. He said, “I had gone to this director’s office for an audition. I was wearing a cap and a mask, and I was carrying a backpack. I rang the bell and the guard asked me, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I have come for an audition.’ He said, ‘No, no, you have come to deliver something. Go to the backside.’ I was like, ‘No, no, I have come for an audition.’ He said, ‘Show me your face.’ I removed my cap and mask and he said, ‘Oh, sorry, sorry, come in, come in.’”

Agastya said that he found the incident funny and did not take it personally. He said, “I think he was just doing his job. He was not expecting me to come for an audition. He thought I was a delivery boy. I don’t blame him. It was a funny situation. I laughed it off.”

Agastya also shared that he was not aware of his grandfather Amitabh Bachchan’s fame until he saw the craze among his schoolmates when the megastar visited them. He said, "The way my family has been, they don’t bring work home. Like my nana never spoke about work at home. So I found it very normal. I thought like okay, he’s a normal granddad but I only realised when he came to school on annual day that oh god, he is someone. It was so normal up till then. (We had) grandparents day in school in Delhi. When he’d show up, everyone would go crazy and I was like I just don’t get this, why is everyone going crazy. That’s when I realised. And then of course, when I started watching cinema, I was like okay, he’s kind of good at this.”

Agastya is the son of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Nikhil Nanda, and the brother of Navya Naveli Nanda. He said that he always wanted to be an actor and that his family supported his decision. He said, “I have always loved acting. I used to do plays in school and college. I also did a short film with my sister. I always wanted to do this. My family was very supportive. They never forced me to do anything. They just told me to work hard and be honest.”

Agastya also thanked Zoya Akhtar for giving him the opportunity to work in The Archies, which also stars Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi “Dot” Saigal, and Yuvraj Menda. He said, “Zoya is an amazing director and a wonderful person. She has been very kind and patient with me. She taught me a lot and gave me a lot of confidence. I am very grateful to her for choosing me for this film.”

The Archies is streaming on Netflix1 and has been praised for its music, costumes, and nostalgia. The film is set in the fictional Anglo-Indian community of Riverdale in 1964 India, and follows the adventures of Archie and his friends as they try to save a historic park from being demolished. The film has been adapted from the characters created by Archie Comics2 and features songs composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Ankur Tewari, The Islanders, and Aditi “Dot” Saigal.

Agastya Nanda has surely made a mark with his debut film and has proved that he is not just a delivery boy, but a star in the making. We wish him all the best for his future projects and hope to see more of his talent on the screen.