Acting. One of the scariest career choices. When a middle-class person considers pursuing it, “struggle” comes along as a synonym. 

But OTT came to the aid. Perfect platform full of opportunities but how(to approach), when(to begin) and where(to go)? 

Who, how, and where?

what seemed like just a dream and an unreal career choice to most of the common people, now has some set paths. 

All these seemingly answerless questions have been answered in an exclusive interview of two major casting directors with Business of Cinema.

First being Mr. Lucky Raajput, none other than The President of the All India Casting Director’s Association. Who has fought for the designation’s legitimacy. He has attempted to eliminate corruption from the casting process and has offered a wealth of information regarding the ongoing casting process.

Second being Yash Nagarkoti who created “Castink.in” which has completed 20 projects and has quickly grown to become one of the country’s premier casting firms. Some of his notable ventures are AIB’s Chintu ka birthday, Little Things Season 3, Shakuntala Devi, Durgamati, Feels Like Ishq, and Starpacked Bhoot police.

Yash said and I quote “in today’s time if you are a good actor, nobody can stop you from coming on the screen”

For many people, becoming an actor is a dream come true. However, it is not an easy dream to fulfil. Even after becoming one, it takes a long time, patience, and effort to be noticed by the general public.

So How Does the Journey of Becoming an Actor Begin? Who is that one character in your story who gives you a kickstart? The casting directors. The casting directors have been instrumental in bringing out the best talent on the silver screen and making many dreams come true. Business of Cinema conducted interviews with two prominent casting directors to magnify the effort, and here is what we learned.

Do you aspire to be an actor? Well, then nothing can stop you from being one. 

All you need to know is who is in charge of the project’s cast. Previously, such a task would have been an uphill battle. Currently, social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube can be used to accomplish this. Other than the Casting bay, Casting station, Mukesh Chhabra, Shruti Mahajan, Nandini Shrikent, and Ashish Khare are some reliable and important casting people that an actor should religiously follow.

If you’re worried about the competition then let us tell you what Lucky Raajput said, “Theatre artists were in demand, are in demand and will always be. They are the ones who are continuously, religiously practising and polishing their art.”, stated the President of AICDA and a TV serial actor himself. The parallel ecosystem between the mainstream industry and OTT has increased the opportunities even more.

However, artists need to put an end to the financial sinkhole!

Many casting directors are in-house. It means they are getting paid salaries for it, yet they take commissions from the artists. The artists, for the sake of the role, do not hesitate to stuff their pockets. There are several platforms, each with its own set of ongoing and prospective initiatives. It raises both the demand for and supply of performers. To make ends meet, the number of slots and productions has increased as well.

Aspirants must seize the chance in such a situation.

“It’s the best time to be an actor. Each role has its importance. Big names are not required, good actors are required. Every character has its essence. The era of revolving the story around one hero, a heroine and a villain is gone. “Even a fruit seller would have a noteworthy appearance,” said the casting director of Little Things 3. 

It’s also about acknowledging how casting techniques have evolved. Previously, this position was a compromise with no feeling of casting; nevertheless, it is no longer a formality. It’s a full-time job. Our esteemed casting directors, Lucky Raajput and Yash Nagarkoti covered both the new vision and the old player’s experience.

Semi-known faces associated with Bollywood celebs were cast to ensure the satisfaction of the industry affiliated. Since these semi-known faces threw tantrums and caused problems, the pattern is changing. OTT content is now king and is given precedence. People are now praised for their skills rather than merely their appearance. 

If we take the example of Rajkummar Rao, who has been in the profession for many years, everyone now knows who he is, and when they see previously released films, they exclaim, “ Oh! isme bhi Rajkummar tha!” Yes, a tale similar to Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s. When it comes to OTT, Yash Nagarkoti believes that theatre artists like Vijay Varma and cinema graduates like Sayani Gupta are great examples of a theatrical artist’s growth through OTT.

Jamtara had 0 known actors. Taj Mahal had multiple new faces, Scam was groundbreaking (Prateek Gandhi has been around for long but scam got him the recognition, same for Shreya Dhawanthary).

More OTT platforms mean increased demand of content and more competition, more competition means better content. 

Opportunities are many, all it takes is the right role and the right time to set the stage on fire.

jaao KHUDKO ACTOR BANAO!