MUMBAI: For those in the entertainment business, Sohan Thakur needs no introduction. He has created a niche for himself in the industry and continues to grow and taste success as he is experiments and forays into other arenas of entertainment platforms.
Having cast for varied television serials and providing the best of talent for both the fiction and non-fiction space on TV, ad films, films, and the digital medium, Sohan has come a long way in his career. In conversation with the casting director, we got to know some details about his journey in the industry and his viewpoint on the growth of the entertainment business.
Sohan mentioned that he worked for India’s Most Wanted with Manoj Raghuvanshi, and in the course of his growing period, he met Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, who was then doing Missing as an anchor. He said, 'I met him, and after networking, I ventured into the music video space and worked with talented artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for Tere Bin Dil Nahi Lagta. After doing some quality work, I decided that I should move to Mumbai.'
'I moved to Mumbai in 2001 and started working in the production department with different companies, and soon after, I realised that I am meant for something else. I started my career as an assistant director with Ashish Patil, and after assisting a couple of more renowned directors in the industry, I had to take a small break because of an accident. I could not move, and in this industry you need to be a commando, always on your toes! So, I started working as a scheduler in television. But in television, schedulers get no respect. You work so hard, but nobody respects you, not even actors.
Soon after, I realized that if you give work to the actors, you earn respect too. And I started doing small casting projects until I got Rehaai, an episodic show for Sony TV where I was casting and scheduling. After that, I got a chance to cast Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, and the list followed with bigger shows in my kitty. My hard work paid off with a 90 percent success ratio, and let me add that it is because of my family, especially my mother’s unconditional support, that I have reached this stage in my career!'
Sohan has recently done a webseries called Madhuri Talkies for Applause Entertainment. When questioned about his foray into the digital space, he said, 'Each character is very authentic, and you will be wondering how I found the right kind of people who could fit perfectly into the role! I am also working with MX Player's web series, another short film with Umang Kumar, and a high-end Netflix project. I have also cast for Babloo Bachelor, a Sharman Joshi starrer that will release soon. So I am quite active on all the three platforms.'
'There is a different audience for each kind of medium. Film goers will go to theatres, while the OTT medium is for users who want to watch according to their convienence. Digital space at somepoint will overpower TV, but it won’t have an impact on it because around 60 percent of the audience are television viewers who prefer spending time watching family-oriented shows on the small screen. But talking about us, it gives us a huge creative satisfaction.'
Sohan admitted that casting for the digital platform gives him a better high than television as it is extremely challenging.
'Every actor cast has to have a rustic feel, and we have to hunt for the right faces. We even tap theatre artists for digital shows and the challenge is to make the character look authentic. Casting for television shows is comparatively easy,' he added.
Kudos, Sohan!
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