You need to have a lot of patience to succeed in this field - Casting Director Neha R Singh

After watching a particular show, viewers mostly shower their praises on the director, producers and actors for their able contribution towards the beautiful presentation of the show. But has one ever thought of the person who brings them (the actors) on board or ever wondered how new aspirants get a wonderful opportunity to work in shows? It is because there is a Casting Director who initially goes through the process of taking look-tests before finalising on the cast for various shows. Tellychakkar.com speaks to Neha R Singh about how it feels like being the Casting Head at Optimystix Productions. Excerpts: Tell us something about yourself and your journey in Telly biz? (Smiles) See, I always wanted to be a crime reporter that required me to be stationed in Delhi. Unfortunately, my mother did not approve of it. Thus I started doing Bollywood reporting for a host of electronic media channels such as IBN and its likes. In fact, my last stint in reporting was with Airtel Superstar Awards (Star Plus). While I was on my last stint, I was offered the role of an assistant casting director by Balaji Telefilms that I lapped up in a jiffy. For your information, it was I who introduced faces for shows like Bade Acche Lagte Hain (Sony Entertainment Television), Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani (Star One), Parichay—Nayee Zindagi Kay Sapno Ka (Colors) and Pavitra Rishta (Zee TV) amongst others. Later I joined Entertainment Hub as a Casting Head for Haunted Nights (Sahara One). Here I met a friend of mine who was an associate casting director with Optimystix Productions. She loved my work and offered me a chance to work with them. I am glad that I got this opportunity to work as the Casting Head here as I am learning a lot under my producer Vipul Shah. How long has been your stay in this industry? I have been active as a casting director for the last three and a half years. What are the key responsibilities of a casting director? It is to get in new and best faces for shows, that too on a low budget. There would have been situations where actors want to walk out of a particular show. How do you handle such a situation? (smiles) You know what? This always happens in my case. I finalize faces for the show and then actors get another show and walk out. It is an extremely difficult situation when you have to get replacements in case of actors walking out of a particular show. Also the term casting couch is much heard of. How true is that? I wouldn’t like to comment on what the fraternity of casting directors do and how they perceive it. But in my case, such a case has never happened. Moreover, for a female casting director it is quite unlikely. Okay, so to know more, we would like to know how TVTs affect casting heads… TVTs actually do not matter to us apart from the fact that casting certain actors may attract more numbers. Recently it happened in the case when we were finalizing the male lead of Chhanchhan (Sony Entertainment Television). Your message to new aspirants in your trade? (smiles) If you are ready to take loads of hectic schedules at work and have the patience to listen to 10,000 people telling you 20,000 different things and yet do what you feel is right, only then this is the right place for you. Or else, I would suggest that one should not even attempt entering this field.