Indian Telly Technical Awards: Amrish Sharma talks about the recognition that casting directors receive in the industry

We are only a few days away from the 15th Indian Telly Technical Trade and Programming Awards. IndianTelevision.com has introduced these awards to recognize and reward the best in television production, editing, writing, direction, distribution, and creation. Today, we spoke to casting director Amrish Sharma, who holds years of experience in this field. From daily soaps to mythological series and historical drama, Amrish has done some great work on TV. We asked Amrish about the role of casting in projects. He shared, ‘Casting plays a pivotal role in every show. If the story is good, but casting is not appropriate, then it hampers the whole show.’ Does a casting director receive recognition? ‘It’s very sad that a casting director never receives recognition in spite of working hard day and night. If producers encourage their staff's work, that is enough for him or her, and if any recognition is given in the form of an award, then it will be a big achievement,’ he says. As he has been the casting director for such a varied genre of shows, what aspects does he have to consider? ‘See, if it’s a mytho show, then the thought process is very different. We look out for good-looking and Indian faces. If it is a historical, then a good personality is a must. If it is a daily soap, the requirement is always a good-looking actress with a good personality,’ he states. Indian Telly Technical Trade and Programming Awards felicitate heroes who work hard behind the camera to make a show successful. Do these awards motivate Amrish? He shares, ‘It is a very good move and will definitely motivate and encourage people like us.’ Amrish has worked for popular shows such as Siya Ke Ram, Devon Ke Dev Mahadev, Hatim, and Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta.