New Delhi : Bombaycasting.com, India’s first portal of its kind, is all set for launch, promising to serve as an online shopping store of sorts for providing acting talent.
The casting crew of the forthcoming Aamir Khan starrer Dangal found it quite a fight to cast two local girls from Haryana who will be playing crucial roles in the movie. From 30th May, however, film producers may not have to grapple with this issue.
Brainchild of film producers Bohra Bros, the portal will also offer a platform to the struggling actors who do not have the wherewithal to make it to the industry.
“Not only Bollywood, but also anyone in Hollywood who wants to make a movie in India can visit the portal and shortlist the actor they want,” said producer Sunil Bohra. “The endeavour is to give an opportunity to new actors who are talented but do not have the means to get a break. We will reach out to them and give them the break they deserve.” Bohra Bros have about 140 films to their credit.
Well-known directors Anurag Kashyap, national award winner Tigmanshu Dhulia and Hansal Mehta, who are friends of Sunil Bohra, are likely to endorse the portal which will be launched at a gala event, a person familiar with the matter said.
According to industry executives, the portal could turn into a Rs 1,500-crore venture within three-five years. The portal will invite self-shot videos from actors across the country, after which a panel of experts from National School of Drama and Film & Television Institute of India will shortlist the actors, said the person, requesting not to be named.
The panel will shortlist talented actors, who will then be called to Mumbai, where they will be shot by experts provided by the portal agency. Each actor will be shot in different genres, ranging from comedy to drama, and the edited videos posted on the portal. Casting directors will then be able to pick and choose from among the actors available on the portal.
Once an actor is selected, Bombaycasting. com will complete the documentation and contract for the actor. The portal will also provide a 24-hour helpline for actors, directors and producers. “If, due to unforeseen circumstances, the actor is unable to reach the venue, the portal will make alternative arrangements so that the project does not suffer,” the person cited earlier said.
Mukesh Chhabra, a leading casting director, said the casting process can take a lot of time. “It totally depends on the movie, the type and kind of actors required. It took me nearly a year for casting of Gangs of Wasseypur and around five months for Kai Po Che,” said Chhabra, who is currently casting actors for Dangal.
