21 June 2024
Hyderabad
Idlebrain chats with Pushpa Bhaskar, founder of PB Casting, as she celebrates 11 successful years in the vibrant film industry. With a background in Public Relations and a passion for media, Pushpa's journey from radio hosting at All India Radio to pioneering professional casting in Telugu cinema is a testament to her dedication and vision. Her experiences span from shaping narratives on air to discovering new talent behind the scenes, making her an important figure in the evolution of casting practices. Join us as Pushpa shares her journey, challenges faced in the industry, and her perspectives on the art of casting and its future.…
Your casting agency PB Casting has completed its 11th year in Hyderabad. Could you tell me what you did before that, what is your field of experience?
I am a BA and did my post-graduation in Public Relations. I was always inclined towards working in the media, but I didn’t really know where to start. I even trained myself to be a TV newsreader, did some dubbing, radio shows. In 2006, when FM radio began booming, the first channel was started by All India Radio. When I joined their FM channel, my connect point of being involved in the media began. I worked in AIR (FM Rainbow) for six years. It was a “female-oriented ladies show”, called the Husband Special. I used to talk about the relationship between a husband and wife, how to make it a fun thing rather than being very serious, how one can solve things in a light-hearted manner. This was a live show, I used to take calls from the audience and answer some queries.
How did your tryst with casting begin?
It was around 2012-2013. I used to work part-time in Annapurna Film School (Telugu diction, dubbing, audition techniques) and was intrigued by the whole concept of casting. I noticed that “repeaters” would get acting roles but newcomers had to struggle a lot. I studied how casting works in Bollywood and Hollywood and just as a lark began PB Casting without really knowing the ins and outs of the business but because I thought the Telugu film industry needed a professional casting agency. I worked in Annapurna Studios for about 4 years where I began collecting profiles of my old and new students or people who visited Annapurna to get some work. I started connecting with people who wanted to be actors as well as production houses. Initially, it was very hard. The Telugu film industry was not ready to hire a casting director because they thought that it will happen generically. The Assistant Directors would be given the job or someone else.
When did you get your first big break?
My struggle period lasted for about 2-3 years. Initially, I was not credited for the casting. By chance, I got into the NTR biopic project which was a 2-part film and needed huge casting, lookalike faces. Director Krish understood the need for a casting director. I worked on this project for about a year, the offer for which came around 2016. I worked for his production house for other projects and Krish was good enough to give me credit for casting. People in the industry began to enquire how the biopic project got so many new faces for the film and slowly from there my climb began.
What would you say is the primary hurdle that a casting director or agency faces in the Telugu film industry?
The problem is that even now they don’t feel the necessity of a casting director. They feel, they have the contacts or they post it online. There has to be somebody who has the patience and intellect to pick up the right actor from the herd. One has to have the patience to go through thousands of mails so as not to miss the gem in between. ADs may not have this patience or time to scan through so many profiles because they also have so many other responsibilities. I am not blaming them but depending on the other work they have, they may not have the vision to go through each and every profile to see what is good in each profile.
Have you stashed away profiles knowing the person might not fit the current project but would be useful later?
Yes, I have called people after 4 years at times and they are surprised. I would say that a casting director’s job involves a lot of passion and sensitivity to find the right actor.
What exactly does the process of casting involve?
When I get a project, I go to the director or co-director who can give me the narration of the story and then I write down or they give me a list of the characters they have, what kind of look they want. Do they want known actors, lesser known actors, completely new actors, theatre-based actors? I take down all the requirements and then I start working and present a PPT. For each character, I give at least four-five options. Not every actor I present may fit the character according to the director. I need to have a sync with the director. Some directors say the eyes and face are okay but the jawline is not good. So, sometimes, I keep making presentations again and again until the director gets the right person. I also play a role in changing the direction of actors who have been typecast for too long. Like, say bagging a sensitive role for an actor who has always been into comedy…. This is called cross-casting.
How exactly does the financial side of this work? Do you charge a fee from the directors as well as the actors?
So far, I have only charged the production houses. I have not charged from the actors so far because I mostly suggest newcomers for roles who barely make any money. My biggest role is to reduce the time spent by production houses in finding the right actors for the roles.
How exactly is an actor picked?
First I select the photos, then conduct the audition. If the candidates have videos, then I show these videos to the director. Or else, I take lines from the movie and check out how the actor delivers the dialogue. Sometimes, I conduct a general audition where the actor shows different moods like sorrow, joy, anger. Based on this too, directors take their pick.
What else do you do plan to do in the field of cinema?
I write a lot of stories. I have done a course on family counselling which was needed during my radio show. I am planning to start a podcast soon again on relationships. My biggest advice is to take your relationships lightly so that you don’t get offended too much.
Do you work only in Telugu cinema or in other industries as well?
As of now, only in Telugu films but I do connect people with actors in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali industries.
Any actors who you have worked with and you admire?
Actors like Karthik, Ankit Koyya but really there are so many who are just climbing the ladder and about to make it big.
Coming to the most infamous question, does casting couch exist in the industry?
Ha ha ha. Let me tell you this, in the film industry, it may be called the casting couch but in another profession, it may called something else. Everywhere, this exists. A person in a superior position will try to take advantage of the lesser powerful people. Out here, it is glamorised because of the film backdrop. I would say that the fault lies on both sides. Some newcomers are in such a hurry that they want to take the steps very fast. That desperate scenario will push them into going into ‘that’ place. So when one actor or two do such a thing, the other side will think that everyone is available. So then it becomes a vicious circle. My point is if two adults are getting into something knowingly, who am I to ask or stop it? I am only asking people not to get into a barter system. I always tell my actors that if you are in that barter system, or if you are desperate, I am not the person to work with. So, the problem is there but the solution also exists. But nobody wants to see the solution. They want to highlight the problem.
What do you think is the solution?
I tell the actors who come to me that acting is not life, there is life beyond that.. If you think acting is life, then that desperation sets in. If the desperation is not there and if somebody asks, ‘do you want to give this for this?’, you can easily say ‘No’. I will work somewhere else. There are options. The Telugu industry makes so many films. I tell both the boys and girls the same thing. Movies cannot be your money earning stream in the initial stages. So if you have the financial freedom, then the desperation won’t set in.
- MADHAVI TATA
