When I sit in a Casting Director's chair, all I do is become the audience: Kavish Sinha

In filmic jargon, they are known as casting directors aka star makers. Until a few years ago, nobody had heard of the people who actually scouted talent to bring alive the chemistry the audience fell in love with. 

Casting depended upon the fancies of the director or the actors who were already a part of the movie. However, over the period of time there was enough space created for these talented bunch of people to prove their mettle. And among the ones shining and creating a niche for himself is Kavish Sinha who runs the casting company, OnMyKayRoll.

Kavish has been active in casting for  webseries and films, however, Rishton Ka Chakravyuh on Star Plus has been his first television project and we must say, he has brought on board a stellar cast! Shedding some light on  his journey into this industry, let’s take a look at what all he has to say -

How did you get started as a Casting Director?

Casting was never the plan. I was friends with Shanoo Sharma, who’s the Casting Director of Yashraj Films and later I joined her as her assistant. That’s how my career in casting started. And I’ve never been happier before.

What drew you to this profession?

Casting is one of the most challenging and underrated jobs. People do not understand what we do. They do not understand that for a film or a project to be successful, you first have to get the right faces to front it. You have to put humans to the words. Once I get a blend of the right faces and the talent, there’s no bigger pleasure. Also, I’m a total people’s person and this job makes me meet the most interesting people with the most interesting stories. There’s nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing!

Determination and persistence are the key factors for success in this business. Please elaborate.

Determination and patience are very important. However, success is based only and only on talent in this business. I believe, in an audition hall, its equally important for the actor as well as the Casting Director to give their best shot. Today, the supply is more than the demand. So patience plays a key role, however, what wins in the end is sheer talent and the ability to understand the demand of a character.

What do you look at while auditioning ?

I’ve never been trained as an actor. I’ve never been a theatre professional. I think the actors know more technicalities than I do. However, when I sit in a Casting Director’s chair, all I do is become the audience. I try to think from a viewer’s point of view if I’d believe in the character. If it’s for a film, I think if I’m going to pay to watch the actor. If it’s for web, then whether I’m going to spend my internet bandwidth on him. And the job gets easier. 

What factors did you keep in mind while casting for Chakravyuh?

Chakravyuh was never an easy cast. I had never cast for television before. Sanjot Kaur, who conceived Chakravyuh, met me and told me not to treat this show like TV at all. She knew what she wanted and that made my job way simple. I looked at people from theatre and films background. Even for the fresh faces, I didn’t weigh the looks more than their craft. An the added benefit was the lovely storyline and setup of the show. No one said NO to hearing it and auditioning for it. I think authenticity towards creating a world around Uttar Pradesh was the most critical factor. The language and clarity with Hindi was very important too.

Please shed some light on a few misconceptions about Casting Directors.

I think the biggest misconception is that we are a biased cult of people and we have our favourites. Actors become our favourites only on the basis of their craft. If there’s an actor who performs well and leaves us spellbound, he or she will obviously become desirable to us. However, it’s also our reputation which an actor carries to the job. We shouldn’t just cast anyone for namesake or favour sake. There’s so much at stake today. One wrong casting or a misfit actor cannot just harm the project but also a Casting Director’s prowess and acumen with work. Also, we are not Gods. Flattering a Casting Director does not help in anyway. Its eventually the director’s vision which will choose the right person for the right part.

Tips to aspiring actors.

Train. That’s the only tip. When i say train, I don’t mean only the body. Train for this job. Train for acting. Train your self in observing the regular things. Know your music, your cuisines, your literature, your wine, your contemporaries, your world around you and others. Do not be unidirectional. Focus is good, but don’t walk around with blinders in your eyes just running towards one thing. Be patient. Be knowledgeable of yourself. Know what suits you best and show up only for that. It’s not a hobby or passion anymore. Treat acting like a job and work everyday towards it.