Spending 13 nights on a footpath got me work: Casting Director Vineet Pandey

Getting the right faces on board for an upcoming project can be quite a tedious job and Vineet Pandey has been doing this with ease for a long time now. However, his initial attempt to get into the industry wasn’t that easy though the only thing he lived, ate and breathed in his growing up years was cinema. Today he has come a long way as a casting director and wants to climb higher on the ladder. In conversation with Tellychakkar.com, he opens up his heart and speaks about his path to success. A few shows that he has cast for are - Santaan, Left Right left, Kumkum (post leap), Laagi Tujhse Lagan, Luteri Dulhan, Chhal, Parvarrish and many more. When and how did you begin your journey in the television industry? I started six to seven years back working as a one man army at Akbar Khan’s (Sanjay Khan’s brother) production house. He looked after me like a father but then I had to move out, for there was no work at their production house. After all, work gives a man his bread and butter. But you weren’t from Mumbai. So when and how did you come down to the city of dreams? That’s true. I am from Lucknow, UP and now the city is very much mine. However, getting back to where it all started. I was a crazy movie buff and wanted to get into the business someday. So, when one fine day one of my relatives who was staying here came to our place and asked me to pay them a visit in Mumbai I took it too seriously. Soon after, I was in Mumbai, precisely at their residence to get a job in the city. Which means they helped you get achieve your dream? Actually, spending 13 nights at a footpath did. I moved out of their place next day morning for I overheard them trying to figure out a way to shoo me. So there I was on the streets of the city, new to every lamp post and bus stand. It wasn’t easy… Yes, I wanted to get to Govinda, my favourite hero then. I thought if I could reach his place and beg him to give me a job, he would. In fact, I was also carrying his address with me, which I had managed to get from the directory back home. But you see when you’re on the wrong side of the road everything goes wrong. I lost the address but not the hope; so I went on to buy a used directory in which I located his address and reached his residence (laughs). His security shooed me away in no time after all the effort I had put. It was raining heavily and I couldn’t help but cry profusely. How did you reach Akbar Khan then? I reached a shooting set on the fourteenth day and asked them to keep me as a spot boy and they hired me. I still remember the food that I got on the sets then. It was the most delicious food I have ever had, for I had not eaten for few days. When did casting come into the picture? After I moved from Akbar Khan I joined Shakuntalam Telefilms as a freelancer at casting. Slowly and gradually I grew as a Casting Director. Do you enjoy the work that you’ve been doing? I was with Creative Eye for a long time and now I am with Panorama Entertainment. And I must admit that Panorama has given me creative satisfaction, for Suzana Ghai (Producer) never interfered in my work. She gave me the creative freedom to cast for Suhani Si Ek Ladki. Does casting for particular roles get difficult at times? Once you have the brief on the characterisation it’s not that tough for you know what your producer wants and you can work towards it. What’s next for you? I would like to produce shows someday and I will work towards it when the time is right.