Nikita Grover became a known face after portraying the role of Constable Manju Varma on Prime Video’s Paatal Lok. However, only a few know that she is not only the actor but also the casting director on the Jaideep Ahlawat-starring show. Recently, she has been garnering praise for bringing together a fantastic ensemble for the hit Netflix series Kohrra season 2. In a recent conversation with The Movie Mail, Nikita talks about her passion for casting and helping aspiring actors. She also discusses the fresh approach today’s filmmakers are taking to create unique stories on screen.
Edited excerpts:
Q. As someone who both casts and acts, how has being in front of the camera changed the way you see auditions and talent?
A. I’ve always been an actor. I started my career in acting. So, casting came to me later in life. When I came to Bombay (Mumbai), I auditioned for a role, and I didn’t feel very confident. Then I started casting, and I did it for a very long time. Much later, acting came back in my life, only with Paatal Lok season 1, and the audience finally witnessed me on screen. The actor in me is always helping the casting director in me.
Q. You started working in radio; you used to do theatre at some point as well. Then you paved your way into casting alongside acting on screen. How did that happen?
A. When I was doing radio, I was sent to watch a theatre play. We were told to see and analyse how the background music and scores are really used. When I saw the play, I was completely blown away by what was happening on the stage, and that inspired me to do theatre. And alongside, I continued working with a radio channel in Delhi. I was doing their music programming and interning with them.
After a while, I started acting in theatre plays full-time. Then I thought, maybe it was time to go to Bombay and figure that out. But theatre is a very different form of acting from camera acting. I wasn’t so sure about the latter when I came to Bombay (Mumbai). While acting and giving auditions, I worked in many departments. Even during my theatre days, I handled multiple divisions, including backstage music, lighting and more. I was interested in the idea as a whole. I thought I would do anything related to film. I met a couple of my friends from theatre days in Bombay, and they bombarded me with a lot of casting directors’ numbers. After that, I called many of them and mentioned that I want to work with them. That’s how I came to be a casting director.
Q. You worked as the casting professional and played a role in Paatal Lok as well. How did you land your role as a police constable, and who is your favourite character from the show that you cast?
A. At first, I was casting for the show, specifically for Cheeni’s character (a transgender character played by Mairembam Ronaldo Singh in Paatal Lok S1). We were meeting many trans actors as well as non-actors. We had to make the space very realistic for them, because we were dealing with multiple non-actors. Similarly, when I was auditioning actors for the constable role, I went all in with helping the people performing during the auditions. Everyone, including Sudip Sir (Creator of Paatal Lok), watched and heard the way I was giving cues to actors and thought that I’d be great for the part. Honestly, I didn’t even have to give the audition for my role.
Q. Mona Singh is being talked about a lot lately. How did she land Kohrra season 2? What is the process of casting a known and established actor, and how is it different from casting a new talent?
A. Mona Singh was always in talks. She was always on everyone’s mind because she speaks the language and is the perfect age. However, we still went through the process of finding the perfect fit for the part, and I went to Punjab looking for new actresses. We met all kinds of actors for other character parts as well.
We finally went for Mona for Dhanwant Kaur’s role in Kohrra season 2. Also, the known actors don’t have to go through the casting process. A few meetings took place with Mona and our team, as well as Sudip Sir, before she got finalised for the role.
Q. What about other actors in Kohrra, especially the first season? How do you pick and choose the actors to create an ensemble that consists of so many varied characters, especially played by foreign actors?
A. For the mother’s part in the first season, we wanted a middle-aged foreign actress, and we suddenly remembered someone from Lagaan (Rachel Shelley). I personally reached out to her and fixed a meeting. After that, we took some auditions online because neither of us could travel to another country just for an audition. Everything went well, and that’s how we roped her in for the part. For a few other foreign characters, we contacted many agents and casting directors in the US, who helped us in the process.
Q. What’s tougher, rejecting someone in a casting room or facing rejection as an actor yourself?
A. Rejecting actors during the auditions is tough for me. I keep telling the artist thatwe film people are mad only because sometimes we reject them for lame reasons. The turndown could be for anything, including their hairstyle, height or any minor thing.
However, when I see great potential in actors, I am willing to fight for them. I have always had the liberty to fight, and I love doing that to get them a chance to showcase their talent. I remember fighting a lot for Bodhisattva Sharma, who plays Hathi Ram Chaudhary’s son in Paatal Lok. He finally got that part, and he’s been working well ever since.
Q. Pay parity is known to be in every other organisation. When you, as a casting director, start working for an organisation, does it happen there as well?
A. Yes, I have felt it in many workplaces. It still exists even in our organisation, and nobody gives us any reason or clarification for it.
Q. Do you think Bollywood still typecasts too much, or is that slowly changing from a casting perspective?
A. A little change appears here and there, but a considerable amount of shift will take some more time. A lot of typecasting is still happening at many places. On the other hand, some actors are scared to pick projects that feel repetitive to them.
Q. We’ve been seeing a noticeable rise in actors from North-East India in shows and films, especially on OTT platforms. Do you think this is a conscious effort from filmmakers to bring in more authenticity and diversity, or is it a more organic shift in storytelling today?
A. Both things are happening equally. The audience is also bored by stories that took place only in Delhi, Bombay, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and they need a different kind of narrative. So, yes, getting fresh stories and actors from lesser-explored places is being done consciously.
Q. Have you ever cast someone for a role you secretly wished you could play yourself?
A. Yes, a lot of times, because I am an actor as well. But when I see the actors doing a great job of playing the characters they have been chosen for, it feels right. I also relate to a lot of the main characters in films or shows, but when I see the actors’ work on screen, and they do a job well, I feel it’s for the best.
Q. Do you think OTT has truly democratized casting in India, or do you feel there’s still a long way to go?
A. There is a long way to go because there is no recognition for what we are doing, even when we are giving so many resources and efforts for a single project. There is no category for casting in award functions. A category was only recently introduced inThe Academy, but aside from that, there’s no credit for us from the fraternity. There should be a category added for us sooner.
Q. As someone who balances casting and acting, what are some of your upcoming projects as an actor that you’re particularly excited about?
A. Currently, I’m working on a Punjabi film. This is my second one in this language. The first Punjabi movie I worked on is titled Ikk Kudi (starring Shehnaaz Gill). I speak Punjabi, so I got the chance to work in this industry, but I am open to working in any other language, including Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam and more.
