Nikita Misra on her journey from theatre to casting, the hardships and much more…
How did the journey from theatre to casting happen?
I was doing theatre in Delhi and had applied for National School of Drama (NSD). As soon as the result came out, I got to know that I didn’t qualify and without wasting time I moved to Mumbai. Here, I had a few friends who helped me with the contact number of casting directors. After a few attempts, I managed to talk to Vicky Sidana, who at that time was working on Dishoom. Instead of asking him for an acting assignment, I asked if he needs any assistance and the very moment he asked me to join his time. And as they say, rest is history.
Share the experience of your initial journey.
I started my journey with Dishoom and to be frank it was not at all easy. I belonged to the theatre, so understanding the mechanism of this industry took time, but yes, I loved every bit of it. Gradually, I learned about the camera and how the expression changes from real to reel and how it affects the task of a casting director. It had been a learning journey with memories to cherish forever.
Films and ads, which one is more challenging and why?
Well, they both have their own pros and cons. They both are equally challenging. It’s just that films are a long-term project that lasts for a year or two while ads wind up in a day. Also, films require a detailed a study of the character and then looking for a face that is in close proximity to it. Whereas in ads, it is all about the face value of the person concerned.
How has the casting for ads changed you as a person professionally?
(laughs) I would say that casting at large has increased my threshold for stress and with time I have realized that the art of laisoning between the talent and the client requires much more patience than anything else. Also, you need to have the right trust confidence, so that later it doesn’t hit back on you. Here, once the credibility is lost, it takes ages to recover the loss.
What are the five keynotes you keep in mind while casting?
For me, it is important to see how an actor has decoded the material and beat progression with subtext. Then, I see how far she /he can take the material in terms of improvisation. Next is to see that how vulnerable the actor is – how much she/he lets loose and gives way for reality to take over his performance instead of his rehearsed choreography, which also gets some points. Also, how much she/she believes in the situation, not just the lines. I want to see whether the actor can fill the character organically without putting any pressure on any sort of transformation.
Rapid Fire
A film you would like to be a part of as an actor: Dil Se
Your favorite destination: Munsiari
Your childhood crush: Arjun Rampal
Acting or casting: Reality says casting and dream says acting
If you were a genie for a day: I would love to be a genie forever and stay with Vicky Kaushal (winks)
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