Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 21, 2020)

In contrast to the serpentine queues of aspiring actors lined up outside studios, the casting studios at Aram Nagar wear a deserted look these days. With the city receding into a partial lockdown, Abhishek Banerjee of Casting Bay, one of the leading casting studios, says that they are encouraging self-taped auditions.

"Auditions are a risky prospect as aspiring actors travel from far-flung areas. Usually, we don't prefer self-taped auditions, but now we are relying on them for a few cases. When we get calls from aspiring actors [these days], we tell them to send their videos on WhatsApp. If they show promise, we will call them back once works resume," explains Banerjee. He adds that they are making the most of the slow pace of work by looking into their repository. "Since everything is shut, there's no sense of urgency. We are utilising the time to look into our database, connect with local talents and figure if they fit into a role."

Shruti Mahajan, who has done casting for films like Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi, and The Big Bull, tells us, "My entire team is working from home. We are working dedicatedly on improving our database and researching on new talents, including influencers and Tik Tok stars. Some auditions are being taken on videos."