Shooting for one’s maiden production is never easy. The road only got tougher for Taapsee Pannu who took Blurr on floors during the pandemic. The adaptation of Spanish film Julia’s Eyes (2010) sees Pannu play a woman who is rapidly losing her sight while she tries to decode the mystery behind her twin sister’s death. While the makers had initially considered roping in visually impaired people for certain pivotal parts, the plans went awry due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Casting director Kavish Sinha reveals, “We started casting for Blurr when the second wave of COVID-19 hit. Offices were shut, physical auditions were not happening. We cast actors locally from Uttarakhand by watching their self-shot tapes. [For certain] characters [that were depicted as] completely blind, I wanted to cast people from the National Association for the Blind, and other organizations. But we couldn’t do so because of the pandemic. So, we had to make actors play visually impaired characters.”

Sinha credits Pannu for being a hands-on producer. “While she watched all the auditions, the final call rested with director Ajay Bahl. Taapsee shows trust in all her department heads. All selections were done by the director, who didn’t want big [stars], but good actors who will shine in their roles.”

Director Abhay Pannu ended the first season of Rocket Boys on an interesting note, with Homi Bhabha — essayed by Jim Sarbh — standing on the cusp of an era-defining invention. While the series depicted how Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai boosted the nation’s standing in scientific communities under the aegis of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, it is learnt that the second edition will see former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi play a bigger role as she takes charge.

Kavish Sinha, who handled the casting of the Sony LIV offering, had roped in Charu Shankar to play India’s Iron Lady in the opening season. “There are a lot of dignitaries who come into [play] in the second season, including cabinet ministers and prime ministers. A major part [is dedicated to] Indira Gandhi in the upcoming season. Abhay was ready with a complete docket for the entire show, including the character arcs,” says the casting director.

He adds that both instalments were shot simultaneously. “We needed actors who would be invested for a long period as the two seasons were being shot together. The 16 episodes weren’t shot episodically, but as per the script and location.” He adds that the show is now in post-production.

Ajay Devgn’s digital debut is built on a solid foundation — Rudra: The Edge of Darkness is an official adaptation of the popular British television series, Luther. For a crime thriller that focuses as much on the antagonists as it does on the quick-thinking protagonist, casting director Kavish Sinha (below) says roping in the right actors was crucial. “Casting for the villains was a big challenge,” says Sinha of the series that stars Esha Deol-Takhtani, Atul Kulkarni and Raashii Khanna, among others.

While Devgn and Deol were part of the project from the beginning, the casting director was given the responsibility of building the supporting cast. “When you have powerful actors on board, you have to cast an equally strong ensemble cast. Raashii auditioned with the director [Rajesh Mapuskar], along with the other cast members, including Atul, Ashwini [Kalsekar] and Ashish [Vidyarthi]. Rudra [focuses on] the villains as each episode [studies] a different crime and criminal. The [actors who played] criminals had to be as powerful performers as Ajay. Sameer Nair [of Applause Entertainment] and BBC were supportive about getting new actors,” says Sinha, who also worked on the casting of Rocket Boys.

The brief given by Mapuskar was simple: Even though the series was inspired by a British offering, Rudra had to be desi in its essence. Sinha says, “Rajesh wanted to capture the essence of Mumbai through the series. When I read Rudra episodes, I realised it isn’t similar to [Luther], [save for] his relationships with those around him. We have Indianised it for the audience here. So, I never asked any of the actors I auditioned to watch Luther.”

Directors Nikkhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves are set to take us to the fateful night of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks with 'Mumbai Diaries 26/11', which focuses on the valiant efforts of the medical frontliners. Knowing that the compelling material demanded strong performers, casting director Kavish Sinha says Konkona Sen Sharma and Mohit Raina were his first choice for the central characters — a Bengali paediatrician battling her demons, and a doctor torn between his duty and concern for his wife who is trapped in the hotel under siege.

“When it comes to a solid Bengali actor, I can only think of Konkona. I had worked with Mohit on Kaafir; he brings gravitas to his roles. Nikkhil sir hadn’t worked with either actor before, and loved the suggestions,” he says

A reading session with the actors, to ensure that they were the perfect fit for the parts, sealed the deal. “Both actors did table reads with Nikkhil sir, where they read with the right emotions and nuances.” 

Though Mumbai Diaries 26/11 is a fictional drama, the casting director says it is the result of intensive research. “The series is about the doctors trying their best to save the victims. We wanted good actors instead of popular faces. We auditioned for every character on the show, except [those essayed by] Konkona and Mohit,” he says, ahead of the trailer dropping online tomorrow.