Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Director Teja

About five years ago, when director Shankar wanted to cast fresh faces for Boys, he had no premonition that it would be a tedious task to find talented newcomers. In the process of his search, he posted advertisements in the print media inviting youngsters to take a shot at acting. Last year, Sekhar Kammula took a similar route. The Happy Days star cast fell in place thanks to a talent hunt.

Talent hunts seem to have become the done thing for producers and directors scouting for new talent, for both Indian and international projects. Teja, who’s always credit with launching actors such as Uday Kiran, Nitin and Sada is busy auditioning contestants of a reality show, Kingfisher Superstar Contest, on MAA television. Selected candidates stand a chance to bag roles in Teja’s new film to be produced by Suresh Babu.

Actress and producer Radhika Sarathkumar, who is to produce her first Telugu film, is also expected to announce a talent hunt through Telugu television channels to find youngsters for her film.

Reality shows are one of the means to get fresh faces into the industry, says producer Suresh Babu. “Those looking for talent in other industries approach college placement cells. The film industry has no such place to go to. Until now, we’ve been advertising in film magazines and the Internet. Full fledged institutes for acting and direction, reality shows and talent hunts will help us find enthusiastic youngsters. Apart from finding lead actors for Teja’s film, we will also choose character actors,” he says. He points out, “There is a dearth of character artistes and comedians. Why do we have only four people trying to make people laugh in every movie?” Talent hunts will also break the notion that the Telugu film industry does not look beyond film families.

It’s not just the Telugu film industry that’s scouting for fresh talent. Elsewhere, producer Ashok Amritraj is all set to announce a talent hunt titled Gateway to Hollywood on Sony Pix. Here, aspiring film-makers can send in their entries with their short films (two to four minutes). The final winner is eligible for an internship at Hyde Park Entertainment, Los Angeles, and goes on to direct a Hollywood film. So, if you have a story to narrate, go ahead and make those short films now.

SANGEETHA DEVI DUNDOO

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail