Another girl in ‘casting trap’

Hyderabad: It has happened again. A young girl, with dreams of becoming an actress, hundreds of kilometres away from home and now, caught in an insidious web of cheats and touts. In Secunderabad on Thursday, a 25-year-old model from Mumbai was drugged and robbed by a man claiming to be a film recruiter working on behalf of the Telugu movie industry. So convincing was the accused, the victim even agreed to a haircut and makeover when he showed her photos of the look “directors were looking for”.

According to the victim, she was picked up from the airport on July 4 by the agent, who introduced himself as Raj, and was given accommodation at a hotel in Karkhana. After several days of delay, during which the accused kept postponing her meet with producers, the model grew restless and said she’d want to go back to Mumbai.

But on the way to Secunderabad railway station, on Thursday, the agent is believed to have mixed narcotics in a beverage and robbed the model of jewellery and Rs 19,000 in cash. The victim says she found herself at the railway station, once she regained consciousness. Experts are now warning youngsters not to succumb to shady casting calls or touts. Producer Dil Raju, who’s currently on a talent hunt, says it’s high time people used other avenues to land a role.

“We use agents too, but we only use portfolio shots of the actor when deciding. These days, there is the social media and big production houses too are using the Web to find new talent,” the producer, who’s currently on the lookout for newcomers to cast in his upcoming flick, Kerintha — three boys and three girls.

“For casting calls, it’s always recommended you come along with family or a friend. And do not be overtly trusting,” adds the producer. Director Teja, too, is increasingly suggesting the social media route, with its own share of rules and regulations. “I often use social media to find new talent. And when I do test candidates, I make sure I have all the details — addresses, relevant phone numbers and if the actress has approached me through an agent, there’s also a check on how she got to meet him.”

Teja also believes that junior artistes from Mumbai are often falling victim to dubious casting schemes. “Because the industry here has opened up and since Mumbai has always had the agents system, there are many getting cheated by people pretending to be professionals. It is always recommended you do a little background check, before trusting a person,” Teja adds. Police, meanwhile, has launched a manhunt to nab the fake agent who tricked the 25-year-old model. Officials are confident they will find the culprit.