Casting Directors are getting recognition as well as appreciation now a days. As most of the budget of a project goes into casting, especially when it is a star’s film, so Casting Directors play a crucial role in any project. If the casting is correct half the job is done. Here is the updated list of 2019 of Top 10, Best & Busiest Casting Directors of Bollywood.
- Mukesh Chhabra Mukesh Chhabra is a Mumbai based Casting Director, acting workshop director, and actor who has cast several actors for movies including Rockstar, Chillar Party, Gangs of Wasseypur, Shahid, Kai Po Che, Chennai Express, Jai Ho, Haider and Dangal. Mukesh Chhabra is set to make his directorial debut with Dil Bechara starring Sushant Singh Rajput scheduled to release on Nov 29, 2019. Mukesh Chhabra is the man behind the introduction of many stars like Rajkummar Rao, Amit Sadh, Sushant Singh Rajput, Pankaj Tripathi, Zaira Wasim, Sanaya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh and many others.
- Shanoo Sharma Her journey began when her brother Sameer Sharma, a director, asked her to help him with Sudhir Mishra’s film Khoya Khoya Chand. Shanoo, who up till then was juggling odd jobs, readily agreed. The rest, as they say, is history. She went on to become part of some iconic movie castings like Madhuri Dixit’s comeback film, Aaja Nachle, Rock On!!, Kurbaan, My Name is Khan, Ra. One, and Ranveer Singh’s ticket to Bollywood, Band Baaja Baaraat. In 2011 she joined Yash Raj Films and, today, she holds the prestigious title of Casting Director and has blockbusters like Dhoom 3, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Ek Tha Tiger, My Name is Khan, Band Baja Baaraat, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil etc. to her credit. Shanoo has credits for introducing Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Bhumi Pednekar, Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Vaani Kapoor and recently Lakshya in Dostana 2 of Dharma Productions.
- Dinesh Sudarshan Soi Dinesh Sudarshan Soi is the Casting Director who has given maximum work to the actors and introduced maximum aspiring talents. In 2017 his name got entered into India Book of Records for maximum castings. In 2019 he got Finest Casting Director title in Asia Book of Records for successfully accomplishing 5000 projects. Due to his massive contribution to the entertainment industry, Dinesh is most popular among actors and considered as the busiest Casting Director. Recently he has been awarded Dada Saheb Phalke Icon Award Films 2019 in Best Casting Director category. Dinesh Sudarshan Soi casts for multiple projects at a time under his Casting firm DS Creations run by his better half Sonia Malhotra Soi. Currently he is doing Web Series Zee5 & ALTBalaji titling ‘NSA’ and many other projects.
- Shruti Mahajan From Jaipur to Mumbai, being a Casting Director was not something that was planned and executed for this young woman. It was Director Sameer Shamra who was convinced that Shruti needed to be in the Bollywood industry somehow and saw something in her. He later gave her first Yash Raj opportunity in YRF itself as an Assistant Casting Director. Shruti had a contract of one year with YRF and had already got the taste of Bollywood, and her knack to cast the spot on faces grew tremendously. Married to Cinematographer Sachin Krishn, Shruti turned a new leaf and got acquainted with the eat-breathe-live cinema lifestyle. She successfully holds her own Casting agency today. Satyagrah, Ram Leela, Mary Kom and Finding Fanny, Bajirao Mastani, Rustom, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Padmaavat, Parmanu are some notable projects in Shruti’s kitty.
- Honey Trehan
Another theatre product from Delhi, Honey Trehan worked as a stage director in New Delhi. However, his chance meeting with Vishal Bhardwaj in Mumbai changed the course of his career. Trehan has assisted filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj in films like Makdee, Maqbool, Omkara, Kaminey and Matru…, and Abhishek Chaubey’s Dedh Ishqiya and Udta Punjab to name a few.
Trehan’s first independent assignment was Aamir Khan’s production, Delhi Belly. However, it was his dream to cast for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Ritesh Sidhwani, which also happened with time. Now, Honey Trehan is making his directorial debut with ‘Raat Akeli Hai’. The film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Aditya Srivastava and Ila Arun. - Atul Mongia
Atul Mongia is well known in the industry for his work in discovering, casting and training new talent and has earned the title of being a change maker in the world of Indian cinema. As a workshop director, he has trained several top billed actors including Anushka Sharma, Ranvir Singh, alia Bhatt, Parineeti Chopra, Varun Dhawan, Bhumi Pednekar, Saif Ali Khan etc. as is accredited with having discovered and trained actors like Rajkummar Rao, Radhika Apte, Vikrant Massey, Nushrat Bharucha amongst others.
Besides being a casting and workshop Director on several critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful Indian films, he has also been part of direction team as Associate Director in acclaimed films like Lootera and Titli. - Jogi Mallang
Jogi Mallang is an ace casting director who introduced the concept of casting directors in Bollywood and made his mark with path breaking realistic casting for several national as well as international projects. He is also an actor par excellence with theatre acting experience of over three decades which includes performing at all major Indian and international theaters. He is a writer, poet as well as an acting faculty helping hone the skills of several budding talents in the most prestigious acting institutes.
Malang’s casting career started with active involvement in the casting of a show called Bhanwar and Agnichakra . That’s when film offers started trickling in and his first film Samay happened. From then on, it has been a smooth journey for Malang and movies like Vicky Donor, NH10, Madras Café, Piku, Pink, 102 Not Out, Raazi, Satyameva Jayate, Badhaai Ho, Kesari speak volumes of his casting talent. His upcoming movies are Phillum City, Satellite Shankar, Gulabo Sitabo, Chanda Mama Door Ke, RRR, Shershah Ramyug, Sadak 2 and Udham Singh - Abhishek Banerjee
Abhishek Banerjee is an Indian casting director who started his career in 2010 as a casting associate with the Ajay Devgn-starrer Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai. He was also seen as an actor in the mini-series TVF Pitchers and Humorously Yours. He then went on to be associated with movies like No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum, Gabbar Is Back, Bangistan, Rock On 2, OK Jaanu, and Phillauri. He has also been associated with web series such as TVF Tripling, Bisht, Please, and Inside Edge. Abhisheks 2017 projects include Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, Secret Superstar, Brij Mohan Amar Rahe, and Ajji. His 2019 release includes Indias Most Wanted, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. Banerjee is very much active in acting and been a substancial part of blockbuster movies like Stree, Dream Girl and Web Series Mirzapur. - Nandini Shrikent
After graduating in English literature from the Delhi University in 1996, Shrikent joined the Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai for a postgraduate diploma in social communications media (SCM) in 1997. The first film she worked on was Govind Nihalani’s Thakshak, followed by Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001). In both, she was an assistant director (AD). From then on she has done casting for many a Bollywood as well as Hollywood films.
Till now she has done casting for blockbuster movies like Rock On!!, Life of Pi, Wake Up Sid, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Student of the Year, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2 States, Tumhari Sulu, Gold, Gully Boy, Made In Heavan, Mission Mangal and Dream Girl. Nandini Shriket is NH-10 actor Neil Bhoopalam’s wife.
- Vicky Sidana
Vicky Sidana struck gold after his casting for Pyaar Ka Punchnama hit the bull’s eye! While life got tedious after the movie, the challenges of his job have always excited him. Sidana has been a part of marathon auditioning processes to filter people for Special 26 and Pyaar Ka Punchnama and has only gotten better. And with Bodyguard and Baby also to his credit, Sidana has rapidly found a footing in the industry.
Sidana is best known for Pyaar ka Punchnama, Bodyguard, Special 26, Baby, Drishyam, Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo, Airlift, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety and De De Pyaar De. His upcoming Taanaji: The unsung Warrior is all set to release on Jan 10, 2020.