How YRF's Casting Honcho Shanoo Sharma Is Bullying Bollywood Newcomers With 'Weird' Auditions

Yash Raj Films' Casting Director Shanoo Sharma is making the headlines after her interview with a publication where she opened up about her bond with Ranveer Singh and shared how she spotted Saiyaara actress Aneet Padda. However, she is in the news for the wrong reasons as well. Soon after the publication dropped a post on social media, actresses Isha Talwar and Nidhi Subbaiah took to the comment section to call out Shanoo and pen their stories of 'weird' auditions taken by her. Nidhi mentioned how she, along with Miss India, was bullied by her assistants during the audition.

Isha Talwar blames Shanoo Sharma for shattering her confidence

Taking to the comment section on Instagram, Isha penned a lengthy note sharing her ordeal when Shanoo and her team auditioned her in a restaurant. She recalled an incident when she auditioned for a role in one of YRF's movies and was asked to cry in a crowded restaurant. This didn't go down well with her, and she was rather shocked by the request. The actress decided not to go forward with her request and denied it. She further mentioned she is unable to understand why she put a young girl through this.

"So when I started auditioning for roles with Shanoo… I was told to perform a scene at a restaurant called Mia cucina in Versova,Bombay … a CRYING scene in the middle of a busy working restaurant with customers dining next to my table … i was told i should have no inhibitions as an actor and hence i should be able to do a crying scene with Shanoo sitting in front of me and some of her assistants … it was such a confusing / weird ask... it shattered my confidence as a young girl in films … i couldn’t understand why a senior casting director needed to put a young girl through this … it’s only fair that an actor is given a good casting office space to be able to audition in … or if you want to do a real location then hire a spot,pay for it and audition! Anyway just putting this story a decade later for all the new comers to tell you that feel no pressure… i do remember saying I can’t do it and of course i never got the role … but at least i dint give in to the weird ask and surely dint cry at a restaurant for a role !!!!!"

Nidhi Subbaiah calls Shanoo 'sweet' but points out her casting process

After Isha, Nidhi penned a short note in the comment section recalling how she was shunned and bullied by her assistants, along with a Miss India, during her first audition. "Shanoo is sweet, but I’m not sure of her casting process. I was shunned and made fun of by her assistants when I’d gone for my first audition. They kept giggling about how different photos are from reality while pointing at a Miss India who was with me for that audition," read her comment.

Nidhi began her career with modelling and appeared in various TV commercials before making her acting debut in 2009 with Kannada-language movie Abhimani. Apart from South Indian industry, she has also worked in several Bollywood movies, such as OMG – Oh My God!, Ajab Gazabb Love, Direct Ishq and Love Shagun.

Who is Shanoo Sharma?

She is a Shanoo is a casting honcho of YRF, known for spotting talent in now popular actors Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra. Not just this, she also helped Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor in preparation ahead of their debuts.

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