HZ Women Of The Month: Casting Director Panchami Ghavri Says, "Fawad Khan Is A Massive Party Starter”

Panchami Ghavri who is a renowned casting director of B-town had an exclusive one on one chat with HerZindagi and opened up on her newest project, ‘Karmma Calling’ which was released on the OTT platform, Disney Plus Hotstar on Republic Day 2024, the leading star Raveena Tandon and much more.

But first let us take you through all the details of Mumbai based casting director Panchami Ghavri’s story.

All About Bollywood Casting Director Panchami Ghavri:

From Childhood To The Set Of ‘Wake Up Sid’:

Panchami Ghavri's journey stems from Mumbai, shaped by a challenging childhood marked by early parental separation. Raised by her resilient mother, she imbibed the value of independence early on. At 18, she stepped into the film industry, starting as an assistant director for "Wake Up Sid." Determination drove her to the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, where she honed her skills.

Dharma Productions’ ‘Brothers’ And A Career In Casting:

Returning home, Panchami faced initial hardships, working relentlessly on multiple advertising projects to sustain herself. Her breakthrough came with "Brothers" at Dharma Productions, launching her into a successful career as an independent Casting Director. She's committed to breaking conventional casting norms and advocating for inclusivity in the industry.

Her Works - ‘Kapoor And Sons’. ‘Class’, ‘Masaba Masaba’, and ‘Gehraiyaan’:

Panchami’s mission is about creating a safe and diverse casting space, challenging norms, and championing a broader spectrum of casting choices. Notable projects like "Class," "Kapoor and Sons," "Masaba Masaba," and "Gehraiyaan" have showcased her creative flair.

Let us now take a deep dive into HerZindagi’s exclusive interaction with Panchami Ghavri who talks about everything ranging from how fun Raveena Tandon is, to Deepika Padukone’s chill self, Ananya Panday’s positive vibes and much more.

 

 

 

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Could you share a deep delve into how the process of casting works in contemporary era Bollywood?

To this Panchami Ghavri opened up saying, “Casting has evolved a lot over the years, back in the day it was done by assistant directors and now a casting team has also got on board. A director or production house gets in touch with us and we understand the director’s vision.”

She further adds, “It could either include a popular Bollywood name or an opportunity to cast the entire cast from scratch. It is a jam between me and the director and suggest some newer and fresher names to the forefront and make it interesting while casting right for the parts.”

Share some anecdotes of casting for Dharma Productions in productions like 'Gehraiyaan' and 'Kapoor & Sons'?

Panchami promptly answered saying, “My association with Dharma goes way back as I worked as an assistant on ‘Wake Up Sid’. It has been a long and gratifying experience with important casting experience being in ‘Brothers’ and ‘Kapoor And Sons’.

Sidharth Malhotra, Jacquline Fernandez and Jacky Shroff were big names on the project and it was a big yet daunting experience for me. I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it and being considered for the role was even big. I had zero expectations and had a trip planned to Rome. But then, the first assistant director called me and said, you’re on and I couldn’t believe myself since I didn’t expect it at all. I think I was blessed to get that opportunity at the start of my career.

Karan Malhotra the director of ‘Brothers’ recommended me for ‘Kapoor And Sons’ which was a casting delight and each character did so well including small moments including ‘plumber moment’ that became so famous. The actor who played the plumber’s part was later asked to attend the press conferences because the scene had become so popular.

Tell us about casting for your most recent project, Disney Plus Hotstar's 'Karmma Calling' ready to release on Republic Day 26th January, 2024?

Panchami quickly said, “I was having a big fan girl moment working on a project that featured Raveena Tandon since me and my sister were full Bollywood buffs growing up. Also working with a female director, Ruchi, for this project was really interesting.”

Share some fun exchanges you have had with Raveena while working for this project together?

To this question Panchami quickly responded saying, “She is such a fun person to be around. These days most production houses have started to do a table read, during which too Raveena ma’am is such an infectious energy and a person who will just make reels with the crew and the cast while everybody else is fangirling around her.”

Who were the most difficult and easy to cast amidst Bollywood stars?

Panchami laughingly responded, “I have been lucky to work on projects and with directors that are easy going. Working with Shakun Batra on ‘Gehraiyaan’  with Deepika Padukone eating rasam and rice while we are doing the reading. The amount of work she puts into preparation before going to set is commendable. So there’s no easy or difficult casting when there are good professionals around you.”

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How does the casting process flow for established actors like Raveena Tandon or Deepika Padukone? Is it the same as the newbie actors in the making?

Panchami spoke, saying, “Ofcourse, it works differently. It is like that in the West and India as well. For some established stars whose body of work speaks louder than any screen test. However, newer actors go through auditions and then they are selected based on their merit.”

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Share your most cherished casting memory with the following: Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday, Sidharth Malhotra, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Fawad Khan?

Panchami kept her responses quirky and full of fire saying, “Deepika Padukone is like home and is very comfortable in her own skin."

She further added, “Alia Bhatt is always making jokes which are mostly about herself. Ananya Panday loves to do imitations of people around her including her team. Sidharth Malhotra is very quiet and takes time to warm up to people. Siddhant Chaturvedi made a joke about having to come in and give a slate in our office because he had not made it back then. Fawad Khan is a massive party starter; he was the most fun on the sets of ‘Kapoor And Sons’ and was always up to chill after long shoot days.”

We hope you enjoyed the story. Stay tuned to Herzindagi for more of such content.