Ali, Richa begin search for lead actors for their maiden production

Mumbai, April 4  Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha have kickstarted the hunt for the lead actors of ‘Girls Will Be Girls’, which is their maiden production,

under their new production house Pushing Buttons Studios.

The film’s physical setting finds itself in an elite boarding school of a small Himalayan hill town in northern India.

It tells the story of a 16-year-old girl, whose rebellious coming-of-age is hijacked by her mother. Ali and Richa are casting for the roles of the mother and daughter for which well-known casting director Dilip Shankar has been roped in to source the talents.

Commenting on the development, Richa says, “I owe my career to an audition. I was auditioned by Kanu Bahl for ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ and the rest is history. I auditioned for ‘Dev D’ and didn’t get the part. But that audition helped me in landing ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. I am a big believer in the process of screen tests. Both of us, our director and our co-producers are looking for intelligent performers who bring something special to the role.”

Ali Fazal adds to his partner saying that while they may be the producers, the final word on casting will lie singularly with the casting director.

He says, “We want to ensure that the roles are given to those who completely suit and deserve the part. Also, we are the producers and so the decision doesn’t entirely lie with us. Dilip’s decision will steer us in the right direction, I am sure. The idea was always to create the right environment for all department heads so they can function freely and democratically.”

Calling it a special project, the actor further mentions, “It’s a special project for us, our first and the process, every step of it is equally exciting for us. It has to be, else it would be a chore. Maintaining the sanity, the balance and the vibe of the team is what I am focussing on. The rest will come together on its own . And so The audition process for us is a little different than usual. We have great actors coming in and almost everyone is so good.”

He reveals that the process of casting sometimes goes beyond the acting prowess of the artistes, “Sometimes the right fit is based on so many more elements than just the acting genius of a person. And this is something I learnt on the job. Hell we are all still learning as we must. But as actors mould themselves into parts, parts mould themselves into actors too. We just hope to provide enough play dough for that to happen.”

On the work front, Richa Chadha will be next seen in ‘Fukrey 3’ and the next season of Prime Video’s ‘Inside Edge’. Ali Fazal will be next seen in the Ric Roman Waugh directorial ‘Kandahar’ where he will share the screen with Gerard Butler.