For casting director Shruti Mahajan, cinema was never meant to be a career. Growing up in a conventional middle-class household, films were seen purely as entertainment.
“The only world that we understood was engineering, MBA. Those were the career choices one made during those days,” she recalls.
Mahajan followed that expected path and completed an MBA in human resources. But somewhere along the way, she realised the corporate structure was not where she belonged.
“I knew at some point of time that I`m not made to do a 9-5 job. It doesn`t make me happy. And my true calling is cinema, theatre, watching movies, people management.”
When she moved to Mumbai, she discovered a profession that perfectly merged her academic training with her passion.
“Technically if you say casting, it`s nothing but finding the right actor for the right role.”
Her journey began as a casting assistant at Yash Raj Films in 2012 — an experience she describes as an education in filmmaking.
“In that one year, I never went to a film school. It became a film school for me. I was on the job, I was learning on the job.”
Within months, she knew she had found her calling.
“In a month`s time, it made me happy. It made me breathe. It made me feel alive. That one month felt like I`ve lived a lifetime.”
After completing a year at the studio, Mahajan took the leap into independent casting. A few advertising assignments soon followed before an unexpected call changed everything.
“I got a call from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s office. They were looking for a new casting director and rest is history.”
Giving characters their ‘soul’
For Mahajan, casting is not simply about selecting actors. It is about translating a script into something emotionally real. “My goal is to always be authentic. Whether it is authentic to the script. And to be able to bridge the gap between a director`s vision and the reality,” she says.
Every role, she believes, must carry emotional depth. “As a casting director, every character should have a soul and an emotional connect. I also cast from an audience point of view -what will make me enjoy watching this?”
Her process begins with understanding the script inside out.
“I read the script multiple times. We go back and forth with the director to understand their vision and eventually come to a path where we know that we are getting it right.”
When instinct meets uncertainty
Casting, Mahajan says, is one of the most unpredictable aspects of filmmaking. “The only certainty about casting or filmmaking is uncertainty. Plan B is equally important for any technician.”
While the right actor may seem obvious on paper, real-world factors can change everything — chemistry between performers, schedules, budgets and timing. “Even after clearing all this, if your timing is not correct, then you have to move to Plan B.”
Unlike corporate hiring, casting has no fixed formula. “There is nothing by the book in this. This is my resume, this is my work experience and I am deserving — there is nothing like deserving in casting. You have to show up. You have to deliver each day. And you have to be honest with your craft.”
Breaking stereotypes on screen
As the industry evolves, Mahajan believes storytelling is becoming more mindful — particularly when it comes to female characters.
“Earlier when women were cast they would only sing, dance, do item numbers or run around the trees. But now there are stories that are being created only for women.”
She credits audiences for driving that change. “Their appetite and exposure has gotten so much better that they do not want the run-of-the-mill. The audience has become very smart.”
Mahajan also points to a shift in how established actresses approach their careers today. “Now they are not looking at themselves as just heroines. They take themselves as actresses. As actors.”
She compares the change to Hollywood, where performers prioritise compelling roles over traditional star images. “When you see a Meryl Streep every time she comes out with a subject or a movie you don`t see Meryl Streep, you see the character.”
That openness, she believes, is encouraging filmmakers to experiment. “Casting has changed. Storytelling has changed. It`s giving us opportunities to experiment and think out of the box.”
Where stories truly connect
For Mahajan, the success of any film or series ultimately comes down to one thing: emotional connection.
“It is just about getting the story correct. It has to have an emotional connect with the audience.”
And that connection begins with casting.
“Everything is just a character written on paper. The minute you get a soul to those characters is what connects the audience with them.”
