‘Superstar asked me to treat his son like any other staff member; Ananya Panday had to audition for SOTY 2,’ says casting director Anmol Ahuja

Casting director Anmol Ahuja recounted an incident where a superstar requested that his son be treated like any other staff member.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | Updated: September 2, 2024 03:38 PM IST

3 min read

Casting director Anmol Ahuja opens up on working with starkids. (Pic: Varinder Chawla, Ananya Panday/Instagram)

Casting Director Anmol Ahuja, the founder of Casting Bay, recently shared insights into the casting process of star kids and influencers, revealing intriguing details from his experience working with various actors. In a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Anmol recounted an incident where a superstar requested that his son be treated like any other staff member.

During the discussion, Anmol emphasised that, like any other newcomer, star kids also experience pressure and must audition to secure roles. He recalled a time when a superstar urged him to treat his son without any special privileges. “Let me tell you one thing, I will not name the person, but he is the son of a very massive superstar,” he said.

He continued, “So the superstar I am talking about, his son will be working with us for a brief period. It’s because he has the time right now and wants to understand the process of casting. That person said, ‘Please treat him like any other staff member of yours. No special treatment.’ Aur koi zaroorat nahi thi yeh message bhejne ki (He didn’t need to send that message). And that kid, I love him. I met him once, and there was a spark, a sense of manners and etiquette in him. Uske pitaji ko bolne ki zaroorat nahi thi, lekin kiya hai. (His father did not need to tell him, but he did).”

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When asked if the star kid in question was Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan, the casting director declined and revealed that he never auditioned him. However, he did praise Junaid and shared a story about how Junaid once saved a play from being cancelled.

Anmol recalled, “As for Junaid, let me tell you, this is something Quasar Thakore-Padamsee himself said. They were doing a play and Quasar was very ill at that time. But still, that play happened because of Junaid; otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened. So, this is a big deal in itself. So these guys are amazing and they have a lot of pressure.” He added, “You know, even Ananya Panday had to audition for Student of the Year 2.” Junaid Khan recently made his Bollywood debut in Yash Raj Films’ Maharaj.

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