Bollywood’s notorious casting culture is under an unforgiving spotlight — and this time, the fire is coming from people who have been through it, not gossip columns.
It all started when Mirzapur and Article 370 actor Isha Talwar revealed that top YRF casting director Shanoo Sharma once asked her to cry — yes, cry — in the middle of a bustling Versova restaurant during what was supposedly an “audition.” Talwar’s account, delivered without sugarcoating, painted the moment for what it was: a public humiliation masquerading as talent scouting.
Within days, Bijou Thaangjam, known for Mary Kom and Axone, backed Talwar’s claims and called out the industry’s “cheap stunt” audition practices. “We’re actors, not puppets in your café drama,” he said, making it clear that this wasn’t a one-off incident. Thaangjam shared his own experiences of bizarre, degrading casting “tests” designed less to assess skill and more to flex power.
Social media didn’t hold back either. Users blasted Sharma as “full of herself” and “intoxicated by gatekeeping power,” questioning why auditions need to happen in public at all. Memes flooded in, mocking the absurdity — from actors being told to cry over lattes to the idea of talent being judged between orders of garlic bread.
Netizens are losing their cool: “What audacity. Making someone cry on cue in public? How is that ‘talent’? That’s just cruelty.” “Shanoo—more like Shady. Audition ethics = 0/10.” “Won’t cry for a role, won’t cry for dignity. Good on Isha for standing up.”
The criticism cuts deeper because Shanoo Sharma isn’t some fringe figure; she’s one of Bollywood’s most influential casting directors, credited with spotting talent for some of Yash Raj Films’ biggest hits. But Talwar and Thaangjam’s experiences suggest a troubling gap between the glamour of “discovering stars” and the reality of belittling them in the process.
This isn’t just about one incident in one restaurant. It’s about an industry where gatekeepers can dictate terms with impunity, and actors — even established ones — have been conditioned to quietly endure the humiliation for fear of being blacklisted. The fact that two respected performers are speaking out now signals a potential shift.
What Talwar started and Thaangjam amplified could mark the beginning of Bollywood finally asking itself why its casting culture still runs like an ego playground. And if more actors join them, the days of coffee-shop power trips may finally be numbered.