How Kiran Rao selected the young cast for 'Laapataa Ladies'
What's the story
Laapataa Ladies has been officially selected as India's entry for the Oscars.
Directed by Kiran Rao and produced by her ex-husband Aamir Khan, the film revolves around a unique bride swap.
The cast—Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel—previously shared insights into their audition process, preparation for their roles, and the evolution of storytelling in films.
Interestingly, Rao reportedly selected the young cast of LL from 5,000 aspiring actors.
Casting
Goel prepared for her role by watching 'Sui Dhaaga'
Goel revealed in an interview that she was initially unaware that the film was being directed by Rao and produced by Aamir.
She prepared for her role by watching movies like Sui Dhaaga and Balika Badhu.
Goel further shared that during COVID-19, she sent a YouTube link to her audition and anxiously checked to see if the director had watched it.
By evening, she received a note that Rao liked her audition and that "Aamir wanted to meet me."
Process
Shrivastav found inspiration from a delivery boy
Meanwhile, Shrivastav's process involved observing people around him to embody his character, Deepak.
"My idea was to look for Deepak inside me, not outside me. I went around observing people."
He further mentioned, "One day when a boy came to my house to deliver biryani to me. He was wearing a mask and I just saw his eyes. There was innocence...and I wanted that expression in Deepak. So, we roamed, spent time with each other, and even talked on calls."
Characterization
Transformation into characters from 2001
In the same interview, Ranta explained that the transformation into their 2001 characters was very organic. She emphasized the importance of looking like they belonged to the place they were portraying.
This involved wearing sarees, minimal makeup, and working on their dialect.
The actors' dedication to their roles and strong preparation was further supported by camera testing, a process Shrivastav noted doesn't usually happen in many films.