Ouch, the casting couch may soon be out!

MUMBAI, INDIA: Casting couch, the infamous word now synonymous with the film industry may soon be a word of the past. Even more so, struggling actors, directors and producers may no longer have to wait for fests to meet industry veterans for that once big chance.

Well, if you think we at CIOL are thinking the unthinkable, here's some food for thought.

Quikr, one the online cross category classified directory has forayed into the entertainment industry and has signed an MOU with Film Maker Vivek Bohra and Casting Director, Aadore Mukherjee who has films like Happy New Year and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag to her credit.

As per the MOU, a joined entity will build first-of its-kind platform for actors, casting professionals, directors, producers and other players in India’s large film industry.

“The whole Quikr journey started seven years ago when I was busy making a film in the US. While making the film, I used Craigslist to recruit 50+ cast and crew members in the US, but for the scenes to be shot in India, I realised India had no such platform I could use. So in some ways, life has come full circle for us. Entertainment has always been one of the key categories on Quikr and we are now excited to take things to the next level. Both our partners Vivek Bohra and Aadore Mukherjee live and breathe films, and we are excited to partner with them to infuse the passion of film crazy India with our experience in building digital marketplaces”, said Pranay Chulet, Founder & CEO, Quikr.

Vivek Bohra, Writer, Director, said, “This partnership will help everyone in the Indian entertainment industry. Quikr’s vast reach will help aspiring film actors and other talent get noticed and connect them with opportunities that today seem completely out of reach to them.”

Casting Director, Aadore Mukherjee, said, “We see huge acceptance for this idea not just in Bollywood but also regional cinema, television, theatre, advertising and even international film production. With Quikr technology at the core of this idea, we are definitely on our way towards something big.”