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Since its release, Saaiyaara has been a much-discussed and debated topic among netizens, and not always necessarily in a positive light. Since its two leads, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, have not given any interviews yet due to unexplained reasons, the focus naturally shifted to some of the people who worked behind the scenes. Among them is casting director Shanoo Sharma, known for putting Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda on the radar through the Mohit Suri film.

After her interview with The Hollywood Report India went online, a few film buffs and celebrities have called out Sharma, citing more than one unpleasant experience involving her. While not every allegation is verified, two actors have recalled their past experiences with Sharma that left a bitter aftertaste.

A day after actress Isha Talwar (“Thattathin Marayathu”, “Mirzapur”) mentioned the “confidence-shattering” audition process that Shanoo once subjected her to, in a comment below the THR India video, Mary com actor Bijou Thaangjam has shared his bad experience too.

Responding to Talwar’s comment, Thaangjam wrote, “I hear you! My very first film audition was with her, for Byomkesh bakshy. I wasn’t fluent in Hindi, not very confident, but hopeful to give it my best. And just like your experience, I was asked to perform a scene right in front of a café, the one that used to be called Bru World, Yari Road. I didn’t give in. A few days later, her assistant called me back for a proper studio audition. But by then, I had already signed Mary Kom. (sic)”

What Isha Talwar said

Talwar, in her comment, recounted that Shanoo asked her to do a crying scene in the middle of a busy Mumbai restaurant. “So when I started auditioning for roles with Shanoo… i was told to perform a scene at a restaurant called Mia cucina in Versova, Bombay … a CRYING scene in the middle of a busy working restaurant with customers dining next to my table … I was told I should have no inhibitions as an actor and hence I should be able to do a crying scene with Shanoo sitting in front of me and some of her assistants … it was such a confusing/weird ask .. it shattered my confidence as a young girl in films … I couldn’t understand why a senior casting director needed to put a young girl through this (sic),” she wrote.