SHOCKING: Andaaz 2 actor Natasha Fernandez EXPOSES casting couch culture: “Your talent is basically judged on the basis of what you can do for them”; reveals that she turned IELTS trainer after film offers dried up: “Had to survive, couldn’t depend on my parents”
Natasha Fernandez began her career with Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha (2017). 8 years ago, its director Suneel Darshan has now cast her in his next ambitious film, Andaaz 2, that also features newcomers Aayush Kumar and Aakaisha. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Natasha Fernandez explained how she struggled after her debut film didn’t work at the box office.
Natasha began by saying, “Suneel sir has worked with me in the past. For me, he’s like a mentor. He knows my work ethic and that I am very dedicated. I am grateful that sir thought about me for Andaaz 2. I was in Delhi when he offered me the film. He pinged me at 8 in the morning. He asked me, ‘Where are you?’. I told him, ‘I am working. I have set up a business. This is what I do right now’. He told me that he wanted to meet me in Mumbai as he wanted to pitch a project to me. The next day, I flew down to Mumbai and he narrated the story to me. It seemed interesting and also, it was like a relaunch for me.”
She revealed a shocker, “It’s been difficult in these last 7-8 years. I met certain kinds of people in the industry. I am talking about the casting couch kinds. They give you hope that ‘We’ll introduce you to this person’. Then, they’ll ask you, ‘Are you willing to party? Do you have those qualities in you?’. If your answer is ‘No’ and you are unwilling to comply, then they feel that you are unfit to be an actor. Your talent is basically judged on the basis of what you can do for them. It is the brutality of the industry that many girls and boys go through even today.”
Natasha Fernandez clarified, “I am not saying that the entire industry is bad. I am sure that out of the entire industry, 60% of them are not corrupt and are willing to give opportunities to newcomers who have potential. It’s these mediators who corrupt the whole process with their casting couch tactics.”
When asked to elaborate on setting up a business in Delhi, Natasha explained, “I had to earn and provide for myself and my family. It’s a little embarrassing when you are dependent on your parents. Since I had done my graduation and post-graduation in HR, I went into the educational line and started training people for IELTS. I also got into business communication as English is my forte. That’s how I started training people. I had to earn and I had to survive.”
She continued, “It’s not like I disconnected from films. I would attend work calls. I’d do a couple of print shoots here and there. But whenever I’d be offered any film and there would be any kind of unruly things said by a casting person, I would just avoid it and run away.”
Natasha Fernandez then spoke about her beginnings, “I was born and brought up in Mumbai. 4 years ago, I went to Delhi as I felt that the market was more responsive over there. There were more opportunities. Before COVID, I used to work there in a full-fledged manner. I had a really good setup. But now I work online. I don’t need to be in one place all the time. I can’t move around the world.”
Will she continue this business along with her acting career? Natasha answered, “Yes. I want to be a full-time actor. But with acting, it’s like aaj kaam hai, kal nahin hai. It’s a really fickle industry. I feel that in today’s times, it’s necessary to have multiple sources of income. So tomorrow if you feel that your acting career is going slow, you have something to depend on and you know ki paise aa rahe hai. In short, you know that you can provide for your family and that your life is not at a standstill. The industry is all about presentability. You have to be well-maintained and it’s all about how glamorous you are. Uske liye kaam toh karna hi padega na.”
Who’s in her family? Natasha Fernandez said, “I am the only daughter. When I entered the industry and when I signed my first film, my parents had a lot of reservations. It was easy to convince my mom as she is emotionally attached to me. It was something I always wanted to do and I could convince her very easily. But the challenge was my dad. As you know, fathers are very protective of their daughters. However, once he saw the film, he made peace and even congratulated me. Andaaz 2 made them very happy (smiles).”
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Since Andaaz 2 stars new faces, the discussion veers towards the recent newcomer blockbuster, Saiyaara. Does its success make her hopeful? Natasha Fernandez answered, “It does give me hope, although both films belong to different genres. Also, many factors contribute to the success of a film – the script, the music and the actors; the latter are the face of the film. It takes a village to make a film. So yes, it makes me hopeful. I wish the actors of Saiyaara lots of success. Hopefully, it’ll be good for us when our time comes!”
Natasha Fernandez signed off with sound advice to the aspiring actors, “Life is a roller-coaster ride. But just because you are going through a struggle, you should not give up on your dreams. Be practical and be smart. If you have to survive in a city like Mumbai, it’s okay if you do something that gives you passive income. But continue to be persistent and in pursuing your dreams. Go for every audition that you can. Someday, you are going to be noticed and that would be your ‘apna-time-aa–gaya’ moment!”
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