Waiting for a role: Sreya Basu and (below) Shomudro Chaudhury

My colleagues used to wonder why I took leave so often. They didn’t know it was because I was busy escorting my daughter to production houses so that she could get a role in a television serial. I have now retired, so it’s easier to take her to the offices and residences of filmmakers. Sometimes I do all this without telling my husband. I was a small-time actress in my childhood but could not follow my dream for a number of reasons. I want my daughter to pick up from where I left off.

Kakoli Mitra,Mother of a struggling actress

I start my day with phone calls — to producers, directors and anybody else connected to a production house. If someone gives me time, I rush out with my file of photographs. My mother accompanies me. Usually, after we’ve waited for hours, someone asks for my portfolio. Often, the appointment gets cancelled. Sometimes the production house calls me within two days; mostly not at all. I return home in the evening and no matter how tired I am, I do my exercises. I go through magazines and watch entertainment channels to keep abreast of the latest fashion trends. Then I retire for the day. Sreya Basu,Would-be actress

 

The elderly but well-kept woman standing in front of the television production house is not hoping for a role. Her dreams centre on her daughter, a pretty 20-something Calcutta girl. The mother accompanies her to studios and even to plastic surgeons’ chambers. And she dreams along with her daughter.

A pretty face, a beautiful body, oodles of ambition — and a willing parent — are all that a youngster needs to pursue a dream in Bengal these days. As soap operas boom, the young, most of them women, are making a beeline for production houses, armed with photographs and their parents.

“I cannot see myself as anything else but an actress,” says 21-year-old Ahana Mitra, whose mother, Kakoli, skipped work for days to help her get a role. Ahana has now managed to bag some “important but bit” roles in Bengali serials.

Sreya, a postgraduate in English, is determined to make a mark in acting too. The 23-year-old from Ganguly Bagan, who participated in reality shows when she was still in school, has appeared in advertisements and beauty contests and acted in a few serials and a Bengali film. But she is waiting for the right role and says that she will never give up her struggle to become an actress.

The dreams of the youngsters are fuelled by their parents’ ambitions. Sreya’s mother, 60-plus Chitra Basu, is confident her daughter’s stars will shine one day. “I too wanted to be an actress, but my situation was different. I want my daughter to be a star someday,” Basu maintains.

With the Bengali television industry booming, many see acting in serials as the easiest way to fame and money. The top five entertainment channels — Star Jalsha, Zee Bangla, ETV, Rupashi Bangla and Sananda TV — together air at least 30 soaps a year. On offer are 900 roles — and making a bid for them are thousands of aspirants.

The spurt in demand has led to the mushrooming of acting schools. In the last few years, over 300 acting schools and short-term coaching classes have sprung up across the state. In and around Calcutta, there are at least 150 small private acting schools. “In 2011, we had 50 students in a batch; this year about 150 students have applied,” says Sourav Mitra, director, Sonex Media House, in north Calcutta, which runs six-month-long courses.

The Tollywood Acting School at Tollygunge is splitting at the seams too. “We are inundated with applications,” says founder Ranadeb Kar. Rajesh Burman, head, Ritwik Ghatak International Institute of Film at Ranikuthi, has seen parents queuing up on behalf of their children. “They often ask for guaranteed success.”

GLAMOUR CALLING: A file picture of an audition for a popular reality show on television

In a state where the young have few job openings, the burgeoning soap opera industry is being seen as a door to opportunity. The initial pay from acting in serials may be only as good as entry-level salaries in mid-level call centres, but the young see television as a glamourous sector where they can strike it big. “The remuneration that we get depends on how much demand you elicit. Your bargaining power is directly proportional to your perceived popularity,” says Manali Dey, the protagonist of Star Jalsha’s Bou Kotha Kou.

A newcomer usually earns Rs 15,000-20,000 a month or makes Rs 800-1,000 per episode. “A lead pair gets Rs 25,000-50,000 a month, depending on the budget of the production,” says Mahendra Soni, director of Sri Venkatesh Films.

In some cases it’s not money, but passion that drives the young. Take Shomudro Chaudhury. Though the 23-year-old studied mechanical engineering in Chennai, he always wanted to act. “I couldn’t muster the courage to tell my parents about my dream. But I did so the moment I finished my studies. And to my surprise, they have been my biggest strength,” says Chaudhury.

His father funded the Rs 1.5-lakh course in Mumbai’s Roshan Taneja Acting School for him. But Shomudro is still striving to get a meaty role. “I will not do anything else in life, and I am sure I will get that lucky break someday,” he says.

The allure of the glamour world often forces the wannabes to go under the scalpel to improve their looks. “Every other day I come across young people, accompanied by their parents, who want a nose or a lip job done. The process is painful and expensive, but all they want to bag is that role in a serial,” says maxillofacial surgeon Dr Rajarshi Banerjee.

Cosmetic surgeon Aniruddha Bose says he deals with over 150 cases a month. “A complete figure correction is most sought after. In some cases serial producers meet me separately to ask whether the surgery would really improve a girl’s looks,” Bose says.

Parents are willing to spend their hard-earned savings on such surgeries. The cost of cosmetic surgeries ranges between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh. A breast implant may cost well over Rs 1 lakh. “Sometimes, parents ask for estimates, and then come back six or seven months later after putting the money together,” Bose adds.

Other investments too are involved. Acting classes cost between Rs 10,000 and Rs 2 lakh, depending on the course and the duration. Portfolio costs are high, ranging from Rs 5,000 for a basic portfolio to Rs 25,000 for a glossy one. Then, of course, there are costs for beauty treatments, gyms, boutiques and so on. The money is well spent if it leads to a toehold in the industry. One of the entry points is reality shows. “At a single audition for Dance Bangla Dance, there are 25,000-30,000 aspirants,” says Subhankar Chattopadhyay, director of several reality shows on Zee Bangla. “It’s unmanageable.”

Since many of these shows focus on children, parents of small kids are pushing their offspring into television studios. “Every day several parents come along with their children, some as young as six, asking me to give them a chance,” says Robin Das, a veteran director whose series Aparajito, aired on Star Jalsha, revolves around two child actors. The children do their homework in between shots in special rooms that Das has provided for them.

“Parents often fail to realise that once their child’s innocence is lost, it will never return,” warns cine star Koel Mullick. “They want their children to get fame and adulation by hook or by crook. Success doesn’t come easily, so it’s always advisable to complete your basic education,” the psychology graduate stresses.

But parents couldn’t care less. “I have blocked more than 175 numbers on my mobile. Till midnight I get calls from persistent parents. Even in the studio they stalk us every day,” says Chhando (he uses only his first name), creative producer at Ideas Creations and Productions, owned by actor Prosenjit Chatterjee.

With the world of glamour becoming more attractive by the day, old stigmas are fading too. The casting couch — a euphemism for women and men indulging in sexual acts in return for a role — is still in practice, but today’s parents are no longer leery of it.

“Nowadays young boys and girls are getting in and out of relationships without any hiccups. So the fear of the casting couch and the social stigma attached to acting are no longer stumbling blocks,” points out consultant psychiatrist Dr Rima Mukherjee. “Fame and money have precedence; morality has taken a backseat.”

It’s a trend as in other fields, argues Supriya Bedagya, in-house director, Zee Bangla. “A dedicated professor will take extra classes after college hours to help students. On the other hand, there are professors who’ll sleep with their students pursuing a PhD under their guidance. It’s everywhere.”

A director admits that women often sleep with producers to get a “good” bargain, adding that “sometimes parents push their children”. But Bedagya stresses that “no one can force you to sleep around in this age and time.”

Sometimes not sleeping with television bigwigs, however, can mean an embargo on roles. “I once went for an audition and the director asked me to have dinner with him. It was evident he wanted to sleep with me. I refused, so I never got a call,” says a would-be actress.

Despite all the efforts that the youngsters put in, even getting a role is no guarantee of a successful career. Manali, whose popular serial wrapped up a couple of months ago, is waiting for the right role. So is Joyeeta Sen, a 22-year-old model-cum-anchor and the star of Olpo Olpo Premer Golpo, aired on Sananda TV, which got over in March this year. “In this industry, patience is the key. I’m a patient person and am sure something good will soon be offered to me again,” Joyeeta says.

Bharati Ghosh, whose daughter Kausani has also been trying for a role, is not throwing in the towel either. “Since she was a child, Kausani has been singing and she is very good looking. I always tell her she is talented and she should never give up — no matter what. Acting offers are now coming her way, but she should use her discretion. And we are always there to guide her,” she says.

Actress June Maliah points out that the world of glamour is one of relentless hard work. “What many actors fail to realise is that once a serial is over, you are back to being a nobody. It’s very difficult to get a steady flow of work if you are not hardworking. It’s equally easy to get swayed by the glamour,” she stresses.

But the would-be stars — and their parents — are convinced that success is just round the corner. Dreams, after all, know no boundaries.