Are Talent Management agencies a boon or a bane? – Part 2

By Philip Bode -

July 9, 2013 - 4:16 AM IST

With over a hundred agencies cropping up everywhere, we've observed that assistance from talent management companies are sought by a select set of film-clientele. While filmmakers like Mukesh Bhatt abhor the notion of employing agencies to cast for their films, Ramesh Taurani believes they're quite professional in their conduct and understand a producer's point of view. Managing partner of CAA Kwan, Anirban Das Blah, voiced his opinion that an agency's responsibility, is to solely provide information and share a perspective. Eminent photographer and head of Bling Entertainment Solutions, Atul Kasbekar, said that for an artist to secure their interests in the industry, they need to lock their second film before their first one hits theaters. In this exclusive two part series, Bollywood Hungama's Philip Bode gets eminent filmmakers Mukesh Bhatt, Ramesh Taurani along with a talent management honchos Atul Kasbekar, Anirban Das Blah and Afsar Zaidi to corroborate if talent management companies or casting agencies really benefit anyone?

Mukesh Bhatt believes that apart from sourcing, there is nothing more talent management companies can do for the people in the industry. He says, "I think the agencies involved in casting should help regular filmmakers who are committed to giving breaks to newcomers all the time. An ideal situation would be, to scan out the potential candidates from the talent they source. I think it is not possible for them to do anything beyond this, as they don't know the industry well. The career of the newcomer would depend completely upon the film, like Aashiqui 2's Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor. The film has turned out to be the first super-hit of the year and it has changed their lives, this has not transpired from the talent agencies out there. The two actors have now found acceptance, but they need about four or five films more for people to taking note of their work. It took us about five hit films to make Emraan Hashmi an icon of sorts, he is a star today."

Are Talent Management agencies a boon or a bane? – Part 2

Atul Kasbekar believes that now is a good time to be a newcomer as people are looking at fresh talent with or without a pedigree. Talking about if newcomers are over shadowed by their older counter parts, Atul says, "The industry is in a state of transition and flux and this happens cyclically every once in a while. Currently, new talent is attracting even endorsements away from established stars as the considerations paid are way less as well. The established ones have their own fitted brands and there is a specific market for them. For instance, it is reasonable that a forty plus star won't be retained to endorse a soft drink brand, but then a twenty something star won't endorse a bank or a real estate company either."

Head of Carving Dreams, Afsar Zaidi, believes that it's a combination of things that defines an artist. He says, "Aashiqui 2 has probably gone on to become one of the biggest hit films of the year, and this was not Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor's first film. Aditya and Shraddha possess immense talent and Vishesh Films saw that in them. At the end of the day, it is the right combination of talent and script which defines the artist. If an agency believes in the talent, and if they contain enough dynamism and decision making power like the Bhatts, then the destiny of the newcomer in question would be promising."

Talking about whether or not stars are bound by contract if signed on with an agency, Atul says, "A client never loses out, as talent management companies share a revenue pattern established between the reputed players in the business. This is a standard practice abroad; in fact we are delighted when the star is working regardless of where the assignment comes from." Afsar doesn't think that a contract should curb work coming from elsewhere. He says, "Carving Dreams has pioneered the business of talent representation in the country, and we have not encountered any issues with regard to an actor's growth being hindered. I don't see it as a hindrance, although a contract is important as exclusivity is taken care of and its binding is between the talent and the agency to ensure they do the right work."

Anirban Blah of Kwan thinks that a contract shouldn't pose as a hindrance to someone's growth. He says "A brand or a director is always clear on their creative vision, and that focuses on the best talent to take their vision forward. No one will avoid taking the best person for a job just because the actor pays a commission to an agency. As long as an agency does not interfere in the creative process, they won't hamper a talent's career."

So would top notch filmmakers make use of casting agencies to find their lead? Mukesh Bhatt spurns the idea; he says, "We have the talent and the know-how to spot exactly who we want, resorting to using such agencies for finding the lead actors for our films is out of the question." Ramesh echoes that thought. He says, "I never employ agencies to decide the fate of my lead cast; I would rather do that and meet them personally."

Content is the need of the hour and the focus is only on the big guns now, believes Anirban. "If I were to ask you to cast a new talent as a lead for a feature, you would probably refuse and want a bigger star. It is symbiotic how the media feeds the audiences with what they want. We try our best to cater to the clients, and we know how complicated it is to create any kind of perception building we have for new talent. A time will come where all kinds of talent would be employed and featured," he says.

Afsar predicts that soon we might reach a stage where every showman would be represented by an agency. Talking about the future, he says, "The first talent management company was started in the US a hundred years back and we have only started this in 2005, so we are a hundred years behind them when it comes to representing a talent. I hope this business grows and every individual requires a representation because, that would give us volume business and it is progressing that way."

Click here for Part 1