19 August,2025 10:12 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Usha Nadkarni and Zoya Akhtar
Usha Nadkarni is a known name in the television industry. She rose to fame post her stint in Pavitra Rishta. She was recently seen in Celebrity Masterchef, where she got candid about her life struggles. In a recent podcast, she expressed disappointment towards the casting and audition culture. She recalls rejecting Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy after she was asked for audition.
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Usha said, "They asked me, âÂÂDo you want the role? Then come to our office and give an audition.' I asked them, âÂÂWhat have I done in 78 years that you are asking me to come and give an audition?'"
She recalled another instance when a young assistant called her for the Gully Boy audition. "He told me to come for an audition. I asked his age. He said 25. I told him I've been working since before your mother was married. I don't do such pointless auditions. I asked him who the director was, and he said Zoya Akhtar. I replied, âÂÂvoh toh bade baap ki beti hai naa.' Search my name on the internet, then you'll know the kind of work I've done. I don't audition. If you want me, cast me directly'."
Nadkarni compared the experience with her time on Akshay Kumar-starrer Rustom, where she played a small role. "They called me, explained what I had to do, and gave me the part. They didn't ask me to audition, and I was paid for my work. That's how it should be," she said.
Continuing her rant against young assistants, she said, "Once, they called me in for another audition, and I reached the location and saw two kids sitting there. They didn't even have the courtesy to offer me a chair. Then one of them said the role I came for no longer existed, and instead asked me to read from a book. I told him I'd read it, took the book, and threw it right in front of him. How dare these inexperienced kids ask me to prove myself? I won't tolerate such nonsense."
