Casting ouch! Dozen duped with promise of roles in big-ticket movie

This picture has been used for representational purpose

Over a dozen aspiring actors were duped with the promise of roles in big banner films alongside superstars. The fraudsters took money from the struggling artistes in the guise of registration fees.

The Amboli police have begun an investigation after an administrative executive of a big production house that is also a huge player in the music industry filed a complaint on Monday saying some people were misusing the company's name.

Police sources said staff at the production house were baffled after people started visiting their office saying they had registered online for one of its big-ticket films featuring actor Prabhas. The aspiring actors said they had paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to the casting director.

"Some people had sent messages to the artistes promising them roles alongside Prabhas and that the movie would be shot abroad. They would collect copies of their passport and other details and ask them to pay for registration," said an officer from Amboli police.

"The cheats had forged the letterhead of the production house and printed fake contracts," he added. The police have registered a case of cheating under the IPC and IT Act. The complainants refused to share their version with mid-day.