The New Theatre District

Aram Nagar, the hub of Bollywood’s casting industry, has been transformed into a destination for alternative and fringe performing arts experiences.

- Arnesh Ghose

THE SPACE HAS A FUNNY NAME – ARAM NAGAR. You could translate it to Pleasure Town, which adds an interesting layer of sarcasm to Aram Nagar’s established identity as the film and ad casting industry’s HQ. It is not an easy space to navigate – almost like a crater in the middle of Versova in Andheri, Aram Nagar is dotted with small, one-room studios and offices (often piled on top of each other, with winding rickety staircases leading you to the cramped upper storeys), open floor cottages and row houses, decorated with hipster knick-knacks like dream catchers and terracotta wind chimes, graffiti and assorted mosaic fish bowls, each trying very hard to exude a we don’t-take-ourselves-too seriously vibe. The offices have no dress codes, people eat take out on beanbags and work into the wee hours of the night – they are the freelancers, the independent movie makers, the executive producers with dreams of changing the film industry – and most importantly, casting agents who audition hundreds of aspiring, dreamy-eyed actors every day. The roads are potholed and clawed into by years of rain and zero maintenance, and through narrow alleyways – there is no street lighting – you try to find the studio that the production house is auditioning actors at, or, like many, you stroll about, knocking on every door, asking the one who opens – “Main fit hota hoon kya?” (Do I fit the role you are casting for?) Aram Nagar is a depressing and intimidating space if you are an aspiring actor who has given up everything back home to chase a dream without a back up career option.