Pre-audition With The Director

Deciding To Become An Actress
I’m Isha, a 25 year-old woman, married for a year with a decent and loving man in an arranged marriage. My husband, Vinay works as a bank manager. We’ve recently celebrated our first anniversary and we are planning to increase our income in order to efficiently manage our living expenses, home loan, and more importantly, our child’s education when we have one.

I used to work as HR in a job recruiting company but had to leave it due to heavy work and less pay. I’m not much interested in working in corporate but I have a dream of being an actress, at least on OTT films or Web-series or even in YouTube short films if not in Bollywood :).

I told my husband Vinay about this and he thought about it for a while, and then said, “Well, we can give it a try. Of course you are so beautiful and lovely, it won’t be that difficult for you.” He said that smilingly and I hugged him and said “thank you babe, you understand me very well.”

I’m a very attractive and beautiful woman according to most of my friends and relatives who would often praise me for my beauty. I’ve gotten many proposals from guys even in college, but I had to reject every one of them because I couldn’t dare the repercussions if my family or relatives get to know.

Well, anyway, now I have a supporting and loving husband who is supporting my dream of being an actress though it is for increasing our earning. So we started searching on the internet for some opportunities or any upcoming or ongoing auditions as an actress.

We clicked a Google Ad about an ongoing audition for a dancer/actress for a music record label in our own city. We thought it’s a good opportunity as I am a very good dancer too.

After checking their YouTube channel and social media handles, we got to know that it’s a leading music record label in our state, popular for its music videos and comedy short films. However, one thing we found concerning is that their videos often involved men caressing and kissing actresses’ midriff, navel, back, neck, and cheeks. Now we understood why their videos have a lot of viewership.

My husband was a bit hesitant about this. I too felt a bit shy and hesitant imagining myself in their videos doing such hot, romantic shots. But then I thought, if I feel shy and hesitate about such a thing, how will I ever be a successful actress. Many top actresses from Bollywood and Regional film industries have performed many such scenes gracefully and professionally. And this opportunity would only be a stepping stone for me in my career as an actress.

Thinking so, I started to convince Vinay. He too started thinking, and then we saw the actress remuneration on their ad landing page which mentioned ₹25,000-₹50,000 per video. Then we looked at each other and we said to each other, “We should give it a try.” “Let’s do it.”

Meeting The Director
We filled their registration form in the ad’s landing page, which even asked my measurements along with my age, skin tone, and my photograph. Let me tell you that I have a very attractively shaped body like that of a Bollywood actress, not exaggerating.

The next day morning we got a call from their office about my audition at 4 pm in the evening. I was told to come wearing a transparent or semi-transparent saree tied below my navel. Vinay took a leave for the day, and we went to their studio by 4 pm. I wore a red semi-transparent saree, that is softly revealing my deep oval-shaped navel.

We went inside the studio which also happens to be a guest house, maybe the director’s. An assistant sitting on a chair in the verandah got up and inquired “Isha ma’am?”. “Yes, I have come for the audition,” I said recognizing his voice who talked to me on phone this morning. “Hi ma’am, I’m Kishore, assistant director. Please come, sir is waiting for you,” he said, taking a quick look at my midriff and led us inside.

We went inside the hall to meet the director who happens to be a 40 year-old man, sitting on a sofa, looking somewhat like a politician-cum-gunda. He stood up on seeing us, greeted us and shook hands with me and my husband. “Hi, I’m Rajiv, director-cum-actor in Mastee Records (their record label). I have been working as a director & actor for around 7 years. Please be seated,” he spoke, as he checked me from top to bottom and glanced at my softly revealing navel in my red semi-transparent saree.

We sat on the chairs in front of him and he sat on his sofa. His Assistant director, Kishore also sat beside him and we started discussing.

Pre-Audition With The Director
Director Rajiv: “So Isha. How good of an actor or a dancer are you? You are looking very beautiful. But acting and dancing skills are also necessary to work with us. Your performance needs to justify the remuneration we pay you.”

Me: “Sir, I’m a very good dancer and I’m also good at acting. I have performed in dance competitions in my school and college, and also did few plays.”

Director Rajiv: “Alright, let me play a song. Let’s see your dance skills.”

Assistant director Kishore with the help of my husband Vinay vacated some space in front of the sofa by taking our chairs away. Vinay sat on a chair leaving space in the center, placing the chair near to the wall on the left. I stood in front of the director Rajiv and Kishore, waiting for a song to be played.

Director Rajiv: “As you might know, our record label features hot romantic or item songs in which the actress performs sensuous dance. So we expect that dance from you as well.”
Me: “Sure sir,” I said nervously and gave a quick look at my husband Vinay.

He started playing an item song on the speaker. I started dancing to the beats and tunes, raising my arms, swaying my hips, moving rhythmically while also maintaining expressions. As I was dancing, I also saw both the director and assistant director looking directly at my hips, midriff, boobs, and my navel that is playing hide and seek with their eyes, as I move and sway my hips with the rhythms.

Rajiv paused the music after a while and said, “Alright Isha, you are really a great dancer. But how good are you at exposing your body gracefully and dancing sensuously? Let’s remove your pallu, and see your moves and expressions.”

I felt a little hesitant and looked at my husband Vinay, who gave me an assuring look, though he himself was looking a little uncomfortable.

Director Rajiv: “Kishore go and remove her pallu romantically. Let’s note her expressions. Isha raise your hands as he removes your pallu and give your best expressions.”

Kishore stood up and came to me, raised his hand onto my shoulder, got hold of the pallu, and started removing it slowly, making me rotate with my arms raised up, leaving my graceful waist curves in full view. Kishore removed my pallu totally, leaving me in my blouse and shapewear petticoat, revealing my deep navel and the shape of my breasts and ass.

Both of them rejoiced glaring at my deep navel and finely-shaped curves. I was blushing and couldn’t look at my husband Vinay.

Director Rajiv then resumed the song prompting me to start dancing again. I composed myself and started dancing, this time feeling a little uncomfortable, yet maintaining my composure, swaying and moving to their delight.

Director Rajiv: “Turn around Isha and move your hair to front, show us your back moves.”

I turned around, moved my hair to the front and kept dancing moving my back and hips to the rhythms, letting them see my smooth buttery back. After dancing for a while, he stopped the music.

Director Rajiv: “Well Isha. We see that you are a great dancer. We select you for the next audition. This is just to test your dancing skills, to see how sensual you look and carry yourself. And you are awesome.

Now let’s click a few pictures with you to show to our Producer. Come here, turn behind and stand with your arms raised. Curve your hip a little.”

I went and stood beside the director while he is seated on the sofa facing my back. I took a sexy pose as he said, standing with my arms raised, curving my hip to the left.

He then held my waist with both his hands. I was startled by the unexpected touch of his rough hands on my smooth and soft midriff. I maintained the pose as the assistant director Kishore clicked a pick.

Director Rajiv then told me to take a similar the pose with my left arm raised and the right arm lowered. He then held my waist with his right hand and he laid his head on my left hip curve, feeling the warmth of my midriff on the side of his head. I let a gasp feeling his beard on my hip curve but maintained my composure.

I took a glance at my husband who also looked uncomfortable but still gave me a reassuring look. Assistant director Kishore clicked the pic.

The director then stood up and instructed me to relax my pose. He then hugged my from behind. I was startled but I tried to maintain a smiling expression. Kishore clicked the pic.

Director Rajiv: “Alright Isha. Tomorrow morning at 10am, our Producer Sandeep will also come. Together we will test your acting skills and your expressions thoroughly, and also record some scenes with you. If you perform well tomorrow, you will be selected to feature in our videos as an actress and dancer, and will be paid for every video.

So be here at 10am tomorrow morning. Wear a transparent saree below your navel like this tomorrow also.”

Me: “Sure sir, thank you so much.”

I took my pallu and quickly wore it back. My husband Vinay got up from his chair, thanked them and we left to our home.

***Continued in the next chapter***