Usha Nadkarni refused to audition for ‘bade baap ki beti’ Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy: ‘Mera naam daalkar dekh computer mei’

Usha Nadkarni talked about how she never gives auditions for projects, recalled refusing to give one for Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy.

Actor Usha Nadkarni, best known for playing Savita Deshmukh in the popular television show Pavitra Rishta, recently opened up about the ‘trend’ of auditions. In an interview with Pinkvilla, she revealed how she refused to audition for filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy when she was called in for one.

Usha Nadkarni revealed she refused to give audition for Zoya Akhtar's film.

Speaking about how more filmmakers ask actors to audition, Usha recalled how she recently received a call from a production house asking her to give one for a role. Sharing her reaction, Usha said, “They asked me, ‘Do you want the role? Then come to our office and give an audition.’ I asked them, ‘What have I done in 78 years that you are asking me to come and give an audition?’”

Usha Nadkarni on rejecting Gully Boy

She further recalled refusing to audition for Gully Boy (2019) and said, “Ek ladke ka call aaya, usne kaha audition dene aajao, maine kaha bete teri umar kya hai? Usne kaha 25 saal. Maine kaha jab teri maa ki shaadi nahi hui thi naa uss time se kaam kar rahi hun main. Yeh sab faaltu kaam nahi karti main audition dene ke. Maine pucha director kaun hai, unhone bataya Zoya Akhtar, maine kaha voh toh bada baap ki beti hai naa…mera kaam dekh computer pe naam daalke mera (I got a call from a boy who asked me to come for an audition. I asked him, ‘Son, how old are you?’ He said 25. I replied, ‘I’ve been working since before your mother got married. I don’t do such useless things as giving auditions. I asked who the director was, and they said Zoya Akhtar. I said, ‘She’s the daughter of a big man, isn’t she? Just search my name on the computer and see my work')."

Usha was also a part of Akshay Kumar and Ileana D’Cruz’s Rustom. She recalled how someone simply called her to the office, explained her role, and that was it. She said she didn’t have to give an audition for it, and even though it was a small role, she was satisfied.

About Gully Boy

Directed by Zoya Akhtar and written by Akhtar and Reema Kagti, the film was produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Akhtar, and Farhan Akhtar under Tiger Baby Films and Excel Entertainment. Inspired by the lives of Indian street rappers DIVINE and Naezy, the film starred Ranveer Singh, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Varma, and Amruta Subhash in key roles. It was a box-office success, collecting ₹235.7 crore worldwide.

About Usha Nadkarni

Over the years, Usha has been part of several Hindi and Marathi films including Tu Chor Main Sipahi, Gundaraj, R... Rajkumar, Bhoothnath Returns and more. She became a household name with her performances in TV shows such as Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan, Pavitra Rishta, Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon, and was also a contestant on Bigg Boss Marathi.