The casting process for a small film is always tough. Especially if the film has only two characters. Everything hinges on the performance of these actors. Budget constraints also mean that we cannot factor in days of auditioning to ferret out two models who (we hoped) would be able to gel with one another to provide the much-needed chemistry. Our task was cut out for us. One day of auditions to find a ‘father-son’ duo who should be capable enough to fake a genuine relationship on screen. Thankfully, the lure of starring in a film was enough to overcome the lack of moolah. There were many contenders for the roles. After deliberating on some shortlisted candidates, we put our faith on Khalid (father) and Omar (son). Khalid had an air of patience around him – a trait highly sought after while working with child actors. Omar came across as an affable young boy who won’t mind repeating a shot, again and again. These were obviously decisions that had a lot of gut instinct involved too.
The shoot started. It was a rather hot day. Both ‘father’ and ‘son’ went about it gamely. As the day progressed and we shifted from one location after another, the heat started taking its toll. To our great relief, I could see the actors really bonding. Khalid was really a man of great patience. And good humour. He kept on entertaining and engaging with Omar (a thorough professional despite his age). We headed towards the desert for the last shot of the day. It was a sequence where the father points out the various constellations in the sky as they sit atop a dune. As the team was running all over frantically prepping for the shot, the father/son duo climbed up a dune and spent a few quiet moments soaking in a sunset that makes life a bit more meaningful.
I really hope Khalid and Omar kept in touch after the shoot too. It felt like the start of a truly beautiful relationship
