Romil Modi

Creator Context

Summary

Indian casting director and filmmaker whose career centers on grounded, authenticity-first casting. He began in television advertising before moving into films, with credits including Isaaq, Budhia Singh – Born to Run, Newton, Judgementall Hai Kya, Sherni, Laapataa Ladies, All We Imagine as Light and Anuja. For Newton, he spent a month in Chhattisgarh auditioning Gondi communities, local residents, theatre performers and CRPF personnel, helping assemble a large cast of first-time actors. He has also been associated with socially conscious and independent cinema, and helped discover performers from disadvantaged backgrounds, including a young actor from Delhi’s street community for Anuja. His public profile emphasizes performance, regional authenticity and opportunity over celebrity visibility, although there is no clear record of partisan activism, culture-war campaigning or a strongly ideological public persona. He later expanded into directing and producing, including the short film Laar and the festival feature Songs of Forgotten Trees.