Teenage Disney star Karan Brar, who played Chirag Gupta in the Wimpy Kid feature film franchise and Ravi Ross in the Disney show Jessie, was in Dubai on Friday to judge at a casting call for budding young screen stars.
The Celebrity Experience organised the auditions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Winners chosen over the four-hour audition get to attend a special week-long acting workshop in Universal Studios in Hollywood to meet casting directors, talent managers and agents.
The company’s website reads: “At our 5-day talent event, hopeful stars have the opportunity to film a scene on set with a Hollywood director, take a back-lot tour of the studio, participate in workshops with celebrities, producers, and directors, have private meetings with industry professionals, and even walk the red carpet!”
Filipina mum Lorena Catigan Basheeef was escorting her eight year-old daughter Yasmine. “It’s her dream to be an actress, she goes to dance and acting classes every week”, she says. “Yasmine loves the Disney show Jessie and wants to go to America because of that show. Is she wins, we’ll all be taking her to America.”
Yasmine had prepared a monologue acting piece especially for the audition. “I’m going to act as Frankie Stein from Monster High”, she explains. “I’m feeling very excited and am looking forward to meeting Karan, as I’m a big fan of his.”
artslife@thenational.ae